Who Did Jesus Die For?

It may be personal, but..

Have you ever considered just who Jesus died for? Something the churches often focus on is making it very personal and thinking about the fact that Jesus died for YOU. Making us consider the fact that Jesus’ sacrifice was for the very sins we as individuals have committed.  

I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me

Galatians 2 v 20

Jesus sacrifice is an incredibly personal thing, and it should touch us on a deep level. It should have an impact on us and change our lives for the better. 

Well that was unexpected

However, have you ever considered the OTHER people Jesus died for? When we think of a sacrifice made for US, it’s easy to quickly feel a sense of responsibility if we are so inclined. This would impact the way we live our lives and make our own choices take a different path. What is more difficult to prepare for and control is the impact that others choices will have on us.

When faced with disagreements, and people unwilling to even discuss a different way of looking at something, hate, hurt and pride can seep into our hearts. It becomes ‘us against them’ and it’s very easy to think I’m in the right and must stick to my guns no matter the consequences.

Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus died for your school bully, your boss at work, or our least favourite world leader? Christ did not just die for the ‘good’ in this world. Christ came to fix a broken world, full of broken people. 

Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.

Mark 2 v 17

The purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice was to allow a way to get closer to God. In the midst of conflict, this is a stark reminder that certainly brings me up short. This person who is causing such angst and heartache in life is STILL someone Christ chose to die for.  My very own saviour decided to give his life to save this person also.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. But God demonstrates is love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

Romans 5 v 7-8

No-one ever wins when the goal is to settle the score

This brings a new level of awareness to any conflict we feel and should soften any feelings of hate, distrust and anger. We may still not agree with the person’s point of view, politics or moral standpoint, but it needs to work on us and allow us to see them through a different lens. The lens of love that Christ embodied through his life and death.

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.

2 Corinthians 5 v 16

We are always going to experience conflict because we are human. However, before it destroys us, we must try to rethink our humanistic view of people and look at them as Christ did – worth dying for.

3 Comments

  1. Rachel Melhop 24th February 2019
    • Kat 28th February 2019
  2. Jon 2nd March 2019

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