“Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! John 12:27
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The word "love" is so misused and overused in our society that we hardly know what to think and how to receive it when someone says, "I love you." People seem to be on a constant quest to find new love of the week because their kind of love is temporary and base on performance. But Jesus came to show us love at its best. He came to show us God kind of love. Nothing made us attractive to God! The original sin made us despicable to God. But despite our shortcomings it was God's pleasure, it was God's will to predestine us to be adopted as His children. Praise God! I don't know about you, but this truth is freeing to me. In personal relationships, even those with our spouses, are sometimes tricky. We have to consistently remain on our toes or else we face the consequences.
Friends, it brings me great joy and peace to know that I don’t have to worry about being perfect. I don't have to be on my best behavior at all times while looking over my shoulder, wondering if God is going to shut the door or abandon me because I blew it yet again by doing or saying the wrong thing. God loves us as we are, imperfect and all. It is okay to be us. We do not have to put on an act for God. We do not have to worry that God might change His mind about loving us because of poor performance or because of tendency to be less than perfect or our controversial past. God already knows the worst about me -- and He chose to love me! God's love is unconditional. God loves me! God loves you! He loves us despite our imperfections quite a delight contrary to temporary, and quid Pro Quo earthly love. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Roman 5:8
Only love has the power to drive Jesus to accomplish what He did on that cross. Only those of us who have loved someone deeply can begin to understand what Jesus was going through during His last week on this earth. I don’t know about you, but I have great difficulty being away from those I love. I don’t enjoy separation. As stated earlier, In this world we tend to love on the basis of performance (we love people who stimulate and challenge us), and yet love still tend to be beautiful, enjoyable, and something worth finding. But Romans 5:6-8 tells us that God's love is not based on our performance! God's love, instead, is unconditional. So Jesus and the Father are one and Jesus knew that time had come and He also knew that death would separate Him completely from the Father. No wonder He felt troubled. It would have been so easy for Him to ask the Father to spare Him and the above scripture clearly tells us that the thought had crossed His mind but He was caught between a rock and a hard place. He loved the father and He also loved us. He opted to save us and to do God’s will.
Praise God! The Cross of Christ is the clearest, loudest, most powerful "I love you!” ever proclaimed. Jesus loves us so much that He stretched out His arms so wicked people could nail Him to a cross. That's how much He loves us. When speaking of Jesus love the only question that comes to my mind is why does He love us so much? I do not know about you but I am as imperfect as it gets. The Bible does not elaborate on the reason but it makes it clear that Jesus does because He is love. Jesus died on the Cross to take our (yours and mine) place and make complete payment for our sins so that we could spend an eternity with Him forever in heaven! He chose to die for us rather than live without us. Wow! We are absolutely, totally, completely, and indisputably loved!
Father I thank you for your love. Thank you for opening the eyes of my heart so I can receive your love. Thank you for continuing to perfect what has concerned me for so long. Thank you for the sacrifice of the cross. Thank you for your son Jesus Christ, my savior and Lord!
Praise the Lord!
