I peered into the nearly empty peanut butter jar and tried to decide if what was clinging to the sides and bottom would make just one more sandwich. Could I scrape up enough to spread over one more piece of bread? Was this scant amount worth saving?
It's funny how the most random things can sometimes put our thoughts on a more spiritual plane. My thoughts immediately turned to Christ. Do you think our Savior ever questioned whether or not we were worth saving? Probably not - and that is totally unfathomable to me.
Think about it. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed to God, He said "not My will, but Your will be done." Christ knew what He was about to face -- had known from the time He began His ministry.
He knew they were going to beat Him and spit on Him. He knew they would mock Him -- shame Him. Jesus could have stood up in that garden, said "Why bother?" and simply gone back to His home in heaven.
Instead Jesus chose to go through with it. He chose to go through all the torture and pain -- to die on the cross -- for all of us. As they crucified Him, Jesus even prayed "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34 NKJV).
We are much like that almost empty peanut butter jar - with barely anything to offer. Yet Jesus Christ didn't throw us away. Instead - even though He was equal with God - Jesus emptied Himself and took on the form of a servant. He was born in the likeness of men "and being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Phil. 2:7-8 ESV).
Jesus definitely believed we were (and are) worth saving!! What a wonderful thought! His decision to save us was made "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). Our Redeemer loved us so much He voluntarily went through a horrible death to save those who are willing to accept His grace through obedience to Him. We are the ones who decide whether or not to accept it. We make that decision through obedient faith.
Some may ask why Jesus made such an illogical decision - for many would think it illogical to have done so. Consider Romans 5:6-8: "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
In the above passage, Paul says we might die for someone we thought was a good person; but Christ died for everyone. His death was not for people who were good already. He died for ALL of us. Why would He go through so much for so many who would be so thankless? Why did Christ think we were worth saving?
I can think of two reasons. The first one is quite obviously love. Christ loved us enough to die for us - all of us. Ephesians 5:2 says "And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." The apostle John tells us "By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us," (1 John 3:16a).
We can read many scriptures about His love for us. The Bible is a love story between God and man. I think there is another reason which is so closely related to His love for us -- or maybe it is PART of His love for us, I'm not sure.
The other reason I'm speaking about is Joy. He died for us so He can have the joy of offering a way for us to escape the snares of the devil. He really doesn't want the devil to have any of because He wants us all to be with Him and God in heaven. Jesus will have great joy in presenting us to the Father as one of His.
Think of Jude verse 24: "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy." And we can't forget Hebrews 12:1b-2: "and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
The Savior Himself says "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7). Christ went through agony on the cross; but it was for our sake not His. He loved us so much He died for us and we give Him great joy when we choose to follow Him.
In the eyes of Jesus, we are definitely worth saving. Through His death we have the joy of forgiveness. We can give the Savior joy in return when we choose to live for Him.
Won't it be wonderful to hear Him say, "Well done good and faithful servant?" (Matthew 25:21)
"to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever" (Jude v. 25)
Christ above all things,
Robin
