He Did It Just for You

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” — John 20:29

When God entered time and became a man, He who was boundless became bound. Imprisoned in flesh. Restricted by weary-prone muscles and eyelids. For more than three decades, His once-limitless reach would be limited to the stretch of an arm, His speed checked to the pace of human feet.

Was He ever tempted to reclaim His boundlessness? In the middle of a long trip, did He ever consider transporting Himself to the next city? When the heat parched His lips, did He give thought to popping over to the Caribbean for some refreshment?

If ever He entertained such thoughts, He never gave in to them. Not once did Christ use His supernatural powers for personal comfort. With a wave of His hand, He could’ve boomeranged the spit of His accusers back into their faces. With an arch of His brow, He could’ve paralyzed the hand of the soldier as He braided the crown of thorns. But He didn’t.

Want to know the coolest thing about the coming?

Not that the One who played marbles with the stars gave it up to play marbles with marbles. Or that the One who hung the galaxies gave it up to hang doorjambs to the displeasure of a cranky client who wanted everything yesterday but couldn’t pay for anything until tomorrow.

Not that He, in an instant, went from needing nothing to needing air, food, a tub of hot water and salts for His tired feet, and, more than anything, needing somebody — anybody — who was more concerned about where he would spend eternity than where he would spend Friday’s paycheck.

Or that He resisted the urge to fry the two-bit, self-appointed hall monitors of holiness who dared suggest that He was doing the work of the devil.

Not that He kept his cool while the dozen best friends He ever had felt the heat and got out of the kitchen. Or that He gave no command to the angels who begged, “Just give the nod, Lord. One word and these demons will be deviled eggs.”

Not that He refused to defend Himself when blamed for every sin since Adam. Or that He stood silent as a million guilty verdicts echoed in the tribunal of Heaven and the giver of light was left in the chill of a sinner’s night.

Not even that after three days in a dark hole He stepped into the Easter sunrise with a smile and a swagger and a question for lowly Lucifer — “Is that your best punch?”

That was cool, incredibly cool.

But the coolest thing about the One who gave up the crown of Heaven for a crown of thorns:

He did it for you. Just for you.

Heavenly Father, I’m glad that I don’t have to understand all that Jesus did in order to believe because I really don’t understand this magnificent love. But I am so glad to believe in him, so glad he wore the crown of thorns for me. I want to live for you alone today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Excerpted with permission from On Calvary’s Hill by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

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Your Turn

HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! Happy Easter, friends! We are so thankful that we get to celebrate our risen Lord today! Aren’t you? He loves you! He died just for you! ~ Devotionals Daily