This Jesus

"...I will turn their mourning into joy; 

I will comfort them, 

and give them gladness for sorrow." 

- Jeremiah 31:13 -

As I meditate on this verse, there is one thing that I am reminded of. To think that He subjected Himself to the deepest of sorrows, the darkest of mourning, that we may know joy and comfort and gladness. It seems that for true worship to spur forth from our lips, our hearts must understand that this "free gift" was not free for everyone. Someone paid a price, and that price was death. The cost of our gift--God Himself abiding with us--was death. Either we would pay or He would. Do we realize what it is that He's done for us? What great love this must be to pay a price such as this for a people that would not love Him back. 

This Jesus lived on earth as a servant, taking the lowliest of positions in washing his followers' and friends' feet caked in dust.

This Jesus, Himself fully God, Creator of earth, of oceans and mountains, sunsets and starry nights, also took such intricate manners to form you and me. He knows the number of hairs on our heads and every though of our hearts.

This Jesus, that knows us so intimately left His kingly throne with its power and majesty, and came to earth in the form of an infant. A baby that cries and poops and burps and is completely dependent on his caregiver.

He grew to adulthood and raised men from the dead, gave sight to the blind, and healed the lame. He lived a perfect, innocent life, only to be betrayed by a friend. A friend who accepted money to lead this Jesus to His very death. The unthinkable is in Jesus' ability to simply speak a single word and stop the madness, yet He spoke not a word.

He was beaten unrecognizable, mocked and spit on, and drug up a hill to have nails driven through his hands and feet and hung on a cross between criminals. There, he died. But, oh, it was not in vain. He was buried in a borrowed tomb, and walked out of it alive three days later.

Rising from the grave, He defeated death, the same death that gave us life. It was the only way we could ever love Him. Our very Father in heaven, sending this Jesus, paid our price that we may see Him someday. He died to save us from Hell, and the burden of sin. He set us free, and we are free indeed!! Called the bride of Christ, in a marriage covenant.

And one day, He's coming back in the clouds to take His bride with Him. What a glorious day when we can see Him face to face--gaze into His eyes, fall at His feet, and weep for joy. When we can finally praise Him unreserved and unrestrained.

We will come running past the gates of Heaven and into God's open arms, and on that glorious day, He will say, "Welcome Home, my child, welcome Home."

 May we remember His amazing love, and decide that we will love Him back.