The Power of Love

The Power of Love 

By Erin Fuller 

How deep is the Father’s love for us? How vast beyond all measure? 

For us as humans, it is truly impossible for us to grasp how deep God’s love is for us. We cannot measure the depth and breadth of His love. We merely see and experience  what His love has accomplished. 

Jesus took upon everyone’s sins and died upon the cruel cross to save everyone. He was mocked and despised, yet his love for us kept Him there. That is the greatest of unconditional love. “No greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” The beauty of this is not only did Jesus die for those who loved him back, he came for even those who crucified him. He came to redeem us all. As Jesus taught his disciples, “the Son  of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn, but to save the world through Him.” Jesus was absolutely sinless and perfect, yet they still hated and tortured him. They chose to crucify him instead of Barabbas, a scoundrel and criminal. However that did not restrain Jesus from loving. “There is no pit so deep that his love is not greater still” (Corrie Ten Boom).  The nails could have never kept Jesus there, he did it solely out of his unconditional love for us and to demonstrate the power of his love. Not only did he suffer and die for our transgressions, he also suffered rejection from His Father. As he cried “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” Our Heavenly Father had to allow his only Son to die in one of the worst ways imaginable. The laws that the Jews followed were powerless to save them. The blood of animals could not atone for the sins of the world. Romans 8:3 tells us “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.”

 In their culture, the Roman crucifixion was the ultimate excruciating sentence. The Romans saw it as the end, but for Christ - it was just the beginning. Jesus understood the cross in a way that no other man had ever accomplished before. Jesus willingly died for the purpose of His Kingdom and to show the world love and grace. What men thought for evil, God meant for good.  This is what love and sacrifice truly look like. As we remember the sorrowful day when Christ our Savior hung on a cross, may we forever thank Him for his tremendous sacrifice - his own life. Let us also remember our duty to show others the way to Jesus. 

The greatest thing we could ever achieve is leading others to Jesus. All other accomplishments pale in comparison. It also reminds us that when situations look hopeless, God is always in control. When Jesus cried “It is finished” it looked as though all He claimed to be was finished too. The story didn’t end there, even when it seemed that way. Three days later, Jesus arose from the grave and conquered death. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the greatest act of love the world will ever know.