21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me. ~ Philippians 1:21-26NIV
With each generation, the world becomes more and more wicked, straying farther and farther away from Christ. As if that isn’t enough, with each generation the rapid speed in which we flee from the LORD and His ways are increased drastically. While the world becomes more numb, the Church becomes more oppressed. Peter tells us that Lot, who lived in Sodom, was distressed by the sinful nature of those around him. Paul wrote that it was far better to die because then he would be with Christ.
The older I get, the more I long to leave this world and all of its many woes. As I ponder this and listen to the song Elijah by Rich Mullins, something clicked in my mind. We talk about logging for eternity. Longing for Christ to return. We’re longing for something that we’ve never experienced. When you really think about it, it makes Christ’s sacrifice all the more awe-striking. Well, at least to me.
See, while we long for something that we’ve never experienced or can truly even grasp, Jesus left what we’re all longing for in order to come to what we’re all seeking an escape from. Jesus, the Son of God (being in the very form of God), had never known hunger, thirst, or want as God. He had never experienced temptation or suffering. Yet, He willingly got off of His throne, took off His crown, and left Heaven. He left the very place we’re longing for. He didn’t have to. It wasn’t for His benefit. It wasn’t so He could become greater. Matter-a-fact, He put Himself into subjection to the Father. He didn’t upgrade.
Jesus didn’t leave Heaven for Himself. He left Heaven for us. He left eternal peace to be tormented. He left eternal love to be despised. He left eternal safety to be wounded and pierced. He left eternal praise to be crushed. Jesus left everything we long for because of one reason and one reason alone, us.
He gained nothing. Gave up everything. All for us. I had never thought about it like this until now. And honestly it blows my mind. His love for us is so great that He gave up everything to save us. Maybe I’m not painting a good enough picture of what He gave up. Jesus was seated on His throne and Seraphim circled Him praising Him (and the Father), but yet came to earth to be spat upon, ridiculed, and mocked. He, being in very form God, could not be physically harmed, yet He set that aside and allowed the very people He came to save beat Him, whip Him, peel the skin from His body. The Bible describes Jesus’ body as having been beaten so badly it was unrecognizable. Matter-a-fact, it says he didn’t even look human when they were done with Him. As if that wasn’t enough, they then wove together a crown of thorns and forced it into His head, and then nailed Him to a cross. Even after all of that, He still wasn’t done. He had to now take the sin of the entire world upon Himself and carry it from the presence of the LORD to an eternal Lake of Fire.
Christ gave everything up for us. Yes, He rose on the third day. Yes, now He is seated at the right hand of the Father. But His road to get there was difficult beyond measure. Yet He counted it as worth it. Why? Because it was that sacrifice that gave us the opportunity to be saved.
When we long for eternity, we mustn’t let it get in the way of our duties on this earth. We are called by Christ to share the Gospel with the entire world. We are to do this in love. For love is what drove Christ, therefore, let it also drive us.
Dear LORD, thank You for Your sacrifice. Thank You for loving us more than we could ever fathom or comprehend. Please help me to love people the way You love people. Help me to not be angry with the world but to have mercy on them the way You had mercy on me. Teach me to love mankind the way You do. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I might be a light in this dark world. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.