The message of Good Friday is sobering – and so, so powerful:

Jesus chose to die for us. He willingly gave His life to pay the price for the sins we have committed.

Did you notice the words “chose,” “willingly” and the convicting ending, “for the sins we have committed” (emphasizing “we”)? (More about this later.)

What if Jesus had refused to allow Himself to be nailed to a cross?

How would this have affected your life – not to mention your eternity?

Long before the garden of Gethsemane, before Jesus was betrayed and arrested, He already knew every horrible detail of the torture He’d face in the coming hours.

Filled with dread, Jesus asked His Father to “remove this cup from Me.” He felt such anguish that He sweated drops of blood, a telling medical condition called hematidrosis, which occurs under extreme mental or physical stress. The Amplified Bible supports this by saying Jesus was “[deeply distressed and anguished; almost to the point of death]” (Luke 22:44).

He knew there was no other way to break Satan’s hold over God’s people. Because of His deep love for us, He submitted to His Father, saying, 

Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. (Luke 22:42 ESV)

But … what if Jesus had said “no”? What if He had decided we weren’t that important to Him after all?

How different would our lives be today if God’s love had not planned for our salvation so long ago?

Imagine if Satan were left undefeated. Cruelty, selfishness and every ugly sin would have abounded even more than we see today. Think Pottersville (only worse) in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” where everyone began living for himself once Mr. Potter took over the town.

• How long would love have survived, especially sacrificial love?
• Would light have eventually been swallowed up in darkness?
• Would all human life have become totally devalued?

If Jesus hadn’t taken our sins upon Himself on the cross, despair, regret and shame would have prevailed. We’d have no hope for redemption.

Mercifully, even though He was fully aware of everything that was about to descend upon Him, Jesus said, “not my will, but yours, be done.”

A short time later, one of His own disciples betrayed Him. Soldiers jammed a crown of thorns on His head and placed a reed in His right hand as a mock scepter. “They spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him repeatedly on the head” (Matthew 27:30 AMP). After long hours of ridicule and torture, the soldiers led Jesus to an excruciatingly painful and gruesome death.

Jesus could have said, “Not Your will, but mine.”

But He didn’t, because we are that important to Him.

(Stay tuned for next week’s triumphant follow-up!)

What do you think?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this post. (Your comment might also benefit others.)

How different would your life be today if God’s love had not planned for your salvation so long ago?

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