Gospel Reflections #247: Jesus Chose to Love Us

Luke 23:46 "Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."Saying this, He breathed His last."

This is the final scene of the crucifixion.

Jesus did not say, "I did not want to go to the cross, but I surrender my spirit to my Father in heaven," as we might think.He did not say, "I did not want to go to the cross, but I yield to my Father in heaven.

Jesus prayed his own thoughts about being cut off when he was one with his Heavenly Father, but he chose to be faithful to fulfill his Heavenly Father's declaration of war against Satan, not to Jesus' thoughts.

This was because beyond Jesus' desire to be faithful to Heavenly Father, He had a great desire in agreement with Heavenly Father to save each of us as sinners.

Jesus chose unconditional love for us sinners, not just his own feelings, not just his own mission.

The Heavenly Father was by the cross. But he chose to disconnect from Jesus in order to fulfill our salvation.

Both Jesus and Heavenly Father sacrificed themselves for us sinners.

The crucifixion was a truly cruel and barbaric Roman method of execution at the time, apparently aimed not at ordinary Roman citizens, but only at rebellious foreigners, vicious criminals, and robbers. Naked inmates were subjected to the cruelest, most impudent, and most derisive punishments.

Jesus took our place on the crucifixion, the cruelest of earthly practices.

It also says that Jesus breathed his last on the cross, but unlike our own dying, Jesus offered his life to us in such a way that his own heart would burst in order to save ours.

This is what keeps us alive.

What would we call it if we did not call it love?

We are loved so much by God.

God loves us as we are sinners, not because of what we have done or what we have done, but because He loves us as we are.

When we know this, even a little, we want to respond to this love. Only God's love can free us from Satan's chains. And we have already been freed from the chains of sin through the cross of Jesus.

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This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, a devoted student of the Bible who passionately embraces the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on the Gospels as a way to reach out to others and spread the message of Jesus. We're sharing her message here so that you too can experience the joy that comes from the Gospel that has filled her heart.