Like or Love Jesus? There's a Huge Difference.

Liking Jesus

To like Jesus is to admire Him—His teachings, His compassion, His miracles, and His moral character. Many people “like” Jesus because He represents kindness, forgiveness, and peace. They respect His words as good advice or appreciate His example as a moral teacher. However, liking Jesus remains intellectual mainly and emotional; it doesn’t necessarily lead to surrender. Jesus encountered crowds who liked what He did but turned away when His message demanded repentance or sacrifice (John 6:66). This kind of admiration stops short of saving faith. It acknowledges Jesus as good, but not as Lord. It is possible to like Jesus’ benefits—comfort, forgiveness, or community—without being transformed by Him. In short, liking Jesus centers on preference; it’s selective and self-directed.

Loving Jesus

To love Jesus, however, is to yield entirely to Him as Savior and Lord. Jesus said plainly, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Love is not just affection—it is allegiance. True love for Jesus involves obedience flowing from a changed heart. The Holy Spirit transforms people, giving them a new nature that desires to honor and please God (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Love for Jesus is covenantal, not casual. It moves beyond feelings and into faithfulness. Disciples who genuinely love Jesus demonstrate that love through daily surrender—denying themselves, taking up the cross, and following Him (Luke 9:23). Love endures trials, resists sin, and seeks Christ above all. As the Apostle John wrote, “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Our love for Christ is a response to His redeeming work, not a self-generated emotion.

In summary, liking Jesus appreciates Him; loving Jesus obeys Him. One is admiration without transformation. The other is affection born from redemption. True disciples don’t just like Jesus—they love Him enough to follow wherever He leads.