Choices. We make hundreds of them every day. Some are good, some not so good, and some we regret. As we enter into Holy Week and prepare to celebrate Easter, I can’t help but think about the choice Jesus made to save us.
As I re-read through the gospel accounts of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, I’m struck by how much control he had in that situation. I think I’ve always overlooked that aspect and just taken it for granted that Jesus made the choice to go to the cross. In Matthew chapter 26, starting in verse 36, Jesus goes to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He asks God to let this cup pass from him if there’s any other way that we could be saved. He knows that he’s going to be crucified. He had free will – he could have walked away. No one was forcing him to go forward with God’s plan. Even still, Jesus chose to be the sacrifice for us. He lived a sinless life. There wasn’t one moment of his life that he needed forgiveness for – he was literally the last person on earth that deserved to be punished. And yet, he willingly chose to take our brokenness (AKA “sins”) on himself so that we would be spared and can live forever with him in fellowship and worship.
Another example is when Jesus was praying in the garden. We see his anguish and fear. He wasn’t some robot disconnected from reality. He didn’t go into some sort of trance to avoid the physical, emotional and mental pain of his sacrifice. He was present for every second of betrayal, brutality and brokenness, and he still chose to do it. He could have skipped Judas, the one who betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver, when choosing his disciples. He could have backed out and left us to face the consequences of our mistakes. But he didn’t. He chose to show up. He chose to fulfill scripture. He chose to take our place so that we could come before God blameless.
It’s hard to not take that decision personally. Jesus knew you when he made that decision. He knew every choice you would make, every mistake, every selfish act, and he still chose to save you. He loves you for who you are, not what you do. He said that you are worth the pain and the fear – you are worth his life. There is no other love like that on this earth; it’s that kind of love that you were made to reflect to others by the decisions you make.
Jesus chose you when he died on the cross for your sins and rose again. He’s asking you to walk with him and enjoy the benefits of his sacrifice. He loves you and wants you to share his love with the people around you. So will you choose him? For those who maybe already have chosen him, are you living a life that truly puts him First and yourself Second?
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