Romans 5:6-8 (ESV)
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ
died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though
perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love
for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
It’s hard for us to fathom how much our Heavenly Father
suffered when He saw His own Son dying on a cross. Still, we will also never
imagine how much He suffered as He watched Adam and Eve follow their own way
instead of His, a way that would lead all humankind to suffering and death.
Had Jesus avoided the shame of the cross, humankind would
have been lost for eternity. We truly deserved death, but God thought
otherwise. We can't fathom this kind of love, either!
Imagine being willing to die to save the life of a
despicable criminal. None of us would even consider that. He deserves his lot!
God, however, knew it was worthwhile, even though it hurt Him to the very core
of His being. His love for us outshone all of this!
At times we can see glimpses in history of what salvation
means. One of these glimpses happened during the battle of Gettysburg on July
1, 1863. An artillery shell smashed into a huge oak tree. Branches and pieces
of splintered trunk rained down on the soldiers sheltered underneath.
One of these soldiers, from the 90th Pennsylvania
Infantry, noticed that a nest filled with baby robins had survived its fall
from the upper branches of the tree where it was once located. What should he
do? The battle was fierce, and any miscalculation could cost his life. Still
these baby robins seemed so vulnerable. Any of his comrades could unwittingly
trample them to death. He couldn't let that happen.
He stood up amidst the heavy fighting, and running to the
nest, he placed it tenderly back in the branches of the shattered tree, then he
watched as the mother bird fluttered down onto the nest.
This soldier was willing to sacrifice his own life to
save those chicks. Even though he had never even seen these baby robins before,
his love for the tiny birds was evident. When he finally found shelter under
the oak tree again, he must have smiled. Even amidst the fierce fighting of
this senseless war, he had made a difference in the world.
His fellow soldiers noticed his bravery. Very soon,
rumors spread about what had happened that day under the oak tree. Today a
sculpture can be found on the very spot where the oak tree once stood. It
displays a mother robin sitting on her babies to protect them.
That soldier was truly a hero that day!
But if the soldier was a hero, then even more so Jesus,
our super hero! His love was truly evident when He willingly died for us. Wow!
Dear Lord, thank You for coming to save us. We love You
with all of our heart. You are our hero! In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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