The GREATEST Love
A Reflection on God’s Love at Easter
Its easy to talk about how LOVE came down at calvary without really going to the depths of this love. I think a proper understanding of what it meant and entailed for Jesus to die on calvary would help us understand Jesus’ sacrifice and love more. I’ll attempt to give a little scope of the history and intensity of Gods love displayed on the cross. Hopefully you’ll understand why the cross is the symbol of love.
So, let’s get in Jesus’ shoes a bit. Jesus had existed with God from time immortal from the beginning. John says this in effect in John 1, “…He was with God in the beginning”. From the beginning to about 4 BC when Jesus descended in Human form, he was in a perfect relationship with God the father never away for even a second. Together they created the world (Let us make) and endured man’s unfaithfulness and the heartbreak mankind caused God. Jesus only came down out of intense love and passion for reconciliation between man and the godhead he was part of. That was a hard decision to make. I mean imagine earth after all those years of heaven and oneness with God.
Normally babies cry when they are born. I’d like to imagine one of the reasons is being cut off the umbilical cord and removed from the comfort they are used to. Now imagine how hard it was for Jesus coming into the world. I wasn’t there but id like to imagine baby Jesus really cried and wailed (that’s if he cried. Yunno he’s Baba J!) But you get the drift. He had watched countless babies go through the motions and he had to go through them too. That itself is enough LOVE.
Anyways Jesus grew older and definitely sharper. By 12 he was an adult brain. Now I want you to imagine being the son of God — God in human form and watching the madness and evil in the world. Imagine watching your own people pushed by the Romans. Jesus had maximum self-control because if na me forget me and God the father punished Israel together those Romans for see pepper. Jesus lived 33 years ignoring this. One of Jesus own disciples was stealing his money and he didn’t strike the guy! Instead Jesus responded to mankind with pity — that is LOVE. Jesus was God holy to the core and they brought a prostitute to him. Normal levels na to strike her or distance but Jesus didn’t practice social distancing or spiritual distancing he said, “Go your sins are forgiven”.
33 years passed and Jesus love came to the greatest test on Passion week. On Sunday he rode into Jerusalem and the people shouted Hosanna in the Highest! The same people who did flip challenge. By Wednesday his turmoil intensified. Mary came and washed his feet and that tipped the table for Judas who went and couldn’t negotiate a better deal than 30 silver coins for him. Haba Judas. 30 fa! I have almost no sympathy for Judas — if it was 300 coins I for say ehen! Jesus must have felt insulted but LOVE.
On Thursday Jesus did the worst task ever. Washing the feet of 12 men. In our Generation it looks simple but let me try give you a picture. Those were 12 rough feet of 12 men who were basically nomads. They trekked everywhere on hot Middle Eastern sun. Imagine that the feet were sweaty and grimy and had small pasau but he washed them. And that’s not even the end he knew that in less than 6 hours all of them would Abandon him in fact one would betray him and the Self Acclaimed Class Rep amongst them would deny him 3’ce. But he did it. That evening he told Peter he’d deny him and uncle Peter Rock swore and said mba! Ok now lets go.
He was arrested not too long later and 9 of his men fled away. John and Peter followed with social distancing. Before midnight Peter who swore never to ditch Jesus even if the others did denied him thrice back to back like albums before mere servants not even the Chief Priests. But LOVE.
Now Imagine yourself in Jesus’ shoes that Friday. The people you came to save scorning at you accusing you spitting you and calling for your crucifixion and this were your own kin men. Even the Romans tried to save you but they traded you for a criminal who was deserving of your own judgement. Imagine the agony of that moment — give us Barabbas. Jesus could have resigned at this point and given them a glorious display but LOVE.
Then imagine all the pains and wounds of the cross and then Romans who hadn’t even been grafted into Gods family yet and were dependent on your death mocking you. If I was Jesus at that moment, I would have left the cross and had a glorious fireworks session with the heavenly angelic choir then climb the cross again. But LOVE.
Perhaps the moment I saw love shown the most was on the cross. There were 2 criminals besides Jesus. Honestly If I was Jesus since I couldn’t show my anger on the crowd, I’d have at least assisted these two men to die. Since they were with me make dem suffer sins of the world small too plus they were rightly sentenced. But he even allowed them talk. One had the guts to question him. If na me fire. But that wasn’t all. The other one had the audacity and effrontery to ask a place in my kingdom. What! Which kingdom! You! But Jesus displayed the peak of love and said “Today you shall be with me in paradise”. That brother received the first ticket to heaven before even the dead arose when he hung his head.
That Is the LOVE we are talking about. That Jesus first of all even accepted to come to this world. And that he could have detoured at any point but he went all the way.
Jesus did this and yet we find it hard to love our fellow men. Somebody hurt you once by committing a tiny offense and you’ve sworn never to love him again. Kiloshele!
The cross is the symbol of love. The cross has a vertical line and a horizontal line intersecting quarter way down. Our human attempts to love rise from the bottom to that intersection. When it meets with Gods love it overpowers and dominates our human attempts. God didn’t mean for it all to flow down. He provided two directions left and right for it to flow to our fellow men.
That is why Jesus died. If you don’t love and claim to belong to Jesus. You lie!
