No Greater Love

John 15: 12&13
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

"No greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." We see this scenario played out many times in the movies and on popular television shows. You've seen it, someone is in danger and there friend jumps in and saves them by putting themselves in the way of danger, often killing themselves (laying down one's life) to save there friends. We think that this is the greatest gift and act of love that anyone could do for us and it is. Jesus did the same thing for us when he died on the cross for our sins. Without him dying we would not be able to have a personal relationship with him. Jesus called us his friends. He showed us the greatest act of love by dying for us. But if we are friends with Jesus shouldn't we be willing to do the same thing? I'm not saying we need to kill ourselves for the cause of Christianity, but take Stephen for example. Stephen was willing to be stoned to death by people that wanted him to stop preaching.
Why would he be willing to do this? Because he loved God and knew how important it was to share the gospel with people no matter what the outcome would be. Stephen understood the power in the great commission (Matthew 28:29) and was not willing to stop for anything. So I leave you with a scenario. Your at church listening to the pastors message, when a man walks in with a gun. He claims he will shoot anybody that says they are a Christian, but will let those that deny God walk out. He has stayed true to his word, three have denied God and walked out, two lie dead. He walks up to you and sticks the gun to your head. What is your answer?