"Love Manifested"

 "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again." (John 10:17 KJV)

  "Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven." (Hebrews 1:1-3 NLT) 

 One of the first things that I realized, over 40 years ago, is that Jesus Christ was not just an offering, as if God the Father was subjecting Him to die, but that Jesus willfully gave His life, as the offering, Himself. Yes, the Father clearly did give His Son; but the Son, being in the form of man, offered Himself! Think about the magnitude of that, because it shows how much love was shared between the Father and the Son. 

 I remember trying to share this amazing discovery with my sister, as she was still with the J.W.'s at the time. At one point, she actually reached out as if she was going to strangle me, only because I told her that Jesus was God, and that He controlled His own destiny, making His sacrifice so much more powerful. It didn't quite change her, at least not right away; it took about 4 or 5 years, and she finally could see it for herself. 

 What this shows, by way of submission, is the love Jesus had for the Father. This love was so much more powerful than we could ever really know, because Jesus yielded so much more power than we could ever have. It was that manifestation of submission, yielding of power, that made His sacrifice more than just an offering: He purchased our sins with His life! 

 I am still amazed by that, because it still blows my mind how powerful a sacrifice that was: and only God, Himself, could made that sacrifice that powerful...

"God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ - everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan." (Ephesians 1:5-11 NLT)