John 15:13 Commentary and Bible Study

The Lord Jesus Christ now opens up to the apostles their inconceivable privilege, and that privilege extends to us. We ask, Why did Christ die? Oh, we know the answer to that: Christ died in order to redeem a people to populate heaven. Well that is true. Whether it is the primary reason, is not so certain, but it is true and vital. Or we may answer the answer in another way – Christ died to perpetuate the beautiful plan. The beautiful plan, that is an understatement. The glorious plan of God that there would be a place called heaven, and that millions of people in purified state and condition would dwell in heaven with the Lord and see Christ for all eternity. But the whole plan was dashed to the ground, or so it seemed, by the intrusion of Satan who caused the fall into sin and the curse, and the creation is lost. Everything must be destroyed. God must put everything under judgement. So Christ came and suffered and died to atone for countless sinners, that the plan may be restored, that the beautiful plan of heaven and eternity and glory could be perpetuated. Well that is a reason Christ died too. Whether it is the primary reason, it is a vital reason.Perhaps this is the primary reason, concealed in this verse. Verse 13 – ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ Why did he die? Well there is a cluster of vital, crucial, important reasons. But here is one, which seems to tower in this verse over the others – because he had set his love upon people. And once he had set his love upon them, he would undoubtedly come to rescue them, to suffer in their place, to die for them.But how did he set his love upon them? They were unborn. We are thinking in eternity past, and when they were born, they would be born sinners and they would be against him totally, root and branch, and they would be all for themselves. They would be soiled, stained, sinful people and grow up to sin away their lives. Yes, but that is not how he saw them. As he looked from eternity past, he saw what he would do for them, what he would do in them, how he would change them, how he would restore them, how he would sanctify them progressively through life and bring them home perfect to glory. He set his love upon them, and that is why he came and suffered and died for them because he was moved by love and pity for the ones who were his friends, who did not know it yet and who would not know it for some years after they were born. But at length they would and the love of Christ would break through.It is inconceivable privilege that we are looking at here, dear friends. ‘Greater love hath no man than this.’ It applies first to him, the Saviour. ‘That a man lay down his life for his friends.’ And how he laid it down. From the beginning of his earthly ministry, indeed and from before, he was living under the humiliation and the constant attacks of Satan and the attacks of men – the hostility, the sinfulness even before he went to Calvary to suffer and to die and offer himself up in perfect obedience to the Father.