Passage
Greater loue then this hath no man, when any man bestoweth his life for his friendes.
John 15:13 (GNV)
Nearby Context
John 15:11 These things haue I spoken vnto you, that my ioy might remaine in you, and that your ioy might be full.
John 15:12 This is my commandement, that ye loue one another, as I haue loued you.
John 15:13 Greater loue then this hath no man, when any man bestoweth his life for his friendes.
John 15:14 Ye are my friendes, if ye doe whatsoeuer I commaund you.
John 15:15 Henceforth call I you not seruants: for the seruant knoweth not what his master doeth: but I haue called you friends: for all things that I haue heard of my Father, haue I made knowen to you.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "greater", "loue", "hath", "bestoweth", "life", and "friendes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "greater" and "loue", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 12's "This is my commandement that ye loue..." into verse 14's "Ye are my friendes if ye doe...", so "greater" and "loue" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "greater" and "loue" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.