The deep, deep love of Jesus

The floormat on my car had layer upon layer of crusty dirt. A winter’s accumulation of sand and snow will do that. I pried it from the car floor. I wondered, could I ever get it clean? Should I toss it and get a new one? I considered it. But the habits of my “use-it-up and wear-it-out” childhood kicked in, so I gathered supplies for scrubbing.

With a scrubbing brush, dish soap, and a good rinse from the hose, it came clean. A spray of Armorall polished it up, and the mat once again shined like new. How could I have considered tossing it just because it was dirty?

Have you ever felt like maybe you’re too far gone to save? Or like maybe you should give up on God? Maybe Jesus feels too far away, or the gift of repentance seems too improbable. Maybe you think it would be easier to duck your head in shame and shuffle along in weariness. Maybe you don't want to acknowledge your mistakes to God. Maybe your life is just too hard--all the time.

“Jesus is exactly what you need him to be,” a wise woman recently taught me. I have found it to be true, but why? Is it because we imagine Him to be so? Is it because He morphs and changes to please us?

After His Resurrection and ascension into Heaven, Jesus declared to his apostles, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (KJV Matthew 28:18). In “The Living Christ,” Jesus's power is described as “infinite.” This is how Jesus can meet us wherever we are and help us however we need. It is because of His infinite power.

But preparing to have this infinite power came at great cost. Jesus “drank” what He himself—God’s only, perfect Son–—called “the bitter cup.” He suffered, he bled, he was scourged, ridiculed, and hung to die on a cross among thieves. The very people to whom He had come to offer everlasting life chanted, “Crucify Him!” Two of his apostles denied him, and at the end, God, His Father, withdrew His Spirit from Jesus, leaving Jesus to suffer the full weight of our eternal salvation alone. But in spite of the crushing suffering, Jesus never wavered. He bore it all, until His offering for our sins was completely finished.

His Resurrection on the third day completed His Sacrifice for all humankind. Being the son of Mary, part mortal, He suffered physically beyond our comprehension, and died. Being the Son of God, He had the power of Resurrection. Jesus taught, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (KJV John 10:18).

So what does Jesus do with this mighty power He obtained at such great cost?

He helps us. He heals us. He strengthens us. He gives us joy, peace, and hope. He transforms us. Our repentance and change through His power brings him great joy! (See Doctrine and Covenants 18:13). He loves us! Because Jesus overcame everything, He is exactly what we need him to be.

Samuel Trevor Francis captured the magnitude of Jesus's sustaining power in the early 1900's in his hymn: “Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus— Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free— Rolling as a mighty ocean In its fullness over me! Underneath me, all around me Is the current of His love— Leading onward, leading homeward To His glorious rest above.”

I love the way the prophet Russell M. Nelson puts it: “There is no limit to the Savior’s capacity to help you…. Jesus Christ took upon Himself your sins, your pains, your heartaches, and your infirmities. You do not have to bear them alone! He will forgive you as you repent. He will bless you with what you need. He will heal your wounded soul. As you yoke yourself to Him, your burdens will feel lighter.”

Nelson also said, “When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.”

My friends, Jesus is there for you, with His mighty power. He paid the supreme price…for you. His gifts are “Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free”…. for you. Look up! Kneel down! You don’t have to muddle through life alone. Jesus will help you.

Beth Wright is a long-time Mat Su gal, mother, grandmother, and happily married wife. She loves the good people in this valley, and is enjoying the early Spring. She is thankful to belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.