How does a person love Jesus? What does it mean to love Jesus?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible teaches that loving Jesus begins with receiving Him as Lord and Savior (John 1:12-13), which happens through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-5, 6:44). This love means treasuring Him above all else, valuing His sacrifice, and obeying His commands, not out of obligation but out of gratitude. As we begin to understand His love and what He has done for us, our love for Him increases, and we are empowered to live for Him with joy and purpose (2 Peter 3:18; Colossians 1:10). Loving Jesus involves daily surrender, trust, and obedience, reflecting Him in our decisions and actions. When we fail, we return to Him, knowing His forgiveness and continuing to live with the hope of eternal life in His presence.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Scripture describes humans as born in sin and naturally hostile to God and therefore Jesus (Psalm 51:5; see Colossians 1:21).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• To love Jesus means, first of all, to receive Him (John 1:12-13).
• To love Jesus means to treasure Him above all things and all people (Luke 14:26; 16:13). The person who loves Jesus values Him more than anything and anyone.
• Receiving Jesus doesn’t come naturally to anyone (1 Corinthians 2:14).
• Our disposition toward Jesus only changes when we are born again (regenerated) by the Spirit of God (John 3:3-5).
• The Holy Spirit overcomes our inborn resistance to God and draws us to Jesus (John 6:44).
• The Spirit removes our metaphorical heart of stone and replaces it with a heart that loves Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17-18; see Ezekiel 11:19).
• The Spirit of God opens our eyes to behold the beauty of Jesus and opens our ears to hear and receive the good news concerning Jesus (Acts 26:18).
• God Himself makes us spiritually alive and grants us the repentance and faith needed to embrace Jesus as our Lord and Savior (Ephesians 2:4-10; 2 Timothy 2:25). We receive Jesus by believing in Him and trusting that He died for our sins. The first step in loving Jesus is receiving Him as Lord and Savior.
• Much of what it means to love Jesus comes from understanding and appreciating what He has done and is doing for us. Jesus said that there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends (John 15:13). Jesus did this and more by dying for us while we were still His enemies in order to make us His friends (Romans 5:8).
• As we grow in our knowledge of who Jesus is and what He has accomplished for us, our love for Christ will continually increase (2 Peter 3:18; Colossians 1:10).
• Loving Jesus means putting Him first. The disciple of Jesus must be willing to give up anything and everything, even his or her own life, in service to Him. To live for Jesus must be our greatest purpose, to be in His presence our greatest joy (Philippians 1:21; 2 Corinthians 5:8).
• To love Jesus means to keep His commandments (John 14:15). We try to please those we love. But keeping Jesus’ commandments is not about following a bunch of difficult rules. Instead, His commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3) because He gives us the power to obey them.
• Jesus has sent us the Holy Spirit to teach, remind, lead, comfort, indwell, and empower us to obey His commands (John 14:15-17). By extension, we are commanded to obey the apostles' teachings as they were commissioned by Jesus Himself to teach with His authority. By obeying Jesus’ commands, we demonstrate that we love Him.
• We love Jesus because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
• Loving Jesus also means recognizing when we fail, confessing our sins, and thanking God for the forgiveness that we have through His Son’s sacrificial death (1 John 1:9).
• Jesus is the propitiation for our sins as well as our advocate before the Father (1 John 2:1; 4:10). Loving Jesus means turning back to Him and going back to relationship with Him even when we fail.
• Because Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead, we will live eternally in His presence. Loving Jesus means living in a way where we eagerly await that day when we will enjoy and praise Him forever (Revelation 21:3, 22-26).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Loving Jesus means putting Him first in our everyday lives—not just in words, but in how we live and relate to others. We show our love by making time each day to be with Him in prayer and to read His Word, even when we’re busy or tired. We trust Him with our decisions, like choosing honesty at work even if it costs us or choosing forgiveness when we’d rather hold a grudge. Loving Jesus means obeying His commands not out of duty but because we know His ways lead to life. When we serve someone in need or are patient with someone who frustrates us, we’re showing our love for Christ. When we fail, we don’t hide or give up, but we turn to Him again, trusting that His mercy still covers us. Loving Jesus is a daily rhythm of surrender, trust, and joyful obedience because we’ve seen how deeply He loves us.

UNDERSTAND

• Loving Jesus starts with receiving Him as Savior.
• Loving Jesus means valuing Him above all.
• Loving Jesus means living for Him, obeying His commands out of gratitude.

REFLECT

• What does it look like to prioritize Jesus above all else in your life?
• How can you grow in your understanding of Jesus' love for you, and how does that influence your love for Him?
• How do you respond when you fail to obey Jesus' commands, and what does it reveal about your relationship with Jesus?

ENGAGE

• Once we are saved, how does recognizing Jesus for who He is help us to love Him?
• What are some practical ways we can demonstrate our love for Jesus by living out His commandments?
• How does loving Jesus impact our relationships with others, especially when faced with challenges or conflicts?