The MSC

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. (John 15:9-17 ESV). Many of you are aware that I am a former student of Texas A & M University. That being said it brings me to a thought this morning from the days I spent on campus. The student center, or the “MSC,” is a central building in the life of the student at A & M. The Memorial Student Center is “hallowed ground.” It memorializes the sacrifice of life made by Aggies in the military. Inscribed on a bronze plaque in the entrance are the words from our reading this morning: “Greater love hath no man than this that he would lay down his life for his friends.” Especially in these days, we ought to be reminded of that great sacrifice given for our freedom. However, there is an even greater sacrifice made for our freedom. It is that of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In the Civil War, Jefferson Davis had to flee from Richmond, from the force of the oncoming troops. When Davis left, he took with him three wagonloads of Confederate money that were later captured by a handful of Union soldiers. That night, tired, hungry and cheerless, the soldiers decided to play poker with the Confederate money for $100,000 per game. That is the way it is with the world, one great hustle for worthless tender. Jesus came to say, "Look! You're missing the reason why you were created. You're wasting your life." At that, the world looked up from its poker game. One player took a black cigar out of his mouth, pulled out a gun and shot Jesus dead. It is dangerous to utter His truth in the world. His truth says that, in order to recognize God's sovereignty, men and women must give up their own. You either accept the truth or you kill it. Truth was crucified on Calvary. Truth was placed in the tomb. And when Christ got up and walked, His truth was loosed on the world, where no cross will ever stop it. Jesus had to die because love cannot stand in the face of aloofness: “…the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. You are my friends." (John 15:13-14). A while back, I talked to a man on the phone that didn't want his son to marry the woman of his choice. He said, "I'll tell you what, if he marries her, he will no longer be a part of my family." I said to the man, "There isn't anything that my sons could do that would cause me ever, ever to say anything like that." He said, "Don't get me wrong, I love my son." I had to say, "No, you don't. What you're saying is that you will love him just so long as he does exactly what you want him to do." You have to check out love. If there is no expression of love, there is no love. A lot of things are defined by what they are; a few things are defined by what they do and love is one of those. Love is not just a word. Love must be expressed or it isn't love. At the cross, Christ came and He died, all because of love. Reflect on that thought today as you worship Him.