Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. John 12:24
Jesus told His disciples on that eventful night that He was betrayed, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). Love for a friend reaches its zenith when one willingly sacrifices it for that friend. Jesus had spoken of His love for His disciples in John 15:12. He would shortly show them how great it was by making the supreme sacrifice for them. But Jesus did more than lay down His life for His friends. He died for His enemies also as Apostle Paul points out in Romans 5:8 “…in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
The sacrifice of Jesus is more appreciated when one puts into context His personality; God was rejected and humiliated by the very people He created and who He came to save.
There are times we find ourselves in situations where we have information or are in a position to deliver a person from an upcoming danger but the person is not prepared to listen or even hear us out. It becomes even more painful when the person takes us as the enemy and plots our harm. The natural reaction is to withdraw and allow the person to face the danger rather than we go through the insults, rejections, humiliation and harm. But not with Jesus Christ, He followed it through to the end, at great cost to Himself.
Humanity was in danger, heading for destruction. Satan had taken control and people were under the bondage of sin and consequently estranged from their Creator. Disaster, calamity and eternal condemnation were their lot so He came down from heaven as man to save the situation. But He was ridiculed, rejected, tortured and killed. Samuel Crossman (1664) captured Jesus’ Sacrifice in the words of the hymn “My Song Is Love Unknown”. In Stanza 2, Crossman acknowledges Jesus’ divine origin, an origin and status that men did not appreciate despite the prophecies about Him. His divine status notwithstanding, He gave His life for us to meet our needs. The words:
He came from His blest thron
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know:
But O! my Friend, my Friend indeed,
Who at my need His life did spend
Jesus could have walked away from all the torture and humiliation but chose not to, so we can receive salvation. In John 10: 18 He says “…No one takes it (my life) from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again…” When Philip and Andrew brought those Greeks to Jesus Christ, He knew the hour had come and His soul was troubled. He asked what He should say “…Father, save Me from this hour?” His answer was ‘no!’ because that was the purpose for which He came to the world. Humanity must be rescued! He had earlier told them that a grain must fall to the ground and die to produce more grain.
Jesus has made the sacrifice; with His blood “…He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” for all of us (Hebrews 9:12). The question today is the import of this sacrifice to our lives. As we reflect on this sacrifice this week – the humiliation, the torture and the pain He went through for our salvation, let us rededicate ourselves to Him, to follow what He has commanded us to do and follow the example He has set before us. Jesus says in John 15:14 “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you”.
Have a blissful week as you appreciate the value of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for you.
Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon
Igein Isemede