The following story took place on Remembrance Sunday after a chapel service… This humorous story contains an important lesson. As Christians, none of us were there at the times of the birth of Jesus, His death on the cross, and the resurrection. However, at every Easter and Christmas, we celebrate these sacred events because we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. These remembered stories about Christ help us build our faith in God.

On this Remembrance Sunday, we thank God for those who have risked their lives to protect the freedom we enjoy today. We thank God for what has been given and what has been done through them. We remember them and sincerely appreciate their life-giving spirits. Today, we also thank God for Jesus, who sacrificed His life for us on the cross, and we come to realize anew Christ’s remarkable love for us. I have mentioned before that we have a lot of freedom, but the greatest liberty we as Christians are granted today is being free from the penalty for sin and the power of death. This freedom was not free. Two thousand years ago, on the spiritual battlefield called Calvary, Jesus laid down His life for us, His friends, so that we may be free in Christ.

In our Gospel reading, Jesus shared a popular line from the Holy Scripture, often recited during Remembrance: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). This declaration was fulfilled in the final stage of Christ’s life. The word “love” in this text is repeated nine times, underscoring its significance. Love is one of Jesus’ central messages in His ministry, motivating everything He has done for us.

In our Epistle reading, the Apostle Paul starts with the importance of Christ’s greater love. Regardless of the power, pleasure, or possessions we may have, all these things can mean nothing without this divine love, known as “Agape” in Greek. This morning, let us reflect on these scriptures and explore how, as His friends, we can remember Christ’s love for us and apply these loving lessons to our faith journey.

Firstly, let us remember that Christ’s Agape love is a covenant between Jesus and us. That is why Paul emphasizes this morning that love “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:7). Do you know the difference between a covenant and a contract? In a contractual arrangement, both parties usually agree to fulfill their own responsibilities. If they neglect their duties, the contract can be terminated, and their relationship can end at any time.

Someone introduced three types of love in the following phrases: “I love you if; I love you because; I love you in spite of.” Friends, do you love some people only if they help you out? Do you love some people simply because they are good to you? Yes, I do too. We all may love depending on the outcomes of others. I have one more question for us. Do we love some people in spite of how they respond to us? This inquiry can be challenging for all of us to answer. The first two questions related to love I stated can represent a contract or conditional love. The last description can symbolize a sacred covenant in Christ.

Down the road, we all may be wondering with a similar question to the one the Apostle Peter did: “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Do we remember what Jesus said to Peter? He stated, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthews 18:21-22). In other words, there are no limits to forgiving or loving one another.

Think about how many times we have sinned since we were born. It is almost impossible for us to count all our numerous mistakes, failures, shortcomings, and wrongdoings during our lifetime. All of us here in this sanctuary or via Zoom are imperfect. Each of us has grown up in different life environments. In real-life relationships, on the one hand, we face challenging things we may not expect from our spouses, friends, neighbours, co-workers, and so on. On the other hand, we can discover more good qualities from those around us. Over time, all of us can become better and grow together if we continue to show our covenant love to our loved ones while remembering Christ’s unconditional love for us.

Secondly, let us remember that this sacred love can be considered a commitment to one another for the entirety of our lives in Christ. The problem I have witnessed nowadays is that many married couples seek their own happiness through their partners. Someone has articulated this sentiment: “[Committed] love seeks its happiness in the happiness of the beloved.” That is precisely what the Apostle Paul talks about today: “Love is not self-seeking” (1 Corinthians 13:5). This expression can be referred to as Christ’s steadfast love. Jesus committed His everything to each of us, as sinners, from the Bible’s point of view. Did He only commit His love for us in good times? No, Christ showed His greater love to us, even during His difficult time on the cross (John 19:30). In other words, His Agape love has revealed to us at all times.

Friends, are we committed to giving our undivided hearts to our loved ones for a certain extended period of time? Or are we dedicated to presenting our everything to them until we are called to be with the Lord? I believe that the latter is our choice, right! As I have stated before, two imperfect people or parties can become better through their unity in a relationship. Once again, the key is whether we are willing to surrender ourselves by sacrificing our selfishness and seeking others’ blessed lives.

One piece of advice that I hold dear for my family life as well as for my pastoral ministry is the following statement: “Caleb, you will eventually find divine blessing when your loved ones are most happy. You will experience sacred satisfaction when you make efforts to bring happiness to your congregation.” Similarly, I believe that this goldy principle can be applied to any relationships with other individuals so they can discover undescribed joyfulness while seeking their happiness in the happiness of the other party.

Thirdly, let us remember that Christ’s greater love can be observed through communion between us and the Lord our God. Paul also describes love as patient and kind. Someone suggests replacing each word for love with our own names. In my case, Caleb is patient. Caleb is kind… I want to stop here since I feel embarrassed about doing this because I am not that type of a loving person. What if we substitute Jesus’ name instead of our own? “Jesus is patient. Jesus is kind… Jesus is not self-seeking… Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Jesus always protects, always trusts…” Now, it does make sense in this loving statement. As the Son of God, Jesus came to the earth as a human being. Whenever Christ needed Agape love, He knelt and communed with God in prayer despite His busy ministry. The success of Christ’s covenant and committed love is taken from His intimate fellowship with the Lord.

When we make promises of building up a relationship with God and/or others, we usually pledge to those questions before the Lord by saying not only “Yes, I do” but also “I will.” I believe that these responses are very appropriate since our covenant and committed love for God and/or others is valid not only in that present time but also for the future. With the “I will” statement, we can indicate our ongoing and continued dedication to God and/or others.

A relationship can be compared to a marathon. We learn some difficult points that may happen during the long-distance running. Even good married couples sometimes face challenges in their relationships. It is very critical for us to understand how to solve these matters together at some point. I believe that many of us are good communicators with others. That is great. On top of this, we need to keep in mind that the simple but significant “I will” statement we may use cannot be kept without the help of God. Like Jesus Christ, when we commune with the Lord in our daily devotion and ask for His supernatural love, God can and will help each of us maintain the promises we have made so far and will assist us in the coming days. That is why we can confidently and courageously respond to our covenant and committed love with this combined proclamation: “With the strength of the Lord, I will! With God as my helper, I will!”

Friends, I want to conclude this message with the New Commandment that Jesus Christ gives to all of us as His friends: “Love one another As I have loved you, so you should love one another” (John 13:34). With Christ’s Agape love, we all can practice His greater love by embracing the three attributed words that start with the letter C: Covenant, Commitment, and Communion.

Once again, today, we remember and honour those who have sacrificed their lives for the great cause of the freedom and peace we have been given. For Christians, each Sunday is a Remembrance Day and an opportunity to remember the Greater Agape Love of Jesus, who died for our sins on the cross and brought peace between God and us, as well as among the people.

Let us pray that God may use us as a church to make our community more loving and peaceful. So far, as the amalgamated congregation, we have begun well. Despite the differences in each of the previous congregations’ lives, both parties have shown Christ’s love to each other through the three C’s divine principles. God will continuously recognize that we are true Christ-centered followers and friends when we continue to love others based on the unconditional, sacrificial, and communal love that our Mighty and Merciful God has shown us. May God continuously bless each of us as we embark on this united adventure as a heavenly team in Christ and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the coming days, months, and years! Amen!

*In this sermon, I have incorporated some thoughts from various sermons based on the texts John 15:9-17 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-6,13.