Relationships
When God physically entered our world as the Lord Jesus Christ, it was motivated by the pursuit of relationship. This transcendence of God into our world demonstrated God’s unstoppable, limitless love for us. God demonstrated that love pursues presence.
The Almighty didn’t stop there. God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ endured humiliation, false accusation, personal attacks, tremendously painful and humiliating torture, and death. Standing by the cross was his mother and his best friend John.
Jesus’ mother must have been in such turmoil. And his best friend was probably torn: Jesus is being executed, but just the night before rebuked his followers for fighting back.
I had a best friend in Jr High and High School. Without a moment’s hesitation I would have immediately taken a bullet to save him. The disciple whom Jesus loved, John, was standing there by the cross of Jesus. Jesus knows what this is doing to his mother and to John. Jesus knew they were absolutely out of their minds wishing they could do something, anything, to stop this execution and the pain - anything. And Jesus endured this agony too to demonstrate the limitless love of God for us.
I think about how Jesus sees us getting ourselves into trouble knowing the pain we cause ourselves. But Jesus still loves us. God’s love for us will never cease. Peter turned his back on the Lord, but the Lord brought him back because God loved Peter - and God loves each of us.
Jesus, I’m sorry for how I’ve agonized You by my actions and my inaction. Help me to seek Your ways with all my heart and trust You for the best outcome. May my actions demonstrate my love for You as Your actions demonstrated Your love for me.