Jesus Loves Us

Jeremiah 31:3 “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you”

I assume all of you know that God loves you. The question is, how do you know that He loves you? Have you really experienced God’s love for you? Or is it because everybody say so?

To be honest, at the first place, I was kind of the third one. I knew that God loves me because everybody say so. I have attended catholic school since I was in kindergarten and been told that God loves us ever since. Until one day, when I started to attend church services in Melbourne. Since then, I am starting to understand lots of things regarding Jesus there, have an encounter with God himself, including His love.

If you haven’t experienced God’s love for you yourself, I pray that mah Holy Spirit reveal how great is God's love for us that you will start to understand and experience the immeasurable, unchanging and eternal love of God.

Take an illustration of a switchman (a railroad employee who operates switches). A switchman takes along his son with him in switching the railway for the train so that the train will go to the right direction. The switchman is doing his job well until it is found that his son got stuck in the railway. Unfortunately, the train is coming and he got no time to switch the railway to release his son and to switch it back again to the right way for the train to go. Anyway, the other way leads to a dead end. Thus, the switchman can either save his son or the train with the whole passenger. Which one does he finally choose?

The switchman leaves his son got stuck there, watching him being crushed by the train to death. He would rather to lose his son than save him and let the whole people in the train die. Further, the passenger of the train doesn’t know what the switchman has done for them and they are smoking, chatting, eating and drinking as nothing happened. It is very ironic, isn’t it?

There is other illustration similar to this posted in youtube. Honestly, that is where I got inspiration to write such illustration above ;p Here is the link if you guys want to watch it and I do wish that you will watch. It is a really touching story somehow :’)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oZYi1j_Z8g

Anyway, let’s go back to the topic. Don’t you know? The passenger represents us as sinful ones. The switchman is God Himself and the son is Jesus. God let Jesus die to save us. Save us from what? From sin. For He hates sin so much. Jesus was sent to this earth to bear all of our sin and died on the cross for us. Why did Jesus have to die? Why didn’t God just forgive us then?

Well, it doesn’t work that way. Take an example of us as human beings. When we feel angry because of one of our friends, we need to release that angriness. Believe it or not, u cannot just forgive him/her right away. You will somehow release your emotion either by scolding your friend, telling your other friends how s/he really makes you angry, crying or even just staying away from him/her. Whatever action you took to get rid of your angriness is called propitiation. What we do is the same as God as we are created in His image (Genesis 1:27).

The bible said, “For THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Thus, to restore our relationship with God, the propitiation for our sin is death. Meaning, if we do something that doesn’t please God, which is a sin, we will be punished to death, both spiritually and physically.

Fortunately, our God is soo sooo good to us and most importantly, loves us very very much that He cannot stand the fact that all of us will be sent to eternal punishment. That is why He sent the most precious one for us. His one and only son, the most beloved one, Jesus. How many of you will be willingly send your own child for people who don’t even know you? I bet none of you will do that and neither do I.

John 3:16 ““For GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

1 John 4:10 “In this love, not that we loved God, but THAT HE LOVED US AND SENT HIS SON TO BE THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SIN”

He sent Jesus to this earth and died on the cross so that we will be freed from sin. Jesus is the one who has taken up our punishment so that we will not be punished anymore.

Also, my pastor gave a really good illustration regarding how great is Jesus’ love for us.

One day, there is a man who wants to arrange a big party. He asks to his chicken and pig.

Man: “Hey, I’m going to make a huge party tonight. Will you contribute something for this party?”
Chicken: “Yeah sure! You can take my eggs as many as you want”
Man: “How about you, pig?”
Pig: “I am really sorry, sir. I don’t think I could produce any eggs like the chicken does, but you are welcome to cut me off and cook my meat for the party”
Man: “Thank you very much guys! You are the best!”

The man takes the eggs then cuts the pig and cooks them until they becomes very delicious egg and pork dishes. The party goes rousing until it comes the moment when the party is running out of food, then the man asks the chicken and pig for solution.

Man: “Hey, we are running out of food. What should I do?”
Chicken: “Don’t worry sir, I will produce more eggs for you”
Man: “How about you, pig?..... Pig?...... Pig?!!”

Obviously the pig won’t answer him. The pig is dead already. The pig gave its life for the man. What more could the man ask for from the pig? The pig has given him all the pig could.

Thus, if any of you have been complaining about your wants that haven’t been granted and then doubting God’s love for you, think again. For He has given you all that He could give.

Or if there is any of you feel that you are lack of love. Love from your parents, partner, friend or anything. There is someone who is willing to die for you. His name is Jesus. He loves you more than anything. His love is unfailing, everlasting and faithful. You have been received the greatest love from Him :)

Ohh!! And one more thing. I found a really touching video regarding God’s love recently, please spare your time to watch this :p
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er1Kw8bk-M0&feature=related

God bless you guys :)

NB: here is the indonesian translations of the verses mentioned above

Propritiation: Pendamaian

Yeremia 31:3 “Aku mengasihi engkau dengan kasih yang kekal, sebab itu Aku melanjutkan kasih setia-Ku kepadamu.”

Kejadian 1:27 “Maka Allah menciptakan manusia itu menurut gambar-Nya, menurut gambar Allah diciptakan-Nya dia; laki-laki dan perempuan diciptakan-Nya mereka.”

Yohanes 3:16 “Karena begitu besar kasih Allah akan dunia ini, sehingga Ia telah mengaruniakan Anak-Nya yang tunggal, supaya setiap orang yang percaya kepada-Nya tidak binasa, melainkan beroleh hidup yang kekal.”

1 Yohanes 4:10 “Inilah kasih itu: Bukan kita yang telah mengasihi Allah, tetapi Allah yang telah mengasihi kita dan yang telah mengutus Anak-Nya sebagai pendamaian bagi dosa-dosa kita.”

Roma 6:23 “Sebab upah dosa ialah maut; tetapi karunia Allah ialah hidup yang kekal dalam Kristus Yesus, Tuhan kita.”