Nothing can separate us from God’s love. This should make us brave, like Jesus. Our Savior was FEARLESS. Yes, in the garden of Gethsemane the night before his death, he begged for another way to save the WORLD, but he wasn’t sweating drops of blood because he was afraid. Rather than fear, Jesus anguished over what lay before Him. He knew what was to come. Was He tempted to find another way?
I don’t know if He was tempted, but if so, as with the other temptations Jesus faced (like 40 days in the desert), he prevailed against it, and said, “Okay, Father. Let’s do it your way.” And he got up, and you know the rest of the story. He walked straight into the arms of the Roman soldiers who would nail his hands and feet to a cross.
And because of that, now nothing can separate us from God. Nothing.
Brave Mary Magdalene Wasn’t Separated From God’s Love
I love Resurrection Sunday. I’ve pored over the scriptures of Jesus’s resurrection–especially his encounter with Mary Magdalene. I love that she was looking for a dead body and found a living, breathing Jesus who gave her a job. She was so brave. Of all people to declare that He was alive, Jesus chose a woman once insane.
It wasn’t her fame, brilliance, or good heart. It wasn’t her reputation. Jesus chose her because she was looking for him. (Read more in my article, Why Jesus Chose Mary Magdalene to Proclaim His Resurrection over at CBN.com). She was searching, and she found him. God promises this for all who search for Him, “Seek me with all your heart, and I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:13
Bravely Draw Close to God’s Love
Our God and our Savior are FEARLESS.
Their love, relentless.
Unwavering.
Unbreakable.
Scripture promises this.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32).
In this scripture “God” has been translated from Theos: God, ruler, and judge. This Greek word is associated with the Hebrew term for God, Elohim. This is the name of the Creator (Genesis 1:1). When we realize the Holy One is both creator and judge, we become aware of our sin and need to make things right with our Maker. And this draws us to Jesus.
My husband came to Christ this way. He couldn’t deny a creator’s hand in this world, so he began contemplating his eternity and seeking God. He spent months listening to sermons and attending Bible studies, and he began to understand his need to say yes to Jesus, to believe in his sacrifice for our sins.
God’s Brave Love Was Tangible on the Cross
Though all creation demonstrates the love of God, nothing fully defines it as tangibly as the cross. His undeserved torture and murder for the pardon of my sins and yours is incomprehensible.
It isn’t logical. It isn’t fair. It’s undisputable grace. This grace is better labeled by the Hebrew word, Chesed, which means merciful acts of loving-kindness bound by a covenant. It’s an undeserved act of kindness ushering us into eternity with our Father-God.
Jesus was the Son of God, and God himself (John 1:1). Why would a God who invented spring rains and snowflakes, butterflies and sunsets, pour himself into a created body, climb up on the cross, die an undeserved death, and sacrifice himself for all mankind? Why would Theos, the God-Judge, choose not only himself, but his son, to take our punishment?
Because he loves you.
God chose his son to take our punishment. I wouldn’t give any of my children for the world. Maybe my life. But not my son’s.
But God did.
Because he loved the world (John 3:16).
The Creator-Judge-Savior is Mercy and Love
His sacrifice makes it easier to envision a God who continually moves on our behalf in merciful and compassionate ways. It’s the little things that remind me of his goodness – like a newborn’s toes, the taste of a ripe mango, and the way my hand fits perfectly into my husband’s.
It’s the small, daily blessings that remind me of the largest blessing of all . . . our eternity with Jesus.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God . . . . It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:18,30).
Christ is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Nothing can separate us from His love.
We may think, we don’t look very holy or righteous. None of us do yet, but one day we will. God doesn’t go back on his word or his work. Though we live in the middle of the now and the not yet, we are changing a little every day as we accept his love and grace and walk it out in our daily lives.
Theos determined to make a way for us to one day stand before his throne and live. Surely, if he would let his Son die on our behalf, he loves us. Awakening to the kind and gracious nature of this holy, righteous judge helps us trust him every day. He really is for us. Mary Magdalene knew this, and she had to tell everybody.
“The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.” Matthew 28:8-10
Don’t be afraid! Who will you tell?
Powerful conclusion, Andy. Thank you.