To often I stumble through this life proclaiming the title Christian,but forget why I do. In the back of my mind,without fail,is the underlying reason:because I love Jesus.But how often do I stop and actually think about why I love Jesus? When I think about my wife I know why I love her.I will go through my days and I will see new reasons,or am reminded of old reasons,and I will stop and think to myself,yes thats why I love that woman. Sadly and ashamedly,I can go for days or weeks without stopping and saying,yes,thats why I love my Savior. Today,I am putting that to bed.I am going to pause,daily,and reflect on why I love my Jesus,and why I have chosen to submit my life to Him.I offer two reasons today. The first comes from, Mark 15:12-14,Pilate answered and said to them again,What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?So they cried out again, Crucify Him ! Then Pilate said to them,Why, ? what evil has He done ?But they cried out all the more Crucify Him ! I love my Jesus because He stood there.....Because He stood, bravely,before a large crowd who relentlessly shouted that He should be murdered.He stood, as a spectacle, before the ones that He had created and listened as they cried and wailed that He should die. He stood there, hearing the intents of their hearts,and reading their thoughts,as their words revealed the ugliness inside.And He stood,knowing the verdict,knowing the end,and selflessly gave Himself up to the sentence. This savage and blood thirsty crowd could not and would not be satisfied until they saw the blood of Jesus running down His face, back,and arms.they would not be satisfied until the final breath escaped from His body and they could shout a victorious shout up to the heavens. And Jesus knew.My Jesus knew.He knew what they wanted and He knew what they would do.He knew the pain and agony He would experience,why else did He sweat the blood the night before? Still,He stood there.He watched as they welcomed a convicted criminal back into their open arms,so that He,though He had done nothing wrong,and everything to save,would die a shameful,humiliating,excruciating pain upon a rugged cross........... The second reason I love my Jesus comes from Luke 23:34,Then Jesus said,Father,forgive them,for they do not know what they do. I love my Jesus because He spoke for me.....So often,, we take these words for granted and dont let the full impact fill our minds.First,Jesus spoke on behalf of all sinners,but especially the one directly in front of Him.He asked the Father to forgive these people for torturing Him,for humiliating and mocking Him.For spitting on Him,for rejecting Him,for hating Him.Even after all they have done,He pities,and longs for them to be in heaven with Him one day.How can you not love someone with a heart like that ? How can you not love someone who had no sin of His own,yet loved these people who put Him there to die a criminals death? My Jesus suffered so much,and still He loved those who hated Him. In the second place, though,and perhaps a more heart- wrenching detail is that Jesus spoke at all.Jesus had been up all night,He had been slapped around,spit upon,and had a crown of thorns beaten into His head.He had been scourged -literally had His back torn to threads by Roman soldiers trained to inflict the most pain possible.He had nails,literal nails,driven into one hand ,then another, then His feet.He had been positioned on a cross so that He couldnt speak-couldnt breath-without pushing down on those nails in His feet and pulling up on those nails in His hands.It is in this pain that Jesus speaks...and asks that the sins of the world would be pardoned.This,is the first of seven sayings of Jesus upon the cross.The first,He doesnt cry out because of His own anguish.He doesnt speak on His own behalf at all.Instead the first thing Jesus does is inflict more pain,so He can show us,tell us just how much He loves us..... How can I not love this Jesus? How can I not love the One that died that cruel death for me?How can I not give my entire life,no matter the sacrifice,into His service....how can you not? ............... i am just mike...my love is free to all,,,,
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 13:59:57 +0000
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