Discover Cross-Shaped Love: Laying Down Your Life Through Biblical Fasting and Sacrifice
Adapted from: Cross-Shaped Love by Sam Holm
Ever sat next to someone and felt like you were getting a glimpse into their heart? That's exactly what happens in John 13 when Jesus pulls His disciples close for an intimate conversation. The bus ride is ending. Time is running out. And what Jesus reveals in that upper room changes everything about how we understand love, sacrifice, and what it means to follow Him.
The Glory of the Cross: Where Justice Meets Mercy
Jesus knew what was coming. Within hours, He would hang on a cross, and He tells His disciples plainly: "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him" (John 13:31). Wait—glory in death? How does that work?
Here's the beautiful paradox: God is both perfectly just and perfectly merciful. He can't ignore sin, but He also loves us too much to leave us in it. The cross is where these two truths collide. Jesus takes the penalty we deserve, satisfying God's justice while pouring out undeserved grace. That's the glory of God on full display—not weakness, but victory over sin and death.
When Moses asked to see God's glory in Exodus, God revealed Himself as "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness...forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty." How do mercy and justice coexist? At the cross. The cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate glorification of a loving, graceful God taking the penalty we deserve on Himself.
A New Kind of Love
Right after revealing His impending sacrifice, Jesus gives His disciples a command: "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34). This isn't just "be nice to each other." This is cross-shaped love—the kind that lays down its life for others.
Think about what stands out when people encounter genuine Christian community. Podcaster Joe Rogan recently shared his surprise at church parking lots where everyone lets each other go first. It's a small thing, but it points to something deeper: a love that denies self and serves others. That's what makes disciples recognizable—not perfect theology, but sacrificial love in action.
Peter boldly claimed he'd lay down his life for Jesus, but within hours he denied knowing Him three times. Sound familiar? We all fall short of this love. But here's the hope: Jesus died for imperfect Peters. The cross covers our failures and empowers us to love like Him.
Fasting: Training for Cross-Shaped Living
So how do we actually learn to lay down our lives? One powerful practice is fasting. Before you groan, hear this: fasting isn't a burden—it's a blessing. It's not about punishing yourself; it's about training your heart to say "no" to immediate cravings so you can say "yes" to the One who truly satisfies.
In our culture of instant gratification, fasting teaches us to deny ourselves. The Western world does virtually nothing that isn't based on satisfying your craving right now. Fasting is about spiritual feasting, not just bodily famine. It trains our bodies to lay down our lives for the One we love most.
Biblical fasting takes several forms:
Selective Fast - Like Daniel, you continue eating but say no to delicacies or favorite foods.
Partial Fast - Skip a specific meal or fast one day per week.
Material Fast - In biblical times, 80-90% of people spent most of their time on food production. Today, what consumes your time? Social media? Entertainment apps? Consider fasting from those to redirect your attention to Jesus.
Your Next Step
As we approach Easter, consider joining a season of fasting. Plan ahead—don't just wing it. Choose something meaningful: a meal, a day each week, or that app you mindlessly scroll. Use that time to pray, journal, or simply listen to Scripture.
Make a plan for what you'll do with the time you gain. Will you prayer journal? Listen to Scripture? Sit quietly with Jesus? The point isn't to hurt yourself—it's to turn your appetite to the One who can satisfy it.
And after your fast ends, don't just rush back to normal. Ask: "Lord, what do I need to learn from this time? What do I need to take away so I can be a disciple living more in response to Your love for me?"
Cross-shaped love isn't something we do to earn God's favor. The cross has already gifted it to us. It's something we get to do in response to the One who sat beside us and laid down His life so we could truly live.
Ever sat next to someone and felt like you were getting a glimpse into their heart? That's exactly what happens in John 13 when Jesus pulls His disciples close for an intimate conversation. The bus ride is ending. Time is running out. And what Jesus reveals in that upper room changes everything about how we understand love, sacrifice, and what it means to follow Him.
The Glory of the Cross: Where Justice Meets Mercy
Jesus knew what was coming. Within hours, He would hang on a cross, and He tells His disciples plainly: "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him" (John 13:31). Wait—glory in death? How does that work?
Here's the beautiful paradox: God is both perfectly just and perfectly merciful. He can't ignore sin, but He also loves us too much to leave us in it. The cross is where these two truths collide. Jesus takes the penalty we deserve, satisfying God's justice while pouring out undeserved grace. That's the glory of God on full display—not weakness, but victory over sin and death.
When Moses asked to see God's glory in Exodus, God revealed Himself as "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness...forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty." How do mercy and justice coexist? At the cross. The cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate glorification of a loving, graceful God taking the penalty we deserve on Himself.
A New Kind of Love
Right after revealing His impending sacrifice, Jesus gives His disciples a command: "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34). This isn't just "be nice to each other." This is cross-shaped love—the kind that lays down its life for others.
Think about what stands out when people encounter genuine Christian community. Podcaster Joe Rogan recently shared his surprise at church parking lots where everyone lets each other go first. It's a small thing, but it points to something deeper: a love that denies self and serves others. That's what makes disciples recognizable—not perfect theology, but sacrificial love in action.
Peter boldly claimed he'd lay down his life for Jesus, but within hours he denied knowing Him three times. Sound familiar? We all fall short of this love. But here's the hope: Jesus died for imperfect Peters. The cross covers our failures and empowers us to love like Him.
Fasting: Training for Cross-Shaped Living
So how do we actually learn to lay down our lives? One powerful practice is fasting. Before you groan, hear this: fasting isn't a burden—it's a blessing. It's not about punishing yourself; it's about training your heart to say "no" to immediate cravings so you can say "yes" to the One who truly satisfies.
In our culture of instant gratification, fasting teaches us to deny ourselves. The Western world does virtually nothing that isn't based on satisfying your craving right now. Fasting is about spiritual feasting, not just bodily famine. It trains our bodies to lay down our lives for the One we love most.
Biblical fasting takes several forms:
Selective Fast - Like Daniel, you continue eating but say no to delicacies or favorite foods.
Partial Fast - Skip a specific meal or fast one day per week.
Material Fast - In biblical times, 80-90% of people spent most of their time on food production. Today, what consumes your time? Social media? Entertainment apps? Consider fasting from those to redirect your attention to Jesus.
Your Next Step
As we approach Easter, consider joining a season of fasting. Plan ahead—don't just wing it. Choose something meaningful: a meal, a day each week, or that app you mindlessly scroll. Use that time to pray, journal, or simply listen to Scripture.
Make a plan for what you'll do with the time you gain. Will you prayer journal? Listen to Scripture? Sit quietly with Jesus? The point isn't to hurt yourself—it's to turn your appetite to the One who can satisfy it.
And after your fast ends, don't just rush back to normal. Ask: "Lord, what do I need to learn from this time? What do I need to take away so I can be a disciple living more in response to Your love for me?"
Cross-shaped love isn't something we do to earn God's favor. The cross has already gifted it to us. It's something we get to do in response to the One who sat beside us and laid down His life so we could truly live.
Posted in New Testament
Posted in Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Teaching, Disciples, Upper Room, Serve, Glorify God, Satan, Cross, Life, Friend, Bus
Posted in Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Teaching, Disciples, Upper Room, Serve, Glorify God, Satan, Cross, Life, Friend, Bus
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