December 17: John 13:1; John 13:34; John 15:9; John 15:13–14; John 17:9–10; John 17:15–16; Ephesians 5:25–26; Philippians 1:6; Matthew 13:11; John 15:15; 1 Corinthians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 2:12; Ephesians 3:14–19 - a podcast by Crossway

Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them…. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”—“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”—“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.—Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.

John 13:1 (Listen)

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

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John 13:34 (Listen)

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

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John 15:9 (Listen)

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

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John 15:13–14 (Listen)

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

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John 17:9–10 (Listen)

9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

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John 17:15–16 (Listen)

15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.¹ 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

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Ephesians 5:25–26 (Listen)

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

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Philippians 1:6 (Listen)

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

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The depths of God.

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”—“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.”

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Matthew 13:11 (Listen)

11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

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John 15:15 (Listen)

15 No longer do I call you servants,¹ for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

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1 Corinthians 2:10 (Listen)

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

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1 Corinthians 2:12 (Listen)

12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

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Ephesians 3:14–19 (Listen)

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family¹ in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

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