This phrase, “to the max”, reminds me of the language I used to use in the 80s. Other out of date phrases would’ve included “totally tubular”, “gag me with a spoon”, or ” gnarly dude”.

But this is not a post about 80s slang, thank you Lord! How did we ever survive that decade? I recently heard John MacArthur use this phrase to explain a verse in John 13.

“having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” John 13:1b

MacArthur explains that the phrase, to the end, means to the max. Jesus loved his disciples to the utmost capacity of his being.

I love this because when you think about Jesus and his nature as God incarnate, you realize that His capacity to love is infinite. Colossians 2:9 says that the whole fullness of deity dwells in Jesus bodily. Hebrews 1 says that He is the exact imprint of God’s nature.

This is another great reason to study doctrine. If your understanding of the nature of Christ is limited then your understanding of what He accomplished on the Cross will be incomplete.

But when you understand that the full measure of deity dwells in Christ, then you begin to realize the limitless depths of His love and are amazed and filled with thanksgiving and praise because He loved His own to the max!