Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (Philippians 2:4-5)
Jesus didn’t embrace the cross out of strict obligation, doing so with some kind of sarcastic self-resignation: “I guess I’d better do this or those mutton heads are all going to go to hell. Don’t really want to, but…” True, he showed his portion of humanity with his prayer (and my interpretation of his communication intent), “Father, humanly speaking, I would love to get out of this, but I’m not asking for what I want, but for what you want…” He must have uttered this “take this cup from me” plea due to the impending pain and almost unfathomable torture about which he was fully aware and he knew lay ahead of him. He was girding himself, and I believe trying to wrap his heart and mind around what was ahead. (I just saw scenes again from the movie Passion of the Christ. That gave me a powerful rendition of the pain he was facing.)
No, Jesus embraced the cross out of a motivation of love, God’s love, for us, for me.
A decision to
put us first,
to seek our best,
to rescue and deliver us
to give life by doing what must be done.
And he did it in a selfless way. Despite the pain, and the horror of the impending crucifixion, he went through with it—even though he could have responded positively to the baiting of the thief, “If you are the Messiah, get us down from here!” But he obviously didn’t do that. Instead, he showed that he valued us above his self-preservation, self-comfort, self-motivation, self-validation. (I’m struggling for the word here; they all seem to fall at least just a bit short.) It was self-less in that he put us above his-self; we were the concern. Our well-being, and entry to life was his focus.
Can you imagine: in the darkest hour ever experienced by any human being in the history of the world, he was putting the good of others above himself? And that good was eternal good for them? The stakes were at their highest and he delivered. He couldn’t have done so if the focus were on himself and his well-being. The focus was on us and our well-being.
Dr. Dennis Kinlaw remarked, “The thing that moves a person most deeply is not God’s power, not his glory, not his crown and authority, but the sacrifice of himself at Calvary. That kind of love is hard to resist.” Indeed, that kind of loves demonstrates the combination of his total sacrifice with his selfless love.
What a man, what a God!
“Father, following the example of Jesus, teach us how to show self-less love to others.”
Copyright 2019, Freddy Boswell. From the book, Torn Curtain.
Freddy Boswell 