See my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Just as there were many who were astonished at him - so marred was his appearance beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals...But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed...He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth (Isaiah 52:13-14, 53:5, 7) NRSV
No love story can be true unless the lovers are willing to die for each other, to pour everything they have and are out for the salvation of the other. Jesus proved his love for us by dying for us on a cross. This is the sad, horrific, terrifying part of our love story with our beautiful God. He had to save us from ourselves, from the justice we deserved, by taking our place and being tortured and killed worse than anyone ever in history. He saved us and gave us new life. He saved us so that in 1 million years we can walk in intimacy with Yahweh and he will never look at us with bitterness or judgement for our past sins against him in our relationship to him, but instead it was all finished when he poured out that wrath we deserved on his own Son on the cross. Jesus' love is true beyond all measure. His love for us is passionate, perfect, desirable above all things. He is gorgeous inside and out.
I remember a few years back I went through a time of mourning for Jesus' suffering and death and I'd read these verses and sob for hours and hours. I know he was resurrected, but he's oh so perfect and beautiful - and yet he was treated so horribly. It hurt my heart - wounded me. And then I read this and realized it was coming true for me:
And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that when they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land shall mourn, each family by itself - Zechariah 12:10-12
The angels mourned and wept when he died.
And I'd listen to this song by Death Cab For Cutie:
Jesus did one other thing when he took our sins from us: he destroyed the power of death and sin forever! No longer do we ever have to fear these things if we have his precious blood on us, cleansing us. We are his! Our Beloved's, we are the desired one of the King Christ Jesus. And death and sin cannot consume us ever again. He walked out of his tomb. And by his power, after we die (if the Rapture doesn't come before!), one day so will we :)
Be encouraged, please! And be emboldened. We have Jesus, a perfect Lover, a perfect God, who is all OURS! Nothing can separate us from him ever if we are in him. Live! Laugh! Love! Show others God's joy and love. Live today and tomorrow not like it's your last day to live, but live it because you are alive and are alive forever more because you are saved by him! We are alive to be with Jesus Christ forever; let's bring as many as we can to this incredible joy and hope he has given us. God bless you and be very near to you and love you and give you a spirit of rejoicing. Give what joy he has given you in closeness and intimacy with him and let others know what joy and love he offers freely to those who accept and adore him :)
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