Jesus' love is personal and costly. John writes that "having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end" (John 13:1), and Paul asks, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8:35). Jesus Himself invites us to "abide in my love" (John 15:10).
The Gospels do not only say that Jesus loved the world in general; they name people He loved and show what His love looked like. He looked with love at a seeking young man, wept at a friend's grave, let a friend lean on Him at supper and, in the end, laid down His life. People search for verses about the love of Jesus when they need to know He loves them personally, when they want to share His love with a friend, or for a card, a baptism or Easter. These twelve King James verses show people Jesus loved up close, how He loved us to the end, and how to abide in His love. For the Father's love, see God's love; for the cross, see the cross.
Jesus loved people up close
1. Mark 10:21
"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me."
A rich young man asked how to inherit eternal life, and Jesus beholding him loved him before giving him a hard answer. Jesus' love is honest: He named the one thing standing between the man and life. The man went away grieved (Mark 10:22), but he went away loved.
2. John 11:36
"Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!"
When Jesus wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus, the onlookers said, Behold how he loved him! Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus (John 11:11), yet He still grieved with Mary and Martha. His love enters into our sorrow. See grief.
3. John 13:23
"Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved."
The beloved disciple, traditionally identified as John, never names himself in his Gospel; he calls himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. That is not a boast but an identity, and every believer can say it too: I am someone Jesus loves.
4. Matthew 9:36
"But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."
Jesus looked at the crowds and was moved with compassion, because they were weary and scattered, as sheep having no shepherd. He did not see a crowd as a problem to manage but as people to shepherd, and He asked His disciples to pray for more workers (Matthew 9:37-38).
He loved us to the end
5. John 13:1
"Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."
This verse opens the Last Supper, the night Jesus washed His disciples' feet, including the feet of Judas, who would betray Him, and of Peter, who would deny Him. Unto the end means to the uttermost, as well as to the very last hour.
6. Romans 5:6
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
Christ died for us when we were yet without strength, not after we had cleaned ourselves up. Two verses later Paul says this proves God's love toward us (Romans 5:8). The love of Jesus does not wait for you to deserve it. See salvation.
7. Luke 15:4-5
"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing."
The shepherd goes after the one lost sheep until he finds it, then lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Jesus told this parable to people who grumbled that He welcomed sinners (Luke 15:1-2). If you feel far away, you are the one He is carrying home.
8. 2 Corinthians 5:14
"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:"
The love of Christ constraineth us: Christ's love held Paul together and drove him on. Love received becomes love lived; Paul's whole ministry flowed out of being loved. See gospel sharing.
Nothing can separate you from His love
9. Romans 8:35
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"
This is the one verse on this page that also appears elsewhere on the site, because it is the question every suffering believer asks. Paul lists tribulation, distress, persecution, famine and sword, and two verses later answers that we are more than conquerors through him that loved us (Romans 8:37). See strength and love.
10. John 15:10
"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."
Jesus kept His Father's commandments and abode in His love, and He invites us into the same closeness. Obeying Jesus is not how we earn His love; it is how we stay near it, the way a branch stays in the vine (John 15:5).
11. John 14:21
"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
Jesus promises that whoever loves Him and keeps His words will be loved by the Father, and that He will love him and manifest Himself to him. The love of Jesus is not only a past event; He still makes Himself known to His people. See relationship with God.
12. Jude 1:21
"Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."
Jude calls himself the brother of James (Jude 1:1) and is traditionally counted among the brothers of Jesus (Matthew 13:55). He tells believers to keep yourselves in the love of God while they look for the mercy of Christ, and he ends with the One who is able to keep you from falling (Jude 1:24). We keep ourselves in the love that keeps us.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me personally, not only in general. You loved Your own to the end, You came after me when I was lost, and You died for me when I was without strength. Nothing can separate me from Your love. Help me abide in Your love today, keep Your words, and show Your love to the people You put in my path. In Your name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Hide a verse about His love in your heart with the Scripture Memory Cards · Print our free Bible verse bookmarks to share His love in a card · Read the Gospels slowly with the SOAP Bible Study Journal
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Bible verse about the love of Jesus?
Many people choose Jesus' own words the night before the cross: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Others love John 13:1, "he loved them unto the end", or Paul's personal testimony, "the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). For a card, Romans 8:35 asks the question that comforts most: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
How can I know that Jesus loves me personally?
Scripture points to the cross: "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16). Jesus also invites everyone who is weary to come to Him (Matthew 11:28), promises never to cast out anyone who comes (John 6:37), and makes Himself known to those who love Him (John 14:21). Feelings come and go, but His love rests on what He has already done. Many children first learn it from the 1860 hymn Jesus Loves Me by Anna Bartlett Warner.
Is the love of Jesus different from the love of God?
No. Christians believe Jesus is God the Son, so His love is God's love in human form. Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30), and "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you" (John 15:9). Watching how Jesus treated people is the clearest picture of how God feels about you. See Jesus is God.
How can I show the love of Jesus to others?
Jesus said, "as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34). In practice: notice people with compassion, as He did with the crowds; serve in small, humble ways, as He did when He washed feet (John 13:14); forgive quickly; and tell others where that love comes from. See helping other people.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about God's love · Bible verses about the cross · Bible verses about Jesus being God · Bible verses about salvation · Bible verses for Good Friday · Bible verses about a relationship with God · Bible verses about strength and love · Bible verses about self-love
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