Life More Abundant

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Christ told us that He came to give us life more abundantly. What exactly does that mean? Life more abundantly. Well, the world would tell us that it means we have to have the biggest and the best, the newest and shiniest - we have to have a great body, the newest in clothing, a big name and power to go with it, a big house with lots of whirs and whistles, and the latest greatest car. But is that really life more abundantly? I would argue no. The life that Christ offers is generally far less glamorous, but far more fulfilling. Let's take the next few days and discover together what it really means, and how to get it.

To begin to understand this, we need to look at the price Christ paid to give us this life more abundantly. He paid a great price to make us His own, to give us life. While we were out partying, being less than righteous, God came to earth as a man and died for us. Why? Because He loves us. He loves us, and more than anything He wants an intimate relationship with us - that we would know Him and we would let Him know us. Love - what better topic for Valentine’s Day?

But have you ever really thought about what that meant for Him? I mean, before He gave up His life on the cross, He had to live it, right? He had to live life - life as we know it, and really, life as we know it can really stink sometimes, can't it?

Can you imagine what He must have given up? Angels worshiping Him, the stars as His throne, while all creation cries out in praise and wonder. He gave all that up to step out into the world in a fragile, restricting body of flesh. I wonder - was He made fun of as a kid, because His ears were too big, or because He was too short? Perhaps He was a teacher's pet, always telling them what's right and wrong. I have always had a tough time coming to the full realization (and perhaps I’m never supposed to) that while Jesus was the fullness of the Godhead bodily - 100% God - everything that God is, He is; He is also 100% man - He went to the bathroom, He blew His nose, maybe He even hit His thumb with a hammer once or twice. He was human.

I wonder how difficult it must have been when the Father told Him it was time. He knew what He was giving up, and what's more amazing is that He knew what He was getting Himself into - first to last, not a thing was hidden from Him. Yet, because of His love for us, He chose to step down and become the greatest Servant. Only to be mocked, rejected, beaten beyond recognition, and nailed to a cross to die for me and for you. And in His time of greatest suffering, He felt one of the most difficult things we experience - loneliness - aloneness. "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?" The Father had to leave Him, to turn His face, so that He could place on the shoulders of His most precious Son the sin of all mankind. Can you imagine? The one thing that Jesus could always cling to, the One He could always turn to, gone in His moment of greatest suffering. All so that God could get what He's wanted all along - you and me.

God considers your life more precious than that of His own Son.

Think about that.