Coming out from an important celebration for all Christians
everywhere, i.e., the Easter season, it was important to take some time to
reflect on its significance to all of us. John 3:16 clearly stated the reason
for this season:
"For God so loved
the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV)
Jesus’ coming was an undeniable
evidence of God’s love manifested towards humanity. The greatest love story ever
told was fulfilled not just in words but also when Jesus came on earth from
heaven.
Jesus’ coming was foretold after Adam and Eve sinned through
disobedience of God’s command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge
of good and evil at the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15). For it to happen, God
waited for the right time to send Jesus as the fulfillment of this promise
(Galatians 4:4). It is also because; God could not bear to lose the crown jewel
of His creation to the enemy, the devil (Luke 4:5-6) that He fashioned by His
own hands (Psalms 139:13-14). And though He could have forsaken man because of
its offense against Him and leave them to its consequences, He could not and
instead send His one and only begotten Son. Thus, God sent Jesus from Heaven to
earth to become like one of us not just to show the way back but to become the
“…only Way, the Truth, and the Life towards God.”
This was agape love in action and God's manifestation of
love. What does agape love means? It is seeking the welfare and betterment of
another regardless of how we feel but most importantly, agape does not have the
primary meaning of feelings or affection. To understand it clearly, somebody
said,
“Love ever gives, forgives,
outlives; And ever stands with open hands; And while it lives, it gives, For
this is love's prerogative
To give, and give, and give.”
That’s why, when
you ask God how much He loves us, He will stretch out His hands and show us the
prints of His crucifixion as a proof of His eternal love for us.
Here’s a story to illustrate
God’s amazing love for us as observed by a father: Our little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while
she was fixing supper, and he handed her a piece of paper that he had been
writing on. After his mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is
what it said:
For cutting the grass $5.00
For cleaning up my room this week $1.00
For going to the store for you $.50
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping
$.25
Taking out the garbage $1.00
For getting a good report card $5.00
For cleaning up and raking the yard $2.00
Total
owed: $14.75
Well, I'll tell you, his mother looked at him standing there
expectantly, and boy, could I see the
memories flashing through her mind. So she
picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this
is what she wrote:
For the nine months I carried you while you
were growing inside me, No Charge.
For all the nights that I've sat up with
you, doctored and prayed for you, No Charge.
For all the trying times, and all the tears
that you've caused through the years, there's No Charge.
When you add it all up, the cost of my love
is No Charge.
For all the nights that were filled with
dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead, No Charge.
For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping
your nose, there's No Charge, Son.
And when you add it all up, the full cost of
real love is No Charge.
Well, friends, when our son finished reading what his mother had
written, there were great big old tears
in his eyes, and he looked straight up at his mother and said, "Mom, I
sure do love you." And then he took the pen and in great big letters he
wrote: "PAID IN FULL."
The wonder of God’s love was summarized in this:
"Come now, let us reason together, says
the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool (Isaiah 1:8
ESV).
In this season, let’s seek God and reflect on His love manifested through
Jesus Christ at the cross of Calvary. Always remember that when He was hanging
on the cross, He was thinking about our freedom and redemption from the power
of sin, satan and death. Thank God for His wonderful love for us!
Let’s talk again!
A servant and a disciple of Jesus fulfilling the Great Commission in my existence. Married to a wonderful woman of God and blessed with two children both serving God in the Music ministry. Just added a daughter-in-law to this family. Looking forward to seeing new additions in the future.
The above quote exemplifies its reality in one of the most
important milestone in my life.
