Why do you love Jesus? Don’t say, “Because of all He has done for me.” That’s lazy and robs us of dwelling on how awesome He is, as well as robs Him of the glory He is due. Remember, each of us has sinned and fallen short of God’s standard of perfection (Romans 3:23). If we die in our sins, our eternal destiny is Hell (Romans 6:23; Matthew 25:41).
Unable to save ourselves, we are helpless and lost. We need a savior and Jesus is that Savior. Because of our sin, we deserve to suffer the wrath of God, but Jesus chose to suffer in our place. He chose to die on the cross, enduring our shame, and spilling His blood as a sacrifice for the debt we could never pay. This is Jesus. His death gives hope to the hopeless.
By His resurrection, Jesus overcame death, the most powerful and inescapable foe of all. The power of Christ’s blood absolves all the guilt, shame, and despair that sin causes us to feel. Sin’s power holds no sway over us because His blood overrules the deadly consequences of that sin. Every sin we ever committed and will ever commit is forgiven by His sacrifice. God blots out the record of our sin from His book of judgment (Isaiah 44:22). We are free (John 8:36). We are clean. At the foot of the cross and in the light of the empty tomb, there is forgiveness. This is Jesus. His sacrifice pardons our guilt.
Since birth, sin has been our master. It slithers and entangles itself in every area of our lives. Each of us neglects the things we should do in honor of Christ and does the things we do not want to do (Romans 7:15). Though forgiven, sin’s pursuit of us is relentless. Try as we might in our own strength, we cannot break loose. In the name of Jesus, though, there is enormous power, power enough to obliterate the stranglehold of sin (1 John 3:5; Acts 4:12). Satan is no match for Christ (Philippians 2:9-11; 1 John 3:8). Sin is no match for the cleansing blood pouring from the cross into all of history. This is Jesus. He sets the captives free.
We live in the darkest of days. Some say the world has never been more evil and out of control. Whether or not these are the worst of times, there can be no doubt they are terrible. The darkness of sin is everywhere you look. Worse yet, the sins that once brought shame are the very things we now celebrate. Society praises wickedness and mocks goodness. Common decency is a relic of the past. Out of the darkness, a light yet shines. This is Jesus. He gives sight to the blind, rest to the weary, and peace to the troubled heart (John 9:39; Luke 4:18; Matthew 11:28-30; Philippians 4:6-7). There is no one like Him. Give Him the praise, glory, and honor He deserves today. Still your heart and marvel at our King. This is Jesus, our Savior and Lord.