“When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.” (Luke 2:15-16 NLT)
Have you ever thought about what went through Jesus’ mind as an infant? Was He fully aware of all He was experiencing, or did He just go through the same process that we did? Did it bother Him at all to realize He was dependent upon the very human beings He had created? Did He have a grasp at that young age what He was to become and the price He would have to pay for our redemption?
When I think of the price Jesus was willing to pay – not only on the Cross, but by bearing the burden of living life on earth as a mere mortal – it boggles my mind. No one but God could have made a choice like that. No one but a loving, generous, and kind heavenly Father could have conceived of such a simple, yet profoundly effective plan.
The next time you entertain the thought of how much you’ve given up being a Jesus follower, pause a moment to ponder what your salvation cost the Lord Jesus. And if for any reason you still can’t grasp it, think of living a few zillion years in heaven, then having to come to earth for 33 years. We have no means of even beginning to understand all the Lord gave up becoming a man, but He did it, not for any benefit to Himself, but for each of us who has come to our senses and given our life to Him.
Sin is a formidable foe to us, one we never in eternity could have overcome on our own. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty He could make you rich.” John Piper wrote: “The salvation we savor for ourselves and send to others is a ministry of God’s mercy to the poor, which includes all of us. We owe our lives to God’s commitment to missions and mercy. He came a long way to help us, and His help includes every kind of help we need.”
In some ways it seems staggering to me to realize how selfish I am, especially in light of the selflessness of my Savior. I want things MY way, whether it’s food or the route to the grocery. I want to take life easy and get by with doing as little as I can, until I read God’s Word and I’m arrested by God’s Spirit. The words of Jesus from Matthew 16:24 challenge me: “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me.”
Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice, in the words of John Piper, are “the purchase and path of our salvation.” Peter puts it this way in chapter 2:21: “For God called you to do good even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in His steps.”
It doesn’t make sense to me that Jesus would agree to come to earth, live a perfect, sinless life, suffer torture and an agonizing death on a cross to give us something for free that cost Him everything. But that’s exactly what He did. It’s called grace – a free, undeserved, unmerited favor. But in reality, if we’re serious and we “hear” what Jesus says should be our response, we won’t do “nothing.” Of course, there’s nothing we can do to earn or deserve His free gift to us, but there’s plenty He expects us to do as an expression of our appreciation.
What’s that? Let His life and death serve as a model for how we love and live our life.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 