Guest Post by Kathryn Forrest

The Biggest Sacrifice

By Kathryn Forrest

Comfort zone is the term used to describe being in a state of comfort in your surroundings and/or with your tasks. Being in your comfort zone is relaxing and feels good; leaving it is a decision that isn’t usually made. On the rare occasions where we do leave our comfort zones, there is almost always a good cause motivating us.

For example, you’re working on a group project in school and your team has divided the tasks equally between teammates. The due date is tomorrow. One of your partners comes up to you and asks if you could do their part because a family member recently passed away and they couldn’t do their job. This is a situation that is out of your comfort zone, but helping your team-mate would be the right thing to do. After all, their situation isn’t their fault. So, you would most likely leave your comfort zone by adding a little weight onto your shoulders.

Now, let’s look at this scenario. You’re in the same situation school wise, but this time your teammate asks if you can do their part of the work because they simply didn’t have enough time to finish it. Your teacher had previously given you time to work on your project in class and this person had wasted their time on social media and you know it. Would you leave your comfort zone for them? Jesus would. For all of them, for all of us.
  
We are all sinners, meaning we all make mistakes. No matter how good you are, your bad will always outweigh your good. God is good, He is perfect and has never failed. His perfect nature causes Him to be separate from us, but God didn’t let our sin get in His way. His love for us is unconditional and that means He will do anything to end the separation.
Jesus is God’s only son and is a part of God through the Trinity. God loves His Son and He loves us as well. So, God sent Jesus to our imperfect sinful planet with a plan in mind. God became flesh and left His heavenly comfort zone.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Jesus was born in a place far from royalty: a stable. His cradle was a feeding troth. He was born to a carpenter in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth. These places were under roman rule, and sometimes the Romans could be quite harsh. Our Prince of Peace wasn’t exactly welcomed with the royal treatment.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7b

Growing up, young Jesus had to resist many temptations just like other humans. Although He reigned over us, He was on our turf, which meant that the Devil had access to Him. In order to fulfill God’s plan, Jesus had to resist even the smallest temptations, some that might be unrecognizable to man. Sinning was against Jesus’ nature, but was part a part of it at the same time because of His human qualities.

At this point, Satan was probably well aware that God had a plan on the go because His own Son was on Earth physically. Satan, being God’s enemy, had to make an attempt at making Jesus fail His mission. Satan was unable to do so, but made Jesus suffer anyway. Satan tempted Jesus at several occasions and would even show up to Jesus directly. In one case, the Devil tempted Jesus while He was fasting. Jesus was weak physically and was extremely hungry.

Then Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Matthew 4:1-3

Satan tried to use Jesus’ earthly desires to his advantage and failed. Jesus resisted to all temptations clinging tightly to the Word of His Father.

I can just imagine the worldly reaction to Jesus’ unworldliness. The carpenter’s son who never took risks and was just too good, could that have been the world view? As Jesus grew older the pressure from His peers was probably much harder on Him than pressure will ever be on us.

Jesus Christ’s mission was also to love us, to care for us, to protect us, to teach us, and to guide us during His stay on Earth. Plus, He had to fend off the Pharisees, who were planning His death at the time. Jesus had to do all these things for the people, and did them willingly even though He could see the people’s hearts, minds, and deepest regrets. He knew all these things and still went through with the plan.

Then came the crucifixion. Jesus knew it was coming and emotional pain would be inflicted upon Him. On top of that was the spiritual aspect, our sin. He would pay the penalty for our sin and would conquer death to save us from it. Now, Jesus wanted us to be sin-free and forgiven, but His earthly self did not want to go through that torture.

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, as you will.” Matthew 29:39

What Jesus prayed in this verse was that the plan could be changed because He did not want to die. But, in the end, He knew that God was greater and that His Father’s plan would succeed.

Next came the torture. First of all, Jesus was betrayed by a friend who cared only for money. Then, He went on trial as Peter, another disciple, denied knowing Jesus three times in a row. Jesus had gone before many important men for many trials all without getting angry, the Devil was on the move.

Then, a crowd shouted for His crucifixion. Crucifixion was an intense, roman method of punishment that involved nails being driven through your hands and feet and rubbing against your bones. These nails were the only support you had as you hung on a cross for several hours, even days, craving death as a crowd scorned you. This was what Jesus was condemned to. But before death, Jesus was mocked by Roman soldiers. He stood there as they tore His clothes, whipped Him, and placed a crown of thorns on His head. After this, He could barely even hold His cross. All this punishment was inflicted on an undeserving man. The mocking continued as He hung on the cross and His mother and other women He had helped throughout His life were weeping at His feet.

They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. Matthew 27:30-31

Well, there’s most of the bad stuff, although I’m sure Jesus’ life was much worse by our standards than I just described it. That isn’t the end of Jesus, though. After being placed in a tomb, Jesus rose again three days later and completed His mission, His plan to free us from sin and death so that we could live forever in paradise with Him. An undeserving man was tortured so that we, undeserving men, could have a purpose through Him. Isn’t that great!? Jesus loves us SOOOOO much!

Yet, we are still ignorant, we are selfish, we are liars, and the list goes on. No matter how many times we fail, He will forgive us. We don’t have to be labeled by our sin. At the beginning of the post, each of your teammates was labeled, the first one was a good worker, and the second had bad habits. Through Christ, we can have many labels: free, loved, saved, adored, adopted, forgiven, etc. Isn’t Jesus the best?! He is my Savior and He can be yours too. All you have to do is believe. After all Christ has done for you (YES YOU) shouldn’t you pay Him back? Obviously, it is impossible to do so, but serving Him and loving Him is all God needs in return. We must dedicate our ENTIRE lives to God. Jesus left His comfort zone for you, will you leave yours for Him?

For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for just a person – though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! Romans 5:6-8