Friend or Foe
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13
The movie John Q was released in 2002. The story centered around a man whose 9 year old son is in need of a heart transplant. When his father, played by Denzel Washington, discovers that a donor heart is unavailable, he takes the hospital emergency room hostage. In a last-ditch effort to save his son, he decides the only option he has is to take his own life, donating his heart so that his son can live.
It is a thrilling movie and I remember when I first watched it I concluded that I would probably do the same thing for my kids. In fact, it probably would not have taken me the hour and a half that the movie did to make the decision. Even today it would be an easy decision for me to make so that the ones I love so dearly would live. But I would not be so sure to do the same for anyone else, especially someone I didn’t know or even someone who I would consider an enemy.
It is Holy Week. The week we remember King Jesus willingly going to His trial and brutal death and being raised on the third day for the salvation of all who would believe in Him. As we observe this week, let us remember what Jesus did so for us because He loves us. He did so even when we were not His friend but His enemy. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Romans 5:10 .
What drove Jesus to lay His life down for His enemies was His love for His enemies, His enemies that would become His friends by what He accomplished on the cross and grave. As you go through this week, read through the accounts of Jesus’ last days. Consider the great suffering He endured on your behalf that is driven by great love. And as you do I pray our hearts are stirred to love Jesus more and this is evident in our lives of worship.
John 15:13
The movie John Q was released in 2002. The story centered around a man whose 9 year old son is in need of a heart transplant. When his father, played by Denzel Washington, discovers that a donor heart is unavailable, he takes the hospital emergency room hostage. In a last-ditch effort to save his son, he decides the only option he has is to take his own life, donating his heart so that his son can live.
It is a thrilling movie and I remember when I first watched it I concluded that I would probably do the same thing for my kids. In fact, it probably would not have taken me the hour and a half that the movie did to make the decision. Even today it would be an easy decision for me to make so that the ones I love so dearly would live. But I would not be so sure to do the same for anyone else, especially someone I didn’t know or even someone who I would consider an enemy.
It is Holy Week. The week we remember King Jesus willingly going to His trial and brutal death and being raised on the third day for the salvation of all who would believe in Him. As we observe this week, let us remember what Jesus did so for us because He loves us. He did so even when we were not His friend but His enemy. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Romans 5:10 .
What drove Jesus to lay His life down for His enemies was His love for His enemies, His enemies that would become His friends by what He accomplished on the cross and grave. As you go through this week, read through the accounts of Jesus’ last days. Consider the great suffering He endured on your behalf that is driven by great love. And as you do I pray our hearts are stirred to love Jesus more and this is evident in our lives of worship.
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