Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Laying down one’s life is the supreme test of love. Jesus is not saying that He will not lay down His life for His enemies; on the contrary. However, He is among friends and is therefore speaking only of friends.
As shown by (10:11, 1Jo 3:16; Ro 5:7-8) “Jesus gives everything, even life itself, for others. There is no greater proof of love.” (Morris) W.D. Davies notes that “the words of Jesus” . . . “are summed up in one commandment . . . which finds its connotation, primarily at least, not in what Jesus said, but in what he did, and especially in the Cross.” (qt’d in Morris)
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
Romans 5:7-8 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.