The Sacrifice of Christ

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).

Have you ever thought of how great a sacrifice it was for Jesus to leave the splendor and perfection of heaven to come to earth as a babe and grow up surrounded by the sinfulness, problems, and hardships that abound here? He came, knowing that He would be reviled, persecuted, and ultimately nailed to a cross.

On that cross, the physical pain would have been excruciating, but there were other sacrifices as well. All at once, this perfect, sinless man took on the sins of everyone who had ever lived or would ever live. I can't even imagine what a dark, heavy burden that must have been. How painful that must have felt, yet it didn't stop there. In that moment, God turned away from Him.

He had never been without the Father, but suddenly, God the Father left Him. Talk about being abandoned and alone! And he endured that separation so that we would never have to. His abandonment purchased our acceptance and belonging. His suffering opened the way for our salvation. When we pause to consider the depth of His sacrifice, it should tell us how much we are loved and bring us to our knees to accept Christ as our Savior and live for Him.

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