Love Meant Calvary: A Reflection Across Time
PETER W. TEAGUE
More than half a century ago, as a young freshman in college, I wrote these words about the love of Christ. It was my first assignment in our English literature class. At the time, I had only begun my walk with Him. Now, 52 years into Christian ministry and 73 years into life, I find myself more convinced than ever of what I wrote—yet far more humbled by it.
The words below are those of an 18-year-old with a heart newly awakened to grace. Today, they are no longer just ideas I admire, but truths I have lived, witnessed, and preached in countless settings—from hospital rooms to pulpits, from moments of joy to valleys of sorrow. Christ’s love has not grown old or dim; it has only grown more necessary, more beautiful, and more powerful.
I share these words again, not because they are perfect, but because the Christ they speak of is.
Perhaps never has there been a man more despised and rejected by others than Christ—and yet, never has there been a man who showed more love.
Christ often spoke about love. But when He spoke of it, He wasn’t talking about sentiment or surface kindness. He spoke of a spirit that holds no grudges, that sees the best in people, that is full of understanding, wonderfully patient, and utterly pure. Love, in His eyes, is all-forgiving. Christ seemed to forget quickly when someone slighted Him, failed to consult Him, or spoke harshly or unjustly about Him.
Wherever Christ traveled, He encountered hearts hungry for love. This hunger moved Him deeply—when He saw the searching face of Zacchaeus, when He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, or when He looked upon a crowd without a shepherd. God's love for humanity led Him to provide a path for new birth—even at the cost of His only begotten Son.
I believe Christ had a way of loving people that was entirely His own. His love was never forced, never a performance like that of the Pharisees. It was natural and deeply personal. He didn’t love out of obligation or superiority; it simply flowed from who He was.
Once, in the city of Bethsaida, He encountered a blind man—rejected and overlooked. Quietly, without drawing attention, Jesus led the man out of town and healed him. He didn’t advertise His compassion. He didn’t boast. His love was never condescending. He loved not because it was expected—but because He could not help but love.
Christ created love by calling out the loveliness in others. Of a despised tax collector, He said, “He also is a son of Abraham.” (Luke 19:9) To a woman shunned by society, He offered dignity and spoke with the respect owed to a queen. Of children, the weak, the sensitive, and the defenseless, He said, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones.” (Matthew 18:10)
It was Christ who first proved that love—though it may appear weak in a world ruled by power—is, in truth, the greatest force of all. He showed that love achieves victories criticism never could. He loved even the lowly publican, and in doing so, gave him back his manhood and his self-respect. He lifted the ashamed soul to his feet again and lit the flame of hope in his eyes.
Christ understood that the deepest problem in life is not sin or suffering, but a lack of love. Lovelessness cripples the soul. Selfishness, one of the most respectable sins in society, goes unchecked. So Christ went out of His way to love—without self-congratulation, without holding back.
The true test of love is how far it’s willing to go. Christ’s love went all the way—to Calvary—for every person who walks the earth. God gave His only Son so that you and I might have life, and have it more abundantly.
To Christ, love meant Calvary.
And I now add a few reflections from the road. Over five decades of ministry, I have watched this love of Christ do exactly what I once wrote: restore the ashamed, dignify the broken, and redeem the unlovable. I have seen it soften hardened hearts, comfort the grieving, and bring prodigals home. I have watched it take root in young believers and carry the elderly into eternity with peace.
I now know how costly that love can be—for pastors, teachers, health care professionals, for every day workers who make our lives run a lot more efficiently, for caregivers, and for anyone who dares to reflect the heart of Christ. But I also know that no other power transforms lives so completely. His love remains the strongest force on earth, and the most tender.
While we are in this world, He is constantly loving us. He loves us when we are alive to His presence and affection. He loves us when we feel like He is ignoring our prayers, indifferent to our pain, or displeased with our lives. In fact, whether we perceive it or not, the most constant reality in our lives is not death and taxes but His loving kindness.
In the Apostle John’s first epistle, we are reminded that God’s love precedes ours. “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) But when we start asking why God loves us, there are no answers except in the character of God Himself. In Ephesians 3:19 Paul reminds us that God’s love, “surpasses knowledge.”
In response, our love is always a dim reflection, and is always tainted by our own self-interest. Yet even that imperfect love is valued by God.
If I were to sum up a lifetime of ministry in one phrase, it would be this: Love meant Calvary. And it still does.
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Peter Teague Ed.D, President Emeritus at Lancaster Bible College, serves as an IACE Board Member.