THANK GOD FOR WHAT JESUS DID FOR US!

What Jesus did for you and me was an incredible demonstration of genuine love. What Jesus did for us, we do not deserve. What He did for us was an act of grace. We could never repay the debt that we owe Him. But, we can (and should) be grateful for Him and His life-giving sacrifice! Not a day should pass without us expressing our thanks to God for what His Son has done on our behalf. "But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57). Jesus did some amazing things for us. Let us look at four actions that He took on our behalf. May the Bible’s message about Jesus ever thrill our souls!

First, for you and me Jesus CAME – He came from heaven to earth. He Himself said, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me" (John 6:38). In heaven Jesus shared in the glory of the Father "before the world was" (John 17:5), but He left heaven to come to earth. Why? ". . . Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). Let us admit it without shame: if Jesus had not come, we could not be saved from our sins. Consider some of the beautiful words of the song "He Still Came" [Songs of Faith and Praise (West Monroe, LA: Howard Publishing Co., Inc., 1994), no. 377]:

Yet the King of kings left heaven to become a lowly man,

He left all heaven’s glory to fulfill His Father’s plan.

He still came just for me, He still came.

Knowing all He would endure, He still came.

Disregarding every cost, from the manger to the cross,

He still came just for me, He still came.

Second, for you and me Jesus WENT – He went to the cross. When the mob came to take Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, He could have called "twelve legions of angels" to protect Himself (Matthew 26:53), but He didn’t [Note: 1 legion = 6000, so 12 legions would have been 72,000]. Jesus had the power to run away from the interrogations of the Jewish council, Pilate, and Herod, but He chose not to do so. Instead, He endured mockery, physical and mental torture, and with the help of Simon carried His cross "to the place which is called Calvary; there they crucified him" (Luke 23:33). Why did our loving Lord go to the cross when He could have avoided it? The Bible’s answer is plain: "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24). If Jesus had not gone to the cross, we would still be hopelessly lost!

Third, for you and me Jesus STAYED – He stayed on the cross. After He was crucified, He hung on the cross for six hours (Mark 15:25,34-37). While He was still hanging there, some mockingly spoke these words of blasphemy: "Save thyself, and come down from the cross . . . He saved others; himself he cannot save" (Mark 15:30,31). Did Jesus have the power to come down from the cross? Of course, He did! But, He stayed right there until the end. Why? Because of His great love for us, and because He knew that in God’s plan His death was a necessity.

Fourth, for you and me Jesus RETURNED – He returned to heaven, where He sat down at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19). He went "into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:24). Upon His return to heaven He was given "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom" (Daniel 7:13,14). There He "ever liveth to make intercession for us" (Hebrew 7:25).

Do you not see these four great actions of Jesus that He carried out for our salvation?! For you and me Jesus Came, Went, Stayed, and Returned. May we always be grateful for His gracious sacrifice and work on our behalf. We show our gratitude by faithfully serving Him.

By Roger D. Campbell

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