Do You 'Love' Jesus?

I don’t know what you expect to read in a blog entitled “Do You ‘Love’ Jesus?"

There is quite a lot of paper and ink (and pixels) devoted to the biblical meaning of love. Perhaps you have heard/read material that distinguishes between different Greek terms for love in the New Testament: agape (pronounced: a-GOP-ay) and philos (pronounced: PHEE-los). Don’t worry, I’m not planning to go ‘Greeky’ on you, but it is a good idea to understand something about these words. After all, they are not exact synonyms but they are both translated into English as love. (What's up with that?)

Agape is sometimes referred to as a God-type of love. There is nothing wrong with that, but perhaps the following verses provide clarity:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…. 
—John 3:16

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.
—1 Corinthians 13:4-6

Some folks like to completely squeeze emotion out of agape. That is a mistake and not true to its usage. Yet, agape is not rooted in emotion (or intellect), but rather selflessness and self-sacrifice.

A good English word for philos is affection.

Oddly, the ‘kiss’ of Judas was literally, philos. When Jesus said, “He who loves father and mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37), ‘love’ is philos (affection).

Jesus rebuked the hypocrites who loved (philos) to be seen praying in public (Matthew 6:5); also those who loved (philos) the places of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogue (Matthew 23:6).

However, did you know that God loves (philos)?

The Father loves the Son. 
—John 5:20

The Father himself loves you because you have loved Me and have believed…. 
—John 16:27

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline….
—Revelation 3:19

The 'love' word In each of the verses above is philos (affection). How does that strike you that God has affection for Jesus!? God had an emotional attachment to Jesus just like any father would have for his son. He has an emotional attachment to all of his children.

But that's not all. Take a look at this...

If anyone does not love [philos] the Lord, he is to be accursed.
—1 Corinthians 16:22

Christians are to have affection for Jesus. Our love is incomplete without true affection and an emotional attachment to Jesus. We ought to anticipate eternal life with God with the same anticipation as going to Grandma’s house or going on one’s absolute favorite vacation...only far, far more. God is eagerly awaiting your arrival!

Christianity is not a philosophy that people adopt intellectually as if to say, “I prefer the ideas and teachings of Jesus more than those taught by Confucius, or Mohammed (Islam) or the pleasure-seeking lifestyle of hedonism.” Rather, central to Christianity is relationship. Jesus came to repair the broken relationship between God and man, not to organize something, not make arbitrary rules for living.

Organization and rules help our families run smoothly, but families are not built around rules. Families are based on relationships. The same is true of God and His family. God loves you (agape); and God loves you (philos).

Do you love Jesus, and love Him too?

Mark Stinnett