Growing up one of the very first verses I ever memorized was John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
This verse was a reminder that God loved me so much that His only Son He sent in my place, to bear the weight of my sins, that I may find mercy in Christ. As a kid I understood that and accepted what that meant, but it wasn’t until I was older that I fully understood all the implications of this one verse.
In order for us to have freedom in Christ, Jesus had to lower Himself and become a weak human so that He could truly bear the weight of every single sin (spanning from Adam and Eve’s original sin to the sin I’m going to commit next year).
If that doesn’t help you to demonstrate the full extent of how meaningful it was that Jesus was fully man and fully God at the same time, I’ll break it down even more for you. Jesus was, and will always be, the King of the Jews. But unlike any other king that history has seen Jesus was neither brought into this world in what would be associated with a king’s nor did He die a king’s death. He was born in a trough from which animals would feed, far from royalty of the time. Also, He died a criminal’s death upon a tree because that is the death that we deserve, yet He loved us enough to show us mercy and love in one of the most symbolic of fashions – He sacrificed Himself in death so that we may live.
Now I know what you’re thinking, what do Jesus’ birth and death have to do with Him befriending the lowest of the low? Well, if His birth and death were not indication enough for you, the people Jesus chose to be around were far from royalty.
Peter – Denied Christ three times
Martha – Worried about everything.
Zacchaeus – Was small and money hungry.
The Disciples – Fell asleep while praying.
Paul – A Pharisee who persecuted Christians before becoming one.
And that’s just the short version of the list. But what that list of people shows is that Jesus wasn’t expecting perfection from the people He used to spread the Gospel, nor will He ever expect that of us. Honestly, if that doesn’t make you take a huge sigh of relief then I don’t know what will.
See the thing about Jesus is very simple. He CHOSE to surround Himself with people that no one else wanted to be around (John 4:1-42) and He used these people to glorify Him. He didn’t do it because He felt bad for these people or pitied them, He did it because He loved them so deeply that he had to know them more intimately.
That’s why I’m thankful. God’s love is not bounded nor is it ashamed of anyone. God loves His children as they are (that includes, but is by no means limited to, David who was a murder to little old me who can’t even seem to figure out life).
Jesus came to this earth and befriended the people that people wanted to keep at arm’s length, from tax collectors to doubters, to demonstrate that His love was never, and will never be, meant for one type of person. His love is meant for ALL people no matter who they are. That is by far the most encouraging thing I will ever hear.
So from a little girl who grew up knowing Jesus died on a cross for my sins to a young woman who realizes that God only requires that I come as I am before Him I’ve come a long way. What I have to thank for that growth is the never ceasing, abounding love of Jesus Christ who took on death for all people that we may one day live in His Kingdom with Him. By that definition I am a part of the lowest of lows, but I will always be OK with that, because I serve a God who chose me, and loves me in spite of all of my flaws.
The best part of it all, though, is that He chose you too and is waiting for you to realize the full extent of what that means.