God’s Love Through Sacrifice

John 3:16 shows us that one of the ways God’s love is revealed is through the sending of His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross. Jesus loves us so much, that He went through the unspeakable for us. He suffered in mind and body, and willingly allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross. He placed the sins of all people upon Himself, and became a substitute for us, so we could be free from the bondage of sin, and spend eternity in Paradise with our Father. Praise God! What love!! We could really just stop right there and meditate on that. However, today, I want to highlight another of the ways that God has shown His love for us.

Understanding Our Struggles

Have you ever said or thought these words, “You just don’t get it! You don’t understand what I’m going through!” As I’ve walked through some very tough things during my life, I have felt this way. I’ve felt isolated and alone. The people around me loved me and were well-meaning, but none of them could truly understand what I was walking through. Have you ever felt that way? Have you felt alone in your journey? Well, I want to tell you today that you aren’t alone, and you have someone in your corner who fully understands.

God’s Love in the Gospels

As we’ve begun reading The Gospels, my eyes have been opened to how high, how wide, and how deep Jesus’s love for us is. God isn’t just someone who is telling us how to live our lives, but He showed His great love for us by humbling Himself, coming to earth as a man, and showing us how to live life by going through the things we go through.

A High Priest Who Understands

Hebrews 4:15 (AMP):
[15] For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin.

Jesus Walked Through It All

• Was born into poverty (Luke 2:24, Leviticus 12:8)
• Came from the wrong side of the tracks (John 1:46)
• Dealt with isolation and temptation (Matthew 4:1-11)
• Experienced grief, the loss of a close family member due to murder (Matthew 14:10-12)
• Was misunderstood (John 10:19-21)
• Was called crazy (Mark 3:21)
• Was persecuted (John 15:20)
• Experienced rejection and unbelief (John 7:5, Matthew 27:21-23)
• Had to forgive those who had wronged Him (Luke 23:34)
• Experienced emotional suffering (Matthew 26:38)
• Experienced extreme physical pain (Matthew 27:26)
• Was physically and mentally abused (Matthew 27:27-30)
• Was betrayed by His friend (Luke 22:48)
• Was deserted by the people closest to Him (Matthew 26:56)
• Was falsely accused (Luke 23:13-14)
• Was taken captive (Matthew 26:50)
• Was sentenced to death for a crime He did not commit (Matthew 27:24-26)
• Felt like God wasn’t with Him (Matthew 27:46)

God’s Love Is With You

Wow!

Our beautiful Savior not only endured the cross, but He went through a lot! God loves us so much that He walked and lived in flesh just like we do. He gets it y’all! We are not alone in our hurt, pain, grief, rejection, suffering, etc. He is with us. So next time you feel alone in your journey, remember The God who created you is with you, loves you, and understands exactly what you are walking through.