When Jesus died on the cross, He did so to redeem us, to purchase us from the death-row we were on. He planned it, and executed it, with precision. There is another element we have to address though. One which gets to the heart of the matter. He died for us to prove once and for all that He loves us. Jesus died to show His own love for us. The measure of God’s love for us is shown by two things: 1) The degree of His sacrifice in saving us from the penalty of our sin; and 2) The degree of our unworthiness that we had when He saved us.
We can hear the measure of His sacrifice in the words, “He gave his only son” (John 3.16). We also hear it in the word “Christ” itself. This is a name based on the Greek title ‘Christos’, or Anointed One, or most often stated, Messiah. The Messiah was to be the King of Israel. He would conquer the Romans and bring peace and security to Israel. He did more than that though didn’t He? The person whom God sent in order to save sinners was His own divine Son. His “only” Son it says. The Anointed King of Israel, indeed the king of the world (Isaiah 9.6-7). When we add to this the horrific death by crucifixion that Christ endured, it becomes clear that the sacrifice the Father and the Son made was indescribably great, even infinite.
The measure of His love for us increases when we consider our unworthiness. “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5.7-8). We deserved divine punishment, not divine sacrifice. We are and will forever be undeserving of this love. God demonstrates His value on us humans. He didn’t die for cows or pigs. Which technically means we are worse off than cows and pigs. They have not sinned, but we have. They have not rebelled and treated God with the contempt, but we have. They have not seen God as being consequential in their lives, but we should. God did not have to die for frogs either, they aren’t bad enough, but we are! Our debt is so great, only a divine sacrifice could pay it.
There is only one explanation for God’s sacrifice for us—It’s not us. It’s “the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1.7). It’s not a response to our worth—it’s the overflow of His infinite worth. In fact, that is what divine love is in the end, a passion to capture undeserving sinners, at great cost, to make us His friend again. The death of Christ is the demonstration of Christ’s own love for all who receive it as their treasure (John 3.16). We forget the goal of salvation is fellowship restored. God wants His friend back. He has a place, and a resource, for His friend. As the scripture reads, “…Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5.25). He wants us to be in a fellowship, in order to increase our fellowship with Him. He desires an intimate connection with Him and each other. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15.13). He did that very thing…for us.
The questions must be asked, Am I one of His “friends”? Am I truly in fellowship with Him and His “church”? His love for us is the difference maker. The early witnesses who suffered most for being Christians were captured by this fact, “…the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2.20). They took the self-sacrifice of Jesus very personal. They said, “He loved me. He gave himself for me.” Surely this is the way we should understand the sufferings and death of Christ. This is about Christ’s love for me personally. It’s my sin that cuts me off from God, not sin in general. It’s my hard-heartedness and spiritual numbness that demean the worth of Christ. When it comes to salvation, I have forfeited all claim on justice. All I can do is plead for mercy. We see this so poignantly in Luke 18.13, “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”
I embrace the treasure, and I say with those early witnesses, “He loved me and gave himself for me.” I mean that he paid the highest price possible to give me the greatest gift possible. “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16.31). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10.13). “…through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” (Acts 10.43). “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1.12). “…whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3.16).
That is the love of Christ. Have you seen and heard enough to capture you for His cause? How Much? How much did He love you? How much did He demonstrate that love to you? Now, how much do you love Him? How much do you demonstrate that love to Him on a minute by minute and day by day basis? We should do as He did, prove it!