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The final week of the Lord’s life upon this earth was packed with events, special moments and remarkable statements. One such statement is found in the Gospel of John. Jesus is not making the comment; it comes from the writer of the Gospel, John. 

John did not write his Gospel until much later, some believe between 90-100 A.D. John is remembering the life of Christ and recording specific aspects as the Holy Spirit is directing him. As John recalls the amazing Life of Christ he says in John 13:1, “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” 

Jesus knew He was not going to be upon this earth forever and His time was coming to an end. During the years of His ministry, a number of people followed Him. Of course, there were the 12 disciples, but this was not all. Luke chapter 10 records Jesus sent out 70 others to minister.  Lazarus, Mary and Martha, who were siblings, were all very close to Jesus. According to Luke 8, there were a number of women who contributed and supported the work of Jesus. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, both who cared for the body of Jesus after He was crucified, had a strong connection with Jesus. There were probably many unnamed people who were close followers and disciples of Jesus during the Lord’s earthly ministry. All of these individuals, John tells us, Jesus loved to the end. That is, until the end of the Lord’s life and time upon this earth. 

This is such a beautiful example of enduring love. A love that is not fickle, put off or allowed to turn cold but a lasting, see-it-through-to-the-end love. 

We know for certain there were times when Jesus needed to correct the 12 disciples and rebuke them for their lack of faith. More than likely, we don’t have every moment when the Lord had to have heart-to-heart talks with the twelve. Regardless of how many times Jesus corrected them or needed to pull them aside, like He did Peter, and the times He had to speak frankly and sharply, Jesus still loved them. It didn’t matter that the disciples and others may have disappointed the Lord; He loved. Even when they all abandoned Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus still loved them to the end. The Lord never, under any circumstance, ceased from pouring out His love upon and for them. This is the kind of love Jesus had and still has for all of humanity. The Lord has an enduring love. Amazing.

The question for us today is, ‘Do we have an enduring love for others?’ When people disappoint us, mistreat us, abandon us or treat us unfairly, do we possess the enduring love of Jesus for them? We should. Jesus told the disciples Thursday night of Passion Week, “…love one another even as I have loved you…” Jesus loved until the end, and our goal is also to have an enduring love for all people.