I found it ironic yet somewhat prophetic.
As I skimmed through Scripture, I found both Jesus's sacrifice given in great love and God's sacrifice of His son listed in the books of John. Although the chapters and verses were not added until the fifteenth century, I'd like to think it's a nod from God to John for the words he penned. What interested me was that both are found not only in a book John wrote but also in 3:16. More so, both show the immense love for us by Christ and the Father.
I'm sure multiple Scriptures follow suit. Still, I am always amazed at how God proves Himself repeatedly. Subtle things like this come to light when we are shown that Christ loved us so much He laid down His life for us and that God loved us so much that He gave His one and only Son for us.
There's a greater love at play here than we can imagine. We have difficulty getting our heads around a sacrifice that is so great. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16 NIV).
Each Easter, we focus on the death and resurrection of Christ. The picture that looms over us is the agony Jesus suffered. I sometimes wonder if that overshadows His resurrection. Though both are highly recognized and acknowledged, why do we only focus on this act of immense love at Easter? What about the remaining 364 days after this passion picture fades from sight. Christ becomes “ordinary” to us, and the sacrificial lamb's reality becomes a sweet lamb photo in our children's Sunday school papers.
Every morning, we should remember the love of Christ, and each night, we should remember that the love of God is so great that He gave His only Son for us.
The death and resurrection are vitally important. I would never lessen this. Instead, I hope to bring to light the importance of these two verses in our daily lives, not just at Easter. Christ chose to bear the burden of our sin. He agonized in the garden, pleading with the Father—yet accepting the will of God. The weight of sin didn't begin on the cross. It took Him to His knees in the garden, and with each step closer to the cross, it pushed harder against His shoulders—pure, perfect love. No greater love was ever shown.
Take time and ponder the great and enduring love of Christ and the Father. Celebrate this love every day of your life and celebrate it to the fullest. We are so loved that Jesus gave His life, and the Father gave His only Son—for us.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Cindy K. Sproles is a best-selling, award-winning author. She is a speaker and a conference teacher who teaches nationwide. Cindy is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries, www.christiandevotions.us, and www.inspireafire.com. She serves as a writing mentor with WRAMS (Writing Write Author Mentoring Service) and is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.