Do you think I cannot
call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve
legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it
must happen in this way?
In the Lenten season, we begin a deeper reflection on the path
that Christ walked, particularly around his final days and crucifixion. The
text above caught my attention as it highlights Jesus’ deep commitment to the
plan that God had put into place. The plan was for Jesus to take the full
burden and punishment for the sins of man so that man might be redeemed before
God. Now it’s easy to just state those words…”take the punishment for the sins
of man”…and gloss over the reality of what that means. Christ was fully God but
also fully man…he felt the same physical, mental, and emotional pains that any
ordinary man might experience. He knew what awaited him…he knew that he would be
physically beaten, mentally tormented, and eventually hung from a cross to
endure an excruciating death. Yet he remained steadfast to the plan. In the
text above, he reveals that he could have called all this off and rescued
himself…he could have called down angels from heaven and removed himself from the
chains of man. Yet he did not. For if he had, then man would not be redeemed.
If he had called off the plan and rescued himself, man would still be at odds
with God…we would still have absolutely ZERO chance of making things right
between us and God. We would be hopeless, helpless, and completely incapable of
righting the ship. So he stayed the course…he took the pain…died…then rose back
to life, fully alive as man once again…and crushed death under his feet. All
this done for you…for me…for every sinful being that has walked this land. It’s
an incredible example of grit, obedience, and deep, genuine love…for it was
deep love for his chosen people that God put this plan into place. So as we
continue through the Lenten season, may we reflect on the incredible sacrifice that
was made for us…and may we draw on the example Christ set in his obedience to the
Lord and allow it to fortify our own lives as servants to the Lord. To God
alone be the glory!
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