The Holy One calls to me this morning. The pace of life has slowed in this season of caring for a parent in the twilight years of her life. This morning the Holy Spirit speaks to the subject of life changing circumstances and tells me, "Consider My sacrifice".
I am thankful that He chose to speak to me about this subject before I get too far into the land of "self-pity" which is a place any or all of us can go visit when trials come demanding the release of things we may hold dear.
He draws me in then points me to His Word in John 10. This is the passage about His role as the Good Shepherd. The Mediterranean Shepherd is different than a western one. The Mediterranean shepherd would lay down his life for his sheep. He is a fierce protector and a gentle lead. He watches over the sheep and takes them to higher ground when the grazing at the lower meadows leaves the turf there barren of food.
The Lord uses this metaphor to teach us about His tender love for us, His symbolic "sheep".
In this passage He points out the difference between a shepherd and a hired hand and then in John 10:14, He talks about Himself as the Good Shepherd, "I am the Good Shepherd and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen (referring to Gentiles). I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice and there shall be one flock and One Shepherd".
Then my heart skips a beat as I read the next verse and the point that He wants me to see, "The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord".
Here is the Son telling us what He does to please the Father and in that I see how our Father loves His sacrifice. "The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life only to take it up again". The depths of their relationship, who can fathom? But the clues are present for me to glean.
"Sacrifice" is the offering of a life or object to God and it is the giving up of one thing for the sake of another. In the context of this verse, the Son did both; He gave up His life to God the Father, and gave up His physical life for the sake of all humanity.
What caught my attention today, is the revelation that the Father loves Him for reason that He laid down His life only to take it up again. Jesus lived in a flesh body just like we do. I am sure the challenge of the physical torture that He knew was coming was no less difficult for Him than for any flesh person.
In the Garden of Gethsemane we are told that our Lord's physical tension was so high He did sweat blood. The bloody sweat came from such elevated blood pressure that His capillaries broke just under His skin and He bled internally.
My mind swirls with all the thoughts of the Cross and Crucifixion but the Holy One wants me to stay focused and understand that His point today involves the "sacrifice" that touches the Father Heart of God. Jesus directed us to understand that the Father loves those who lay down their lives only to take them up again.
As we come to believe in the One He sent I.E His Son, Jesus and to trust in the purpose for which He came, I.E. to rescue us from the eternal separation from our Creator God, and to reconcile us back into a personal relationship with our Creator God then we are symbolically laying down our lives for His Name sake only to pick them up again as we live in service to His plan and purposes. Our sacrifice in surrender opens the channel of the Father's love that He lavishes upon His children.
In our flesh life, we are called in an ongoing way to lay down our lives in surrender to the principles of Holiness and to live in the Divine resurrection life of Jesus. In our flesh lives we are commanded to love one another in spite of our differences. We are commanded to serve one another in spite of our own needs. We are commanded to give to one another in spite of our own poverty.
There are times when the sacrifice goes beyond pride, time or resources. Sacrifice can come from our emotional trials when we are asked to go on without a life partner or beloved friend or all that we have possessed before a natural disaster touched down in our neighborhood without fear, bitterness or anger that tries to commandeer our faith and our trust in God's goodness.. The list goes on with the "sacrifices" we are called to make but now I see the love from our Father that such sacrifices bring. God, the Father does not just give love, God IS love. That is His Being and as we lay down our lives and sacrifice His way, we are a part of His Being.
I understand the priceless promise of necessity Jesus spoke of in John 14:20, " On that day (Pentecost) you will realize that I am in the Father, you are in Me and I am in you". I cannot begin to sacrifice or lay down my life on my own. The flesh has too many exclusion clauses and excuses. However, knowing the Spirit of Christ lives within my flesh body I find the courage and confidence to face whatever the cross or sacrifice might be required of me today.
With the love of the Father, I realize the cross is not so heavy and the burden truly becomes light. I feel His love in the sacrifice and now especially His love for the one who is making it.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
I am thankful that He chose to speak to me about this subject before I get too far into the land of "self-pity" which is a place any or all of us can go visit when trials come demanding the release of things we may hold dear.
He draws me in then points me to His Word in John 10. This is the passage about His role as the Good Shepherd. The Mediterranean Shepherd is different than a western one. The Mediterranean shepherd would lay down his life for his sheep. He is a fierce protector and a gentle lead. He watches over the sheep and takes them to higher ground when the grazing at the lower meadows leaves the turf there barren of food.
The Lord uses this metaphor to teach us about His tender love for us, His symbolic "sheep".
In this passage He points out the difference between a shepherd and a hired hand and then in John 10:14, He talks about Himself as the Good Shepherd, "I am the Good Shepherd and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen (referring to Gentiles). I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice and there shall be one flock and One Shepherd".
Then my heart skips a beat as I read the next verse and the point that He wants me to see, "The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord".
Here is the Son telling us what He does to please the Father and in that I see how our Father loves His sacrifice. "The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life only to take it up again". The depths of their relationship, who can fathom? But the clues are present for me to glean.
"Sacrifice" is the offering of a life or object to God and it is the giving up of one thing for the sake of another. In the context of this verse, the Son did both; He gave up His life to God the Father, and gave up His physical life for the sake of all humanity.
What caught my attention today, is the revelation that the Father loves Him for reason that He laid down His life only to take it up again. Jesus lived in a flesh body just like we do. I am sure the challenge of the physical torture that He knew was coming was no less difficult for Him than for any flesh person.
In the Garden of Gethsemane we are told that our Lord's physical tension was so high He did sweat blood. The bloody sweat came from such elevated blood pressure that His capillaries broke just under His skin and He bled internally.
My mind swirls with all the thoughts of the Cross and Crucifixion but the Holy One wants me to stay focused and understand that His point today involves the "sacrifice" that touches the Father Heart of God. Jesus directed us to understand that the Father loves those who lay down their lives only to take them up again.
As we come to believe in the One He sent I.E His Son, Jesus and to trust in the purpose for which He came, I.E. to rescue us from the eternal separation from our Creator God, and to reconcile us back into a personal relationship with our Creator God then we are symbolically laying down our lives for His Name sake only to pick them up again as we live in service to His plan and purposes. Our sacrifice in surrender opens the channel of the Father's love that He lavishes upon His children.
In our flesh life, we are called in an ongoing way to lay down our lives in surrender to the principles of Holiness and to live in the Divine resurrection life of Jesus. In our flesh lives we are commanded to love one another in spite of our differences. We are commanded to serve one another in spite of our own needs. We are commanded to give to one another in spite of our own poverty.
There are times when the sacrifice goes beyond pride, time or resources. Sacrifice can come from our emotional trials when we are asked to go on without a life partner or beloved friend or all that we have possessed before a natural disaster touched down in our neighborhood without fear, bitterness or anger that tries to commandeer our faith and our trust in God's goodness.. The list goes on with the "sacrifices" we are called to make but now I see the love from our Father that such sacrifices bring. God, the Father does not just give love, God IS love. That is His Being and as we lay down our lives and sacrifice His way, we are a part of His Being.
I understand the priceless promise of necessity Jesus spoke of in John 14:20, " On that day (Pentecost) you will realize that I am in the Father, you are in Me and I am in you". I cannot begin to sacrifice or lay down my life on my own. The flesh has too many exclusion clauses and excuses. However, knowing the Spirit of Christ lives within my flesh body I find the courage and confidence to face whatever the cross or sacrifice might be required of me today.
With the love of the Father, I realize the cross is not so heavy and the burden truly becomes light. I feel His love in the sacrifice and now especially His love for the one who is making it.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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