The One Jesus Loves
The Hunger to Be Seen
In 1985, a 70-year-old Serbian widower named Adrian migrated to Australia to be with his sons. At first, it was wonderful. But soon, his sons began to see him as a burden. Adrian felt unwanted, rejected, unloved. He couldn't speak English, so he couldn't even connect with others.
Then Adrian started doing something strange. He would walk to pedestrian crossings and step directly into traffic, forcing cars to screech to a halt. Then he'd cross to the other side and do it again. All day, every day.
After multiple tickets, he appeared before a judge who was completely baffled. "Can you explain why you've been doing this over and over?"
Adrian's answer, translated by his son: "Your honor, I felt loved. It felt great to see that someone finally saw me as a human being. I felt joy when someone stopped for me. The dignity and respect I felt when cars stopped for me made up for all the loss of respect I experienced my whole life. I felt valued and loved."
We All Chase After Love
Maybe you haven't walked into traffic, but you've chased after love too.
Some of you are still trying to win your parents' approval, pushing yourself to exhaustion just wanting them to be proud of you. Others have twisted themselves into knots trying to get your peers to notice you—the right clothes, the right body, the right posts on social media. Some thought you found it in marriage, but now it's not the same anymore, and you're looking elsewhere.
And then there are those who feel unlovable because of things that have happened to you or things you've done. "I don't deserve to be loved." But even as you think that, you hope it's not true.
Mother Teresa said,
"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread."
Is it possible to satisfy that deep longing? Does unconditional love even exist?
What Love Looks Like
Jesus said it clearly in John 15:13:
"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."
If someone gave up their life so you could live, you would know beyond any doubt that they truly loved you. That kind of sacrifice proves value, proves care, proves love.
Well, someone did die for you. His name is Jesus. But His sacrifice is even more unfathomable than it first appears.
Jesus Stooped For You
In Philippians 2, Paul shows us who Jesus really is and how far He stooped for you:
Jesus is God. Not just a good teacher or wise man. Paul says Jesus is "in very nature God" (v.6)—possessing the unchangeable essential nature of deity. He has always existed and always will.
He gave it all up for you. Being the 2nd member of the Trinity, Jesus "did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage." (v.7)
He let go of His divine privileges. He left the glory and comfort of heaven with angels flying around Him declaring, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,” to come to earth where people insulted Him. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says, "Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor."
He became fully human (v. 8). Jesus experienced everything that makes us human. The God of the universe experienced suffering, temptation, pain, hunger, thirst. All things He never had to experience in heavenly glory.
He died the most shameful death imaginable. Not just any death, but "death on a cross" (v.8)—reserved for rebellious slaves and the worst criminals. The most degrading, painful, cruel execution ever devised.
Think about how far Jesus stooped: Jesus sat in heaven enjoying all His riches, receiving glory from angels, and could have stayed there for eternity. Instead, He hung naked on a cross before a mocking world with nails driven through His hands and feet.
Why? For you. Because He loves you and wanted to be in a relationship with you.
The One Jesus Loves
In his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace, Philip Yancey tells of receiving a postcard with just six words: "YOU ARE THE ONE JESUS LOVES."
His friend explained that John, Jesus's disciple, referred to himself in his Gospel as "the one Jesus loved." If asked about his primary identity, John wouldn't say, "I'm a disciple" or "I'm an apostle." He would say, "I AM THE ONE JESUS LOVES."
Yancey asked himself:
"What would it mean if I saw my primary identity as 'THE ONE JESUS LOVES'? How differently would I view myself? Sociologists have a theory of the looking-glass self: you become what the most important person in your life thinks you are. How would my life change if I truly believed God's astounding words about His love for me...if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?" (What’s So Amazing About Grace?)
How Would Your Life Change?
If you looked in the mirror and saw what Jesus sees, you would see that He views you as worth leaving heaven for. Worth exchanging glory for humiliation. Worth dying for.
Jesus came on a rescue mission for you. It was personal. He was thinking of you when He left heaven. He was thinking of you when He hung on the cross.
You are the one Jesus loves.
Let that sink in. Not "Jesus loves everyone" in some vague, impersonal way.
You. Personally. Specifically. You are the one Jesus loves.
How would your life change if you truly believed that?
If you've never received Jesus’ gift of salvation, would you be willing to put your faith in Him as your Lord and Savior? To accept His forgiveness and open yourself up to a relationship with Him?
If you’ve already trusted Jesus, are you living like you're the one He loves? Or are you still chasing after love from your parents, your peers, your spouse? Are you still trying to prove you're worthy? Are you still believing the lie that you're unlovable?
His love for you isn't reserved for heaven. It's never-ending. It starts the moment you put your faith in Him. It's a satisfying love—one that allows you to stop chasing and start resting.
You don't have to earn love from your parents. You don't have to perform for your peers. You don't have to depend on your spouse's affection to feel valuable. You don't have to worry about being unlovable.
Because you are the one Jesus loves.
Stop chasing. Start resting. Let His love be the place where the rest of your life flows from.
When you truly believe you are the one Jesus loves, everything changes. Your worth is settled. Your identity is secure. Your deepest hunger is finally satisfied.
You are the one Jesus loves. Live like you believe it, and you will begin to experience the abundant life you have in union with Him.
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