He left the glory of heaven to come into our world. He was willing to rearrange His life so that He could come here and live and walk among us. He traded in His majesty for our humanity. He left His home to come to a place where He had nowhere to lay His head. He left the adoration of the angelic host to come to a world that did not know Him and to His own who did not receive Him.
He left everything to come into a world that was plunged in darkness, filled with sorrow, sickness, hurt, violence and pain. Why? Why did He come? Would you come to a place where you would be rejected, unappreciated, opposed and despised? He did. Would you reach out to people who are always trying to trap you and challenge everything you say or do? He did. Would you wash the feet of the man who would betray you and share bread with him? He did. Would you forgive the man who denied three times that he knew you? He did. What about those who spat on you, mocked you and wanted you dead, would you forgive them? He did.
Why would Jesus subject Himself to such improprieties? It’s simple. Love. He did it all for love. Love for the Father and love for us.
Love filled His heart as He walked the streets, touching, healing and ministering to people. Love filled His heart as He drove the demons out so that the person was in his right mind again. Love filled His heart as He gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk and the dumb speak. It was love that filled His heart when He touched the leper instead of just speaking the healing. His word was just as powerful as His touch but He chose to touch the untouchable.
It was love which prompted Him to forgive the paralyzed man because He saw the man’s true need. Everyone saw his physical need but Jesus saw his spiritual need and He responded to it. It was love that made Him encourage the widow of Nain not to weep before He touched her son’s dead body, giving him life again.
It was love that broke down barriers when He offered salvation to the Samaritan woman at the well and healed the daughter of the Greek woman. Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans (John 4:9). There was animosity between the two groups. And women were not highly regarded. In fact, when a Jewish man started off his day with prayer, he thanked God that he was neither a Gentile, a slave, or a woman. Gentiles were seen as in a very unfavorable light. They were seen as unclean or common (Acts 10:28). It was unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with them or go to their homes. So, these two women had two strikes against them–their nationalities and their gender. Yet, to Jesus these things didn’t matter. He loved them and wanted to offer them what the world couldn’t.
It was love that made Him call the woman with the bleeding problem, “Daughter” and offer her words of encouragement. He wanted to assure her that her faith had made her well. And it was love that made Him look up at the despised tax collector up in the tree and invite Himself to his home for food and fellowship. It was in love that He reached out the unreachable, the unloved, the discarded, the neglected and the undesirables. His love knew no boundaries, no barriers. It was freely given but not always received or returned.
It was love for you and me that made Him endure the insults, the whipping and finally the Cross. He bore the indignity of being nailed to a tree between two thieves, treated like a criminal although He had done nothing wrong. Yet, He did all of this so that believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life and that the world through Him might be saved.
Love came down to save a perishing world.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself – John 12:32
Sources: John 1, 3; Christian Courier
Notes to Women 