If Jesus willingly died for me, will I willingly live for Him?

This Sunday begins the observance of Holy Week 2021. Following Palm Sunday worship many Christians will observe Jesus’ last supper on Maundy Thursday, and remember His death on Good Friday, preparing to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday. But, I’m convinced that many followers of Jesus have heard the story of our Lord’s suffering and death so often that we have become numb to the depth of the love of God.

Perhaps I can illustrate this point in the following way. Last Saturday I attended a funeral for Pastor Alan Struckmeyer. Pastor Struckmeyer was an especially effective pastor at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL. Last February I attended a pastors meeting with him, as I had at other times when visiting our family and friends in Florida. His congregation is only 2 miles from our place in Gainesville. When I returned to Alaska last May, another pastor contacted me informing me that Pastor Struckmeyer had a brain tumor. Pastor Alan, as he was called by his people, was only 62 years old and deeply loved by his congregation. But he died from cancer on March 18, 2021. There were many who wondered the same question asked in the sermon. “Why was a young, effective, faithful pastor struck down in the prime of his life and ministry” We only trust that God is wiser than we are. We are thankful Pastor Struckmeyer is with our Lord in heaven.

But, Pastor Struckmeyer did not choose to die. Cancer killed him. He would willingly have kept living and kept serving if he could have done so. Jesus is just the opposite. God’s Son willingly came to earth expecting to lay down His life for you and me. We often miss the enormity of this great, sacrificial, gift of love, because we have heard it so often. We miss the depth of God’s love because we know Jesus, the Son of God Himself, came to this earth to die for us.

Listen to what Jesus Himself says in the Good Shepherd chapter, John 10. “11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . 14 I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. . . 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10, 11, 14-15, 17-18) Did you hear what Jesus says about His life and death? He suffered injustice, cruelty, violence, and murder. But, knowing that we needed saving, Jesus taught the people then and teaches us today, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”

The depth of Jesus’ love struck St. Paul personally and he shared the surprise of that willing sacrifice with the Christians in Rome. God inspired Paul to write to those believers, “6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8) Jesus did not die because we deserved God’s love, but because we were lost unless Jesus paid the price for our sins. Jesus died for us, “while we were still sinners.”(See also John 3:16-17)

Such a great gift and willing sacrifice also speaks to Christians about how we are to live. In His letter to the Christians of the dispersion, Peter wrote, 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:17-18) The Christian life includes suffering, as do the lives of all who live in this sinful world. But, because we know the ugly fact of sin in our lives and in the world, and because we know the willing, saving, sacrificial love of Jesus, we can face the trials of life in faith and in love. We know Jesus has forgiven our sins in His death, and He saved us for eternal life by His rising. Therefore, following Jesus, we pick up our crosses and follow Him, (Mark 8:34)

This Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday, the beginning of Jesus’ last week before His brutal crucifixion. As we watch Jesus’ fateful journey to the cross and realize that He knew His suffering and death was coming, and when see Jesus suffer and observe His the loving actions toward His disciples and toward others around Him, then Holy Week worship can feed our souls and strengthen our faith. Imagine, God loved ME so much that Jesus willingly laid down His life for me!

The application to our lives is simple: If Jesus willingly died for me, will I willingly live for Him?