By Melissa McLaughlin
The church chimes echoed. A tender melody rang out over the traffic’s hum and the neighborhood’s hubbub.
After parents returned home from work, children came in from play, and families finished their meals. The evening sky dimmed as lights turned on in the homes.
The hour had come. Church bells tolled for the community near my apartment.
The chimes sang a lullaby of love for listening ears. The old hymns soothed. Softly and gently, resounding with hope. Memories of Christ on the cross, yet risen again, reverberated through the air.
Wafting over the world’s din, the church bells serenaded our souls.
We have since moved and there are no church chimes where we now live. However, I remember fondly that cherished sound, marking the time of evening’s end, calling us to rest with our Lord.
His Hour Had Come
As we consider Christ heading toward the evening of His earthly mission, we wonder what marked His time.
In John 13:1 (NKJV) we read – Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
Can you imagine? What spiritual bell tolled that Jesus knew His hour had come?
Surely, each moment of Jesus’ earthly life marched ever forward to this sacred and sacrificial moment. Yet, when the time came, what was Jesus’ response?
Jesus loved.
Jesus Loved Them to the End
Though Christ willingly laid down His life to pay our sin-debt, this choice came at an unspeakable cost.
Jesus crushed Himself for us. And from the cross, an unheard song of justice, mercy, comfort, and forgiveness resonated to the ends of the earth.
“It is finished.” The song of the forgiven. The hymn of the redeemed. The chorus of the saved.
And grace upon grace, His blood-drenched love song never loses tempo or runs out.
For He is the source of love. God is love. We love Him because He first loved us. From that infinite spring, the Spirit infuses us with pure and holy love from His heart, flowing freely to refresh and satiate us and others who receive Christ as Lord.
Christ came to His own and His own received Him not. In some respect, this is all of us, for we all began in rebellion toward our Savior. Yet having loved His own, He loved them to the end.
And He loves us still.
For Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Imagine His eyes looking at you from the cross. Beneath red-soaked, thorny crown. His body broken for you. His blood shed for you.
Think of His compassionate voice promising paradise for the thief who believed. Those assuring words are also for you and me.
Jesus loved you to the end. Jesus loved me to the end. And for all eternity.
Christ has done it all. By faith, we are born again of His Spirit. Clothed in His righteousness. Anchored in His truth. Filled with His love.
May we join with the heavenly choir. Angels and saints gone before us, singing, “Worthy is the Lamb!”
May the church swell with the sound of rejoicing, so that all the world will know. The Savior has come and is coming again. The hour is late. May more people hear His salvation song.
Revelation 22:20 NKJV – He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
What helps you remember Jesus’ eternal love for you?
*This post was inspired by Bible Hub commentaries.
Other posts you may enjoy:
How Dark Was the Night Jesus Endured
The Gospel – Easter Story With Candy
Exciting News for My Readers!
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Amen. His love is more than we can imagine. I’m comforted knowing that He loves me. 🙂 Blessings.
Oh how He loves us! May His love overflow your heart afresh, dear friend!
“It is finished.” The song of the forgiven. The hymn of the redeemed. The chorus of the saved.
AMEN, Lord, AMEN!
How blessed we are through Christ our Savior! Forgiven, redeemed, saved. Hallelujah! God bless you dear Chebba!
Come quickly, Lord Jesus. We know the hour is late. We yearn to hear that trumpet call and to join you in the air.
Amen! Each day we are one day closer to Christ’s return. May we be filled afresh with His love and share it with others as we wait!
Sister Melissa,
What will make me remember His eternal love for me?
Perhaps this blog post for now. What a question though.
I kept and keep going back to where you slowed down the passage & highlighted “my hour has come” … sitting here and trying to pray…asking Holy Spirit to help the extremely limited man that I am (I journal this a lot “limited man, Lord..you know how limited I am”) line up heart, mind, soul to be thankful enough – I know never good enough. He’s the only good in me.
I will think my heart is right, then the Holy Spirit through your writing here exposes some degree of resentment… or disagreement if not resentment with another person. It could be a minor irritation, petty even, unspoken, the other person or people don’t even know it’s there-but it’s still ugliness. Jesus knows.
I’m sort of just journaling here.
His love is perfect. I can’t get past comprehending “He knew his hour had come” …much less “He loved to the end.” That is me. That is any “whosoever” …the thief next to Him, and most certainly any and every single person I harbor even the slightest irritation with.
I need to just keep acknowledging and claiming the Holy Spirit that lives in me. Distracted, depraved and as limited a man that I am, it becomes real easy to relate to “help my unbelief” & “have mercy on me a sinner,” and not much else…then to think I can somehow trudge back to “I’m a new creation.” He loves me to the end and eternally. So flawed & so limited. Just, thank you Jesus. You did it Jesus. Not even my stray thoughts and pervasive mark missing except while asleep can stop Him.
God Bless you Melissa. Long meditation. Lot of thoughts. Lord knows, there’s a prayer in there somewhere.
Good night sister.
Thank you Jesus…I am saying the words. Help me mean it as much as you can. Amen.
God bless you, Brother Mike. This is a powerful reflection. Thank you for sharing your journaling thoughts. This long meditation was well worth it. I can relate to what you’re saying here. Even small irritations can be like a pebble in the shoe of our soul, always there and causing hurt, unless we release it to the Lord and receive His healing through forgiveness. Sometimes those short Scripture prayers are the most impactful, such as “help my unbelief” and “have mercy on me a sinner”. But it’s important to trudge back to “I’m a new creation in Jesus Christ.” He paid it all! He loved us to the end! The fullness of knowing our salvation is also knowing our need for salvation. That’s what you’re highlighting here. Thank you for this heartfelt message! God bless you again and again, brother!
It is truly incomprehensible to understand how He could love them (and us) after all the sins. But He does and that is an amazing love and grace that I strive to share. Thank you so much Melissa
So true, Yvonne. When we pause and consider it all, incomprehensible is the best word to describe Jesus’ love for us, even after all the sins. Amazing grace! Amazing love! Yes, let’s strive to share it more and more each day. God bless you!
This is so good! He even loved Judas Iscariot, truly and deeply! I imagine he still loves Judas, and always will no matter what. And he loves me too.
What a powerful reminder, Jessica! Thank you for sharing your insights. As we remember how Jesus loved Judas, we can trust His love for us, too. God bless!
Beautiful, Melissa. So mind-blowing to grasp that Jesus loved them to the end. The thief on the cross, His accusers, those who beat and crucified Him, those who sentenced Him, and Judas who betrayed Him. Jesus, even though He knew Judas was going to betray Him, still washed his feet in the upper room. I love how you said, “And grace upon grace, His blood-drenched love song never loses tempo or runs out.”
Amen, Karen. The expansive love of Christ is truly mind-blowing. Knowing the betrayal and abandonment, He went to the cross to save us. All who will believe. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.