The Greatest Gift

This is the last in a series of six posts leading up to Easter.

This period – often called Lent - can be a time of preparation and observance

as we reflect on what Jesus did for us.

In these last few days before we celebrate Easter, we are confronted by the image of a God who came to earth, loved and healed people, and died an excruciating and unjust death…all on our behalf. 

It’s not to say we are unaware of this fact, or deny it, but more that we often forget about the cost of God’s great gift through Jesus. There are three ways we can help ourselves be more thankful for what he has done: by remembering the prophesies which Jesus fulfilled, the preparation he took during his time of ministry, and the pain he endured on the cross. 

Remember the Prophesies

The Old Testament contains well over 100 distinct prophesies about Jesus. Jesus could not control how all of these prophesies were fulfilled – particularly the prophecies about his betrayal – because they involved the free will of other people. Yet the prophets – 1,000 years or more before Jesus’ birth – foretold precise details of his life, ministry, suffering, and death. 

For example: the Messiah’s throne will be anointed and eternal (Psalm 45, Luke 1:33), he will be rejected by his own people (Psalm 69:8, John 1:11), he will heal the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:18-19), he will be betrayed (Psalm 41:9, Luke 22:47-48), he will be crucified with criminals (Isaiah 53:12, Matthew 27:38)…to name just a few. 

When we recall these prophesies, we can be thankful that God keeps his word. What he says always comes to pass…and what God said about Jesus, through the prophets, all came true.

Remember the Preparation

Many times during his earthly ministry, Jesus speaks and acts in ways that demonstrate he is preparing for the cross . He humbles himself, he is obedient to his Father, he always does the things which are pleasing to his father, and he is willing to do the will of his father above all else (Philippians 2:8, Hebrews 5:8, John 14:31, John 5:30, Luke 22:42). 

This continual obedience prepares Jesus to fulfill his purpose. So, by the time he arrives in the Garden of Gethsemane, he has – on many occasions – sought his father’s will and obeyed him. And so, as he faces the cross – the moment of his greatest temptation – he is able to submit to the father’s plans.

As we recall Jesus’ obedience and humbleness, we can be thankful for his sacrificial love for us.

Remember the Pain

Long before Jesus lives out the last week of his life, he experiences many periods of pain. People reject him, betray him, tryto deceive him, and choose to misrepresent him. Then – as he approaches his final days – the pain escalates. 

Even his closest friends abandon him. 

John 19 describes the stark reality of shame that pours over Jesus on the cross: abandoned by friends, his reputation mocked, his decency and dignity stripped, and his body tortured. And yet – because of his great love for us…for broken and sinful us…he sacrificed his life.

When we recall his physical, mental and spiritual isolation and betrayal, we can be thankful – and deeply grateful – for the death he died for us. 

As I read over the prophesies Jesus fulfilled, I see again the power of God. As I remember the way Jesus prepared for the cross, I am awed by the way he humbled himself to the Father’s will. As I remember the pain Jesus experience, I am humbled by his great gift of love for me.

Remembering these things helps me move toward Easter with a deeper surrender of my own life to Jesus, and a deeper love for the one who first loved me. 

Let me pray for you. Dear God, thank you for sending your son to the cross for us. I pray that each person reading this blog would stop and pause; stop and pause to remember. To remember the power of the prophesies, the obedience of Jesus’ preparation, and the pain he endured on our behalf. May this Easter be a day of true thanksgiving, as we all celebrate your purposes coming to fruition, just as you had planned. Jesus’ gift of giving up his life is our invitation to eternal life in your presence. Because he lives! Amen