What Does It Mean to Love Christ? (Luke 14:26)

What does it mean to love Christ? In Luke 14 verse 26 Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” We know Jesus didn’t literally mean to hate our parents, spouse, children, and siblings, because that would contradict other verses:

1. First Timothy 5 verse 8 says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” If we’re told to care for our family members, how could Jesus tell us to hate them and mean that literally?
2. In Matthew 5 verse 44 Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” If Jesus tells us to love our enemies, He isn’t going to tell us to hate our family members and actually mean it.

So how do we explain this? In Scripture, the word hate doesn’t always mean hate. Sometimes it is used to create a contrast, or to elevate one thing above another. In this case the word hate means, “Love less.” Jesus expects us to love him more than our family members.

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00:00 Lessons for What Does It Mean to Love Christ?

05:16 Lesson One: ____ ____ love Jesus more than anyone else.

18:50 Lesson Two: Love is ______________ versus _________________.

26:15 Lesson Three: ______ ___________________ demonstrates our love for Christ.

37:06 Lesson Four: We love Jesus because he first loved us with _______ _______________.

Family Worship Guide for What Does It Mean to Love Christ?

Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions:

Day 1: Luke 14:26 cf. Matthew 10:37, Deuteronomy 21:15-17, Genesis 29:30-31, Luke 16:13, Romans 9:13, Malachi 1:2-3, Matthew 22:35-38—What does it mean to love Jesus more than anyone else? Provide some practical examples of what this can look like in your life. Describe how the word hate can be used in the Bible. Who are some people in the Bible who seemed to hate others? What about love others?

Day 2: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, James 2:14-17—How does the world describe love? How is the world’s understanding of love different than the way the Bible presents love? How does understanding biblical love change your behavior toward others?

Day 3: John 14:15, 15:10, 1 John 4:10, 19, John 3:16, Romans 5:8—How does our obedience demonstrate our love for Christ? Who are some people in Scripture who demonstrated their love for the Lord through their actions and obedience? How has God demonstrated his love for us?

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