Holy Week: Jesus Teaches Love

Holy Week: Jesus Teaches Love       


In my last three blog posts we witnessed Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, (Palm Sunday); saw Him shake things up at the Temple; rejoiced as He blessed children and healed the afflicted.  


Now let’s move on with Him into mid-week.


Jesus continued to teach about what the Kingdom of God is like. In parable after parable He illustrated God, His Kingdom, and man’s flawed propensities. He also continued to heal the sick and afflicted, showing love and compassion toward people. Still, the religious leaders wanted Him gone. 


One of the Pharisees, who was a lawyer, approached Jesus and asked, “’Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ 


“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’


“’This is the first and great commandment and the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:36-40 NKJV).  

Illustration by Lesley James, from 

The Lord Has Need of YOU, by Connie wohlford

Have you meditated on that passage lately? 


Jesus pointed out that if we would love in the way He described we would be fulfilling all of the Law, which includes the Ten Commandments, and all of the Prophets. We would be fulfilling everything that the statutes of God require. 


Let’s go back to the essence of love. Jesus also said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17 NKJV). 


The center of God’s character is love. God is love. 


Jesus came to Earth because of that love and He was (and is) walking, talking perfect love. In just a couple of days that perfect love would be nailed to a cross as the sacrificial Lamb of God. He would take the punishment we each deserve for the sins we’ve each committed. 


As we approach Resurrection Sunday, lets ponder on that perfect love.


As followers of Jesus—we who are in Christ—lets consider the words of the beloved disciple, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8 NKJV). 


With God’s help, by His Spirit in us, we can love like Jesus. 


This Holy Week, I again want to encourage you to read, in your Bible, about the last days of Jesus’ life. Quite a bit happens in these few days. See for yourself. Begin your reading at these points: Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19:28, and John 12:12. Go ahead and read through to the end of each of the Gospels between now and Easter Sunday. Be blessed with me as we learn Jesus. 


Each day this week, I’m posting just a few highlights from those amazing days in history. Also, I’m using some of the pictures and quotes from my book titled, The Lord has Need of YOU.* The illustrations are watercolor paintings by artist, Lesley James. 


Thank you for traveling with me through these extraordinary days. God bless you. 


*The Lord Has Need of YOU, by Connie Wohlford. Copyright Connie Wohlford, 2019, Hoot Books Publishing.

*The Lord Has Need of YOU can be purchased directly from me via email author@conniewohlford.com or through Amazon,  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1687536104/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

©Copyright 2020 Connie Wohlford