“For
God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He (even) gave up His
only begotten (unique) Son...”
Imagine this! Think about who is actually voicing these
words? It is Jesus, talking to Nicodemus
about God’s love and God’s plan for the world.
Jesus is the one to whom He is referring...that His Father gave Him
up. And for whom – the world! That’s us, in our sin, violence, idolatry and
rebellion against the Father of Heaven, The Almighty.
I wonder at the willingness and peace with
which Jesus Christ said this. Fully
aware and fully supportive of the plan, God’s plan to save us! He was in on the discussion and there are no
feelings of rejection here. Just amazing
grace, and total surrender to the will of the Father. Jesus knew from whence He had come. Back up a few verses and Jesus speaks of His
deity.
Joh 3:13 And
yet no one has ever gone up to heaven, but there is One Who has come down from
heaven--the Son of Man [Himself], Who is (dwells, has His home) in heaven.
And the reason
for all of this....
Joh 3:15 In
order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and
relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live
forever!
Christ knew His purpose in the plan, to be
the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. (Rev 13:8) He knew
that He was the only begotten Son of the Father to be given up for us. Ponder the love both had for us, both willing
to give up their best – The Father His Son, and the Son His Life. Both of them in total agreement, both of them
proactive in dealing with men’s sinful condition. Jesus trusting the Father, coming in human
flesh to dwell among His created, knew what His suffering and pain would
bring. He was separated from His Father
when He bore the sin of the world upon Himself at the cross of humiliation yet
great victory. The Father trusted the
Son to accomplish the plan to the very “t” – not strive from it but strive
toward it – not to run from the cross of suffering but to run toward it and
embrace it.
Humankind desperately needed a Saviour as
the prophets’ lamented about our condition.
Isa
59:12 For our transgressions are multiplied
before You [O Lord], and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions
are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know and recognize them [as]:
Isa
59:13 Rebelling against and denying the
Lord, turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving in and muttering and moaning from the heart words of falsehood.
Rom 3:23 for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
In our
despair and suffering of our own making, God and demonstrated His own love
toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)
I
encourage you, mediate upon this Love.
Mediate upon the cross of Christ and may the revelation of God’s full
Love be yours forever.
