As Paul comes to the conclusion of Romans 8 he presents his most powerful point about Jesus Christ: His love. 

 

He again starts with a question in verse 35: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” It is a rhetorical question, but he gives an extended answer, and before he’s through, he links up the love of Christ with the love of God. 

 

Listen, “Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ NO, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

 

I have always been encouraged by the words of Jesus as recorded in John 13:1: “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” 

 

What this suggests is that Jesus Christ always loves us, but when we face special circumstances where we will be pushed to the limit of our awareness and appreciation of His love, He is ready to show us more of His love. For the disciples He did that in this special time of teaching by example and word, only to be followed by His death on the cross.