Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 (NKJV)

Jesus laid down His life for us because He loves us. He did it to save, rescue, ransom, and deliver us from sin, satan, and separation from God. His love was greater than His suffering, and it moved Him to endure the cross, laying His life down for us. He considered the pain of losing us to be worse than the pain He endured to win us.

Jesus’ love for us is what compelled Him to go to the cross, to hang there naked, to bleed and die. It was all for us. It was all for you. The sacrificial love of Jesus caused Him to give His life to give us access to the Father. Jesus became separated from His heavenly Father so we would not have to be separated from God anymore. That was the ultimate sacrifice that He paid. Until that time, the Father and the Son had known unbroken fellowship. To get us back, He allowed Himself to be removed from that fellowship for the first and only time in all eternity. That is why He cried out, “My God, why have You forsaken me?” That had to be horrific for Him.

Jesus died for all, to save us all and bring us back into relationship. Now He calls us His friends (John 15:15). Jesus loved us more than He loved Himself. He freely and willingly died to show His great love for us