God loved this world (people) so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. (John 3:16) Why did Jesus have to die? Our sin. God said in the Old Testament that blood had to be shed as forgiveness of sin. He provided a way for that through the sacrifice of lambs. But then again the ultimate sacrifice comes into the picture. Lamb's blood had to be shed repeatedly.
God had a once-for-all plan before the beginning of time, knowing we'd fail. Fulfilled how? He would die for the sins of us all. But God is spirit, and spirit doesn't have blood. So He did what only God could do and sent a part of Himself (not a piece ~ God the Son) to the world through Mary. And because God the Son, named Jesus, came through a human line, He became the ultimate Blood-sacrifice.
Willing to die because we were worth living? Hard for me to comprehend God loving me enough to do this. Jesus faced agony going to the cross and even more agony on it. Yet He was obedient to God the Father and sacrificed for the sins of us all. Wow.
I've thought a lot about being willing to die so someone else can live. I say to myself I'd do that. But, if the situation called for that, would I truly die for someone else? I don't know. I think I'd die for someone I loved, like my husband or children. I also figure it would be easier to say I'd do this for someone who loved me as much. But die for who-knows-who, a person who doesn't care about me, God, or even him/herself? Hmm.
Yet God did this. "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person ~ though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die ~ but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7,8 ESV
We're worth living? God thinks so and proved it. And not only did Jesus give the ultimate sacrifice, He rose again! May my life make His dying known to others who have yet to know their lives are worth the living.
Excellent post, my friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joan.
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