LOVE!!!

This morning I asked the Lord, “Why?” “Why when You could have created anything, anyone, anyway You chose. Why did you choose to create men who would fail you, reject you, betray you, and ultimately put Your Son to death?” “Why would you knowingly choose this path when you could have had anything you wanted?” 

     The short answer: LOVE!!!!! 

God IS LOVE!!! He doesn’t just show love, give love, receive love, HE IS LOVE!!!

 

His desire was and still is to have a family upon whom He can lavish love. A family who will receive His love, return His love, and spread His love.  

The Word tells us that Jesus is the Lamb slain from before the foundations of the world (Revelation 13:8). God looked across time and saw the sins of men, He saw the rebellion of our hearts, the greed, the self-centeredness of the human race, and even knowing that many would choose death rather than life, He chose to create Adam and Eve. Thus began this beautiful, yet painful journey of Love. 

From a human perspective, He chose to risk it all. His name and His reputation (which He is not insecure about – He knows who He is!!!) and ultimately His Son.

 

You might be thinking, yes, but Melissa, Jesus rose again so He did not really lose Him. You are partially correct, Jesus did triumph over death, hell, and the grave by rising victorious! However, the eternal God, who always was, was never separated from His Son, they were always One.

 

The Creator chose to create man, knowing that He would face the ultimate loss – Oneness with His Son. The Word tells us that when Jesus came to earth as a baby, He laid aside His mighty power and glory (Philippians 2:7-9) and took on corrupt flesh. His desire to have intimacy with mankind, to lavish love upon the human race propelled Him forward in this plan.  

When the right time came for the redemption plan to unfold – God sent His Son to take on flesh, be born of a woman, and walk among men. This began the separation between God the Father and God the Son. Even if 33 ½ years is only the length of the blink of an eye in heaven, to the eternal God it must have been a long blink!  

To compound this loss, Jesus would walk among men, demonstrate love at every turn and yet would be rejected by the very ones he came to love.

 

When Jesus hung on the cross, He became sin in our place. In that loving act, that moment when love collided with our rebellion, greed, selfishness – our sin, the total loss for the Father was complete. In that instant He had to take His eyes off His Son. For the first time they were totally separated.  

Holiness and sin cannot dwell together. The Holy Father had to separate Himself from the sins of mankind. He had to turn away from the Lamb who became our sin offering. The sky turned dark, and, in that moment, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)  

Even though He knew the answer, the grief and pain of that loss rose up inside of Him and burst forth in His anguished cry.  

As I penned that last word, the Father asked me, “Now do you understand?” I had to honestly answer, “No.” My human mind cannot comprehend the vastness of that Love. But my spirit man is rejoicing because I know it is real!! 

John 3:16, For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. (AMPC) 

Love – God's desire from before the foundation of the world.

 

Love – God's desire today! 

Will we receive this love? 

Will we return this love? 

Will we spread this love? 

My friends, this is the reason we celebrate the birth of Christ. LOVE came down and met us where we were, so that we could rise to be where He is!!!!