God
About 2,000 years ago, a King left His throne and went to a foreign land called Earth. This King had wealth far beyond anything that could be imagined; yet, He left every bit of it behind. In the land that He traveled to, He did not arrive with all the pomp and circumstance that someone of His stature normally would. In fact, the initial announcement of His arrival was made to poor shepherds who were in a field tending their flocks (Luke 2:8-20). Later, this King often referred to Himself as “The Good Shepherd.” (emphasis mine)
This King, while in His own kingdom, remained ageless. When He arrived in the foreign land, He started out as a helpless infant that was placed into a virgin by the Holy Spirit. He lived in that land until He was in His early 30’s and never accumulated any property or financial gain, yet He offered an invaluable gift to any and all who would accept it. The price of that gift was His very own blood, which He paid for willingly. It was a price that each and every one of us should have had to pay.
Even before His arrival, He had an adversary here that wanted to destroy Him. This was evident from the moment He first arrived, and all the way to His exit. This adversary influenced people of “status” to persecute this King at every turn. Try as they might, they could not bring Him down until He Himself decided it was the proper time. The adversary himself is a created being, and not a god as he would like us to believe.
We know this King I’m referring to is the Lord, Jesus the Christ. He controlled everything that happened during His short (approx. 3-year) ministry on earth. He even orchestrated His arrest, trials and execution (John 10:18). He knew even before taking His first human breath here, all that He would have to endure.
Yet He didn’t hesitate to fulfill our need of having a perfect blood sacrifice to offer to the Creator for our sin nature. Up to this point, animals, mostly sheep, were used, but this was only a temporary measure. His blood covered it once and for all. In fact, He is our Creator and part of the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is one God with three distinct and equal entities that no one on earth can ever fully explain. We just have the faith that it is so, and we will be enlightened further when we actually get home. We just have to have the faith that Jesus has always existed, and will exist forever, and He and God are One (John 10:30).
What is so amazing about this narrative is that the One who created us could love us so much that He would be willing to sacrifice a part of Himself, so that we could be saved (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). It’s hard to imagine that God would willingly allow His human self to actually die in a most horrible way – death on a cross. His sacrifice was for His created beings that the majority of which would, and will, totally reject Him (Matthew 7:13-14).
Even though He knew He would be raised from the dead afterward, He still endured the pain and suffering without any resistance. He even told His followers to stand down, as He could’ve called out and 12 legions of angels would have come to His rescue (Matthew 26:53). By the way, a legion was typically 5,120 soldiers, and could go as high as 11,000 during a campaign. So, He could’ve literally had between 61,440 and 132,000 angels at His disposal. Once He was “Raptured” back to Heaven, can you just imagine the reception He received?
At any rate, it can safely be said that there is no other so-called god that would sacrifice itself for its supposed followers. Ours is a God of Love, who sent a part of Himself to pay for our sin-debt completely.
Philippians 2:9-11 “As a result, God exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow (including Satan), in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess (Satan also) that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
Also, Hebrews 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by God’s grace, He would experience death on behalf of everyone.”
Rodney Griffin of the gospel group Greater Vision wrote a song in 1999 that covers this very well. It’s called “He Left It All.”
(v-1) He didn’t bring an army, to help Him on His way. He didn’t bring an angel, to praise Him night and day. He didn’t bring one piece of gold to buy some food to eat. Instead, He turned and laid it all, at His Father’s feet.
(chorus) He left it all, to rescue me. He left it all, to die on Calvary. He left it all; not one comfort did He bring. Not His robe, not His crown, not ten thousand bowing down; not one piece of jasper wall; He left it all.
(v-2) This man they’re crucifying, as He said He is a King. But judging from the clothes He wears, He doesn’t own a thing. Little did they know that day, as His blood came streaming down; He owns the sun, even the stars and the moon; He even owned the ground. (chorus)
By all earthly standards, and what Satan would like you to believe, the Creator of us all would never lower Himself to become one of us, much less die for us. We are sin-filled, and it’s been our nature since man’s fall in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Everyone who ever walked this earth has sinned, except for Jesus, of course (Romans 3:23).
Consider 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake, He made Him sin, who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
There was a moment during the crucifixion that our Savior took on all the sin this world had committed, and would ever commit. That very moment, the Father, who cannot tolerate any form of sin, had to look away as His Son “became” sin that His blood would cover. This was the first and only time that any part of the Godhead was separated. That is why Jesus cried out, “My God, My God! Why have You forsaken Me.” Though it was brief, He would be given a glimpse of what people entering the Lake of Fire would endure. Difference is, His was just momentary; those lost will be forever.
Our Heavenly Father is righteous and just, and will accept all who would call on Him in the name of Jesus to be saved (Acts 4:12; Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13). God does not show partiality (Romans 2:11); and even though the Jewish people are his chosen, they must accept Jesus as their Messiah before their last breath, or they will be lost.
God allows us the choice of accepting Jesus and His wonderful gift, or face the only other option of eternity in the Lake of Fire forever. There is no other option available. False prophets deny this, and Satan does everything in his power to turn us away from the Savior. The judgment of the righteous from the Cross and at the Rapture is the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). This is to receive rewards, or lose them but still be with Jesus in Heaven forever. The alternative will be the White Throne Judgment, which will take place at the end of the Millennium, and all there will be given their degree of punishment forever in the Lake of Fire that God created for the devil and his demons (Revelation 20:11-15).
It’s an individual choice that each of us has to make. God will not force us either way, but desires that we choose Jesus and forever with Him (Romans 10:9-13 and 2 Peter 3:9). Anyone who does not, God will honor their choice and place them in line at the White Throne.
After the sacrifice our Jesus made for us, it’s absolutely fair and just for the Father to expect and require our loyalty. Jesus Left It All so that we could have it all. We cannot ever repay the debt we owe, but He gives it to us just for accepting Him. Open the Gift He gave today – it’s there waiting for you. If unopened, you will have all eternity in the Hell fires to be shown the opportunity you had. If you wait until after the Rapture, you will still be able to be saved, but at a very high price. Avoid the most terrible 7 years this earth will ever see, and call on Him today.
Amen, Come Lord Jesus!