Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread. I'm Amy Boucher Pie and I called our reading

Greater Love. Just days before Holy Week, when Christians around the world remember Jesus's

sacrifice and celebrate his resurrection,

a terrorist stormed into a supermarket in southwest France, opening fire and killing two.

After negotiation, the terrorist released all but one hostage, whom he turned into a human shield.

Knowing the danger, police officer Arnaud Beltran did the unthinkable.

He volunteered to take the woman's place.

The perpetrator released her, but in the ensuing scuffle, Beltram was injured and later died.

A minister who knew the police officer attributed his heroism to his faith in

Jesus, pointing to Jesus' words in John 1513, greater love has no one than this to lay down

one's life for one's friends. Those were the words Christ spoke to his disciples after their last meal

together. He told his friends to, love each other as I have loved you, and that the greatest

love is to lay down one's life for another. This is exactly what Jesus did the next day

when he went to the cross to save us from our

sin, as only he could.

We may never be called to follow the heroism of Arno Beltram, but as we remain in God's

love, we can serve others sacrifially, laying down our own plans and desires as we

seek to share the story of

his great love.

Our passage of Scripture today comes from John Chapter 15, verses 9 through 17.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.

Now remain in my love.

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