By: Kandyse Carter
A man was hiking deep in the mountains when a sudden storm rolled in. The wind howled, rain poured, and soon, he lost his footing and plunged into a deep ravine. He tried to climb out, but the walls were too steep. He called for help, but no one could hear him. He was trapped—cold, injured, and hopeless.
Just when he thought all was lost, a light appeared above him. A rescuer had come, lowering himself into the ravine. But he didn’t just shout instructions from above…he climbed down, got into the mud with the man, and lifted him onto his own back. With great effort, he carried him out of the pit and back to safety.
This is what Jesus did for us. We were trapped in sin, unable to save ourselves. But instead of leaving us to perish, Jesus came down into our brokenness, took our burden upon Himself, and carried us back to life. He is always there in our darkest places, waiting for us to turn to Him and allow Him to carry us out.
This past week in our Bible reading, we covered Mark 14, where Jesus reveals to His disciples the immense weight of what He is about to endure. The NLT describes His anguish: “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.” Most of us will never experience suffering to that extent, and it’s hard to fathom the depth of His sacrifice. Imagine being the Father, hearing your Son pray, “Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
We will never fully comprehend the depth of God’s love—the love that sent Jesus to redeem us through His death and resurrection. He loved you so deeply that He could not imagine eternity without you and was willing to pay any price to secure your freedom. The cross was not just the price of redemption; it was the purest, most profound act of love ever displayed.
Jesus did not go to the cross unwillingly. In John 10:17-18, He makes this clear:"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." (NASB)
Yes, the Father sent Him, but Jesus also chose to die for us. He was not a helpless victim, He was God the Son, willingly laying down His life because He loved us and wanted to rescue us from the consequences of sin. That is the act of a loving God.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." – John 3:16
Please know this: your life was, is, and always will be worth that to God.