Day 3: A Price Is Paid
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”(1 John 1:3)
We have four beautiful gifts in our life now. Daddy has blessed us with four children of God. We waited six years for the first, four years for the next one, and two years between the last two. With our last little girl, it was a big surprise blessing. Our newest edition has enjoyed a miracle birth. We did not expect to have more than one kid. Yet like all of Daddy’s blessings, He adds no sorrow to it. Therefore, life is beautiful. We affectionately call it “the beautiful mess.” A magnificent blending of love and sleep exhaustion. Yet for every pound of flesh paid, we receive twice the blessing back. It is the unlimited well of love. Given to all those who are willing to put in the effort to drop a bucket down, and pull it back up. It should be understood, that we love it all.
As a Dad, I am willing to fight any battle, to face any foe, and make any sacrifice for my kids. I love them more than I love myself. My wife is the same way. I remember a discussion we had before we had our first kid. We decided together that if there were any complications during pregnancy. We were not going to choose the life of my wife over our kid. My wife said she could not do it. I could not do it either. I flat refused to make a decision of that magnitude. Therefore, if it came to it, that little girl was going to live. No matter the cost, her life was coming first. So as parents we are both ready to lay down our lives for our kids.
Let us now look at it in a much different way. Am I willing to lay down the life of one of my kids to save the other three? Even typing this out right now makes me pause a moment. Just the thought of it makes a riptide of emotions stream through my heart and mind. That would be a much greater sacrifice than laying my own life down for them. I would go as far as to say to sacrifice one to save the others is an impossible endeavor for me. Yet this is what God our Daddy did. He sacrificed His first begotten Son. The Son made up of the substance of the same essence as Him. He was willing to do just that for the love of His children. Therefore, longing to keep the Family together, our Daddy took the only step that could have been taken. A terrible price had to be paid. His Son must come and become one of us, to do what we could not do, and then take the punishment we deserved. In return, our Lord and Savior buys back with His own obedient life exactly what our Daddy longs for, unity in the Family.
Jesus explains this to us, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (Joh 10:17-18) The Father and Son went into this sacrifice in complete unity. Jesus was not forced into dying for us. No, as a good brother He loved us as the Father loved us. He saw the need and understood what had to be done. With willful obedience, He marched to the cross and paid the price. You see, this was the plan all along. In the book of Revelation 13:8 we are told that Jesus was, “…the Lamb slain, from the foundation of the world.” Because of our sins, it was as if Jesus had already been killed from the very beginning of the earth. This is how deep the love goes. Sin was not a surprise for God. In order to provide free will to be available, the option of rebellion also had to be available. In order for us to choose to be with our Daddy out of our own free-will. It had to be this way. Then we could say, “I Love You” to Him on our own accord. Each option had to be available. Therefore, since the very foundation, Jesus was willing to step in for the Father and die. With His death, He would redeem back to our Daddy those who respond to His love song and choose to love Him.
Therefore, the Father walks His first begotten Son to the cross. Knowing He must die to save the rest of the Family. This is why when I see a picture of Jesus on the cross, I do not see a full-grown man, I see an infant. As a dad myself, this is how I see my kids as little children. It does not matter how old they become, they will always be my little babies. Thus, to see a child on the cross instead of a full-grown man, I think provides a better understanding of the loss and sacrifice of that day. It might also help us to understand the purity and innocence of the one who hung on the cross for us. All glory and honor is due to our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Therefore, if you will allow me a moment, I am going to brag on about how awesome He is!
The Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, He is our King’s Son- Psalms 72:1, The First Born- Psalms 89:27 + Hebrews 1:5. Stone Of Israel- Genesis 49:24, A Star & Scepter- Number 24:17, The Rock of Our Salvation- 2 Samuel 22:47, The Light of the Morning- 2 Samuel 23:4, Captain of the Host- Joshua 5:14, The Lifter of our Heads- Psalms 3:3, Our Fortress- Psalms 31:3, and High Tower- Psalms 144:2, Our Restorer- Psalms 23:3, Our Shepherd- Psalms 23:1, And Sanctuary- Isaiah 8:14, Wonderful Counselor & Prince of Peace- Isaiah 9:6, Sitting as a Crown of Glory- Isaiah 28:5, And Crown of Beauty- Isaiah 28:5, The Sure Foundation- Isaiah 28:16, Protection from the wind, covering from the storm, refreshing as a river in dry lands and as pleasant as a large stone casting shade from the sun- Isaiah 32:2, He is our Redeemer- Isaiah 59:20, The Hope of the People- Joel 3:16, The Beloved Son & Servant of God-Matthew 17:5 + 12:18, God’s Holy One- Isaiah 49:7 + Mark 1:24, He is Christ Our Lord- Luke 2:11. Oh, how I love him!
“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:14-16)
~We Shall Be Like Him – 1 John 3:2~