Our little group has been singing choruses, "Jesus is the sweetest name I know," etc. Beautiful!
But why is this so?
We answer glibly, "Because He died for us!" And that is true.
But what kind of death did He die? The kind that lasts only a weekend? The Father resurrected Him!
Anyone who has suffered the physical horror of crucifixion will rejoice just to sleep for a weekend.
But that was not the death that the Lord Jesus suffered.
He died the world's second death. Isaiah describes it, "He poured out His soul unto death" (Isaiah 53:12). Like when you turn a bottle upside down and drain every drop; Jesus chose to go to hell for us--that's what was involved when He died our "second death."
No, He did not die forever, for the Father resurrected Him after the third day. The apostle Peter rightly discerned that the grave could not hold Jesus, for He was innocent: "Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption" (Acts 2:27).
But He made the commitment to die for us forever!
And in the vast universe of God, the commitment is the deed.
When we are able to "comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love [agape] of Christ which passeth knowledge" (Ephesians 3:17-19), we can do nothing less than give ourselves to Him totally, and forever.
The motivation has not a trace of fear in it: it's heart gratitude for His agape-love.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
