Jesus loves me!
I know. I know. It sounds cheesy because we’ve heard it a thousand times. We’ve sung it a million times. It’s overused. It’s worn-out.
Jesus loves you!
I know. I know. It sounds trite because we’ve seen it printed under a smiley face. It sounds sappy because we’ve heard too many sappy people say it in a sappy way with a sappy smile on their sappy faces.
But let me ask you some questions.
Is it true? The truest!
Is it a big deal? The biggest!
Here’s the real question: Has it sunk in yet? Jesus Christ—God, Creator, King of kings and Lord of lords—loves you!
We’re not talking “love” as in, “I love chocolate” or “We love show tunes”. We’re talking serious love. Jesus said He’d rather let someone bullwhip Him within an inch of His life than let anyone lay a single stripe on your back. He said He’d rather let someone drive a railroad spike through His wrist than let them do it to you. He said He’d rather bleed every drop of blood out of His veins rather than let you get a single scratch. He’d rather be humiliated, mocked, spat upon, punched and tortured rather than let you go through that. He’d rather have His own Father turn away in disgust as He became sin for us than to let you know that rejection. That’s real love.
Remember Romans 5:8?
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
But why? Why did Jesus have to go through all that to demonstrate His love for us? Couldn’t He just send us a Hallmark? Flowers and candy? Why such an extreme demonstration?
Look at the verses that follow—9 & 10:
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
“Enemies” of God? Enemies of God! We don’t think our sin was that big of a deal. It was. Thieves don’t think stealing is a big deal. It is. Murderers don’t think murder is such a big deal. They’re wrong. Disobedience, stealing, murdering, lying, idolatry, greed—these aren’t just breaking the rules. It’s not about rules. It’s about who God is. When we defy Him and reject His commands, we are assaulting His nature. We are rebelling against what God says is right. We form an alliance with the enemy. We declare war on who God is and what He says is good. We were born enemies of God. Before Jesus “reconciled” us, we dared to raise our swords against the Almighty God! That’s a big deal.
One of the biggest problems we have in our country is bad judges. What’s a bad judge? A judge who doesn’t judge. A judge who doesn’t give thieves what they deserve. A judge who doesn’t give murderers what they deserve. A good judge is good. A good judge judges.
God is a good judge. He does the right thing when He condemns thieves and murderers and liars and idolaters and rebels. His “wrath”—His judgment—will rightly fall on His enemies.
But God is not only a good Judge. He is also love. He loved us so much that He was willing to rise from the Judge’s chair and sit down in our electric chair. When Jesus Christ died for us, He was both Judge and Hero. A good Judge. A loving Hero. Justice was served. Love served.
I agree—it’s hard to understand. What we know for sure is that God would not have allowed His own Son to pay such a high cost if it wasn’t necessary. The Bible makes it clear: All have sinned. The sentence for sinners is always death. Jesus took our place. If we believe that and allow Him to serve us as our substitute, we go free. Justified in the eyes of the Supreme Court.
That’s love. That’s the kind of love that changes everything. That’s the kind of love we should sing about a million times!
Has it sunk in yet?
