Thursday, March 9, 2023

When you hear the word sacrifice, what comes to mind? 

Parents may think about sacrificing for their children. Spouses may think about sacrificing for each other. Some think about sacrificing their time to get good grades in school or to succeed at work. Think of your closest loved ones—you would do almost anything for them, for their well-being, usually with no strings attached. 

Sometimes we forget the greatest sacrifice of all: God sending his only son into the world to pay the price we owe for our disobedience and sins. As we learned last weekend, God loves each of us with agape love. This is not just a feeling of fondness God has toward his children; it is an action. This is unconditional love—it is a completely selfless love where one sacrifices their own desires for those they love.

God deeply loves each one of us, regardless of the sins we have committed or the number of times we slip up in our faith. God himself came to earth in the form of a humble servant to carry the weight of every one of our sins on the cross. He made the ultimate sacrifice: he gave his life to pay for our spiritual debts in full. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are completely free of the burden of our sin. We are released from the guilt and shame and our old selves are crucified with him once we accept him as our Lord and King.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.   

As Christians, we constantly learn about Jesus’ sacrifice. It is the foundation and cornerstone of our faith. However, so many of us do not fully comprehend and embrace what exactly Jesus’ sacrifice means. Jesus’ sacrifice is more than life-changing—it affects us for all eternity. Once we genuinely surrender to him and place our faith in him, all our past, present, and future sin and shame are wiped out. Our slates are clean, and we have the freedom to walk with Christ. Our identities are defined by this new life instead of the mistakes we have made and the sins we have committed (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus’ sacrifice also means that we have a responsibility to live like him and to walk in his footsteps. He did not only cover the sins of the righteous or those who followed biblical law. Jesus did not rank our sins or judge one sin greater than others. His sacrifice went way beyond that. Because of God’s amazing grace, all of us, no matter our pasts, can experience freedom from the bondage of sin and death.

Thanks to God, we no longer must walk in fear and shame. Instead, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, each of us can experience new life and a personal relationship with God. Through his tremendous grace and sacrificial love, we can boldly approach God and fully experience the mercy that he has for each of his children (Hebrews 4:16).

John 3:18
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” 

Questions:
What do you believe?

How has Jesus’ sacrifice personally affected you?

In which area of your life can you make sacrifices for those you love?

Next Steps:
Read John 3:16-21 to learn more about how Jesus’ sacrifice paid for our sins in full.

Each day of the week, think of a small sacrifice that you can make for others to demonstrate God’s love.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your only son to our world to save me from my sins. Through Jesus, I have freedom to experience an eternal relationship with you. Thanks for your incomparable grace and mercy. Even though I could never deserve it, you love me so much that you paid the ultimate sacrifice. Please help me to walk in Jesus’ footsteps and sacrifice for those around me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Series Theme Verse:

2 Peter 1:4
And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.