The love that chose the cross: Jesus’ love for the Father motivated His obedience

What a love!

Easter is approaching and so are moments of reflection for Christians as we walk through remembrances of Jesus Christ’s life and sacrifice for us to get to the Father in heaven.

We often talk about that love He has for us.

We sing about it, get emotional and are fueled by that love.

I ran across a verse tonight that hit me deeply.

What about the Father?

We believe in the Trinity, that is the Father God, His Son Jesus and the Advocate or Holy Spirit who makes His home in us and guides us daily once we put our Faith in Jesus.

The Easter story is filled with moments where Jesus must face lies about His character, a betrayal by someone in His immediate follower base/group of friends, and ultimately a merciless undeserved crucifixion for a whole lot of ungrateful people. He was alone and deserted as most of the disciples fled in fear. He was 100% God and 100% man. He could’ve changed “fate” and wiped everything and everyone out and yet He didn’t.

He willingly walked through it motivated by love for those He would lay His life down for — humanity. He did it for a whole lot of people who would never believe in Him or even give Him another thought. He did it for those who would love Him and find life, salvation and peace in the faith. He did it to make heaven crowded.

And yet we see Him grappling with the human side, we see Him in the garden begging for another way, for the cup to pass. Then, again, we see Him on the cross as God turns His back and Jesus bears the weight of our sins, crying out desperately asking God why He has forsaken Him.

We understand deeply that He loved us and the act of love comes by a motivation of love for us.

But it also comes from a deep motivation, obedience and connection with the Father.

I ran across this verse and meditated on it, then asked my AI assistant to unpack it for me so I could really dissect it.

It’s Jesus talking to his disciples in the garden before He is betrayed by Judas and led away.

“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.” -John 14:30-31 NLT

Did you get that last part?

ChatGPT unpacked it…

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“…so that the world will know that I love the Father.”

His obedience isn’t just about the cross—it’s a demonstration of His deep love for the Father. He wants the world to witness what love looks like in action: sacrificial, faithful, and obedient.

This moment shows Jesus as fully aware, fully in control, and fully committed. It reveals:

• His urgency in preparing His disciples

• The approaching spiritual battle

• His voluntary sacrifice, not a forced one

• His love for the Father as His deepest motivation

It’s a powerful picture of strength wrapped in surrender.

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When I think on this and let it resonate it really does show the impact of a God-led life. That’s what He desired to do for us too. To teach us how to live and love to the fullest.

Sometimes it means laying our desires to the side, giving undeserved and unmerited grace and obeying God in our discomfort because we need the world to see that loving the Lord is our greatest motivation.

What motivates you? To get up and work to pay bills and complete items off the check list and bucket list?

Are you motivated to serve? Are you motivated by God?

What a love Jesus had for us! What a love He had for the Father!

I can’t wrap my head around it but this nugget of wisdom is something I’ll hold onto this Easter.

We want to make it all about us, but it’s all about God! He deserved the glory and He deserves passionate followers motivated by a love so big there’s no way it can be hidden.

My prayer today is that we will be that love for others today, tomorrow and always.

May we learn from Jesus and may we let our love for Him lead us into every day ahead and when we lay our heads down may we do so knowing we lived and loved to the fullest degree.