Why?
It boggles my mind while it hits my heart just how deep this love can go. Every time I reach that point again, you hold out a hand and invite me to walk through that doorway into another realm, a higher one each time, a deeper one each moment. Every time I think I've almost got it figured out, you just love to surprise me with the things that would touch my heart the most.
You noticed I had a tooth ache and sent someone to pray for me :)
You knew I was waiting for an important email and after praying the email came the next day :)
You understand and know just how lonesome at times it can be in my daily circumstances and comfort comes when I least expect it :)
You know just how much I love music and you send accompaniment just to delight me :)
When people accused me, you backed me up like no other :)
I could go on and on. I realise the power in giving thanks. The power in counting the existing blessings. The power behind looking more to who you are instead of what I am not. There is power in just surrendering to you every time and there is a growing assurance that your timing will always be right though moments of struggle tempt me into seasons of doubt or confusion.
But your love never fails.
Because you initiated that blood covenant and sealed my redemption with your own death. You bought me back when everyone else would have discarded me. You brought me into the light and plunged into the darkness to be my replacement.
Since you were the one who paid for everything, cut the covenant and sealed it to be permanent; no one, no nothing, can ever break it.
It's unbreakable. Totally indestructible.
No amount of sins could make the covenant wilter.
No amount of good deeds could make me better than the covenant because your death was the epitome of sacrifice.
No amount of striving would make me more saved by the covenant, I could never do enough to deserve it.
No amount of grief would compensate because the idea of the covenant was in place before the foundations of the earth was set.
No nothing. Nothing at all.
And yet in all that has been shown on the Cross, the question is still why.
Why would you do that for someone like me?
You loved me so much that you took on those rags of sin, became what a holy God hated the most - sin, and died for what you hated the most. You took on all the garbage of mankind's filth and died a horrible and unjust death. And some still ask why and debate over the motives and conspiracies and theories of the death of Jesus Christ.
Is it that hard to accept a simple yet profound truth that He loves all of us with that kind of love?
Oh wretched humans whose technology and wisdom have immunized us against the simple heartbeat of a love so divine! We will never find a satisfying kind of love from the latest iPad 2 or Facebook, let alone satisfy that deep yearning with exquisite food or extravagant entertainment. But delving into all this has made us wary and doubtful whether such a simple yet profound love ever existed.
Who would ever want to die for a doomed people? Who would willingly give up their life without asking for anything in return? Even suicide bombers do it to earn some fame in heaven.
So what makes Jesus so different?
He was born into this world to die.
He allowed Himself to be killed and died.
He came back to tell us WHY he died and how that has set us free.
The whole world's sins had been purchased on Calvary more than 2000 years ago. Even if you don't believe in Jesus, He believes in you. Before the foundations of the earth was set in place you were already on His mind. He knew of your struggles. He knew of your shortcomings. But He also knew what a wonderful person you are to Him. His love was so deep for each and everyone of us, that He knew there was a penalty incurred by human sin, He decided to die to remove that penalty upon our lives.
After all, the Creator was just doing what He did best, He was loving and taking care of His creation. No potter would bear to see his handmade, prized pottery be dashed to pieces and not feel sorrowful or pain.
The Cross is set before us, but it's not a Cross of judgement, it is a cross of freedom and glory. As we survey the cross, we might stop short and admire the death of Jesus [wow, he did that for me?] and just stay there. That is the first step, to realise just how deep the love of God is. But the next step is to step beyond the cross and go into a realm of new possibility - a relationship with a loving Father who is waiting for His children to enter His kingdom of Love.
Beyond the Cross is where we belong. We don't need to crucify ourselves again and again because He has already been crucified. He died so that we could be set free. We don't need to do anymore to impress Him to love us more - He loves us already. We don't need to be sorrowful and feel we're not good enough - His love sees beyond our capabilities or inabilities.
So what are you waiting for? It's an invitation to a love feast :) He's been waiting to embrace you for so long!
