The Love Of Jesus
“The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. – John 7:32
As we read the gospel story we are surprised to see how few persons were really drawn to Christ during His life. Crowds followed Him – many form curiosity, but very few were drawn to Him in heart and life. We see at the last how few; there was but a little handful of clinging friends about His cross.
It was not until He had made His great sacrifice, had been “lifted up” on the cross, that all men began to be drawn to Him. Why was the influence of a crucified Jesus so much greater than that of a living, miracle-working Jesus?
It is because the death of Christ revealed the wonderful love of God. His sweet, gentle, helpful life told of love, too; but it was when He went to His cross that the full, rich glory of the Divine love was manifested. And love always draws. It is love that men need, and wherever they find it they want to come and rest in its warmth and tenderness.
Another reason why Jesus drew most powerfully after He had been “lifted up,” was because then the Divine Spirit was present to work on human hearts and lives. Without the drawing of the Spirit, none would ever come to Christ.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13