40 Days of Easter 2011 Devotional April 17, 2011

40 Days of Easter - April 17, 2011

Written by: Karen Shoulders

LOVE KEPT HIM THERE
Matthew 27: 38-44

Focus Verse
Matthew 27:42 He saved others: himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

As parents, it is our nature to protect our children. Anything that negatively affects our children is of the utmost concern to us. I would defend my children more quickly than I would defend myself. It would be far too difficult to watch my child suffer in place of others and remain quiet. How difficult it must have been for God to watch what the people were doing to His Son. He fully knew the price that Jesus was paying for sins that were never His own.

Jesus is the Son of God, and He always obeys the will of the Father. Jesus stayed up on that cross because of the love He has for us. When I think about how much He must love us to do such a thing, I can't imagine having that kind of love for an entire world. How easy it would have been to come down and show the scorners who He was and what He could do. He remained on that old cross. He stayed there for all of us.

I know His love for me exists because of what I have experienced through salvation. I know Jesus' love is similar to the love I have for my two boys. Yet it is so much more; His love is big enough to save each one of us. This price was paid so that we would become joint heirs in the kingdom of God. What a Wonderful God we serve!

Questions
How can I show love when others don't show me love?
How can I share His love with those who don't know Him?
Can I learn to stop defending my actions and just be who I need to be?

Prayer
Dear Lord - Help us to remember the price You paid on the cross. Help us to remember that You loved us enough to stay there when You didn't have to stay. Help us to make the right choices daily. Guild our decisions; help us to make the choices You would have us make. Amen.