God's sacrifice in planning for our salvation was set in motion in eternity past. There was never a moment when God did not purpose in His love to make the ultimate sacrifice for us. He planned to leave heaven's glory, beauty, and peace and take on the body of a man. You and I, who are not even worthy to call on His name, are so loved that we were always on His mind!
Just before His betrayal, Jesus enjoyed the Passover meal with His disciples. His intentions during the Last Supper were to show his disciples "the full extent of His love" (John 13:1). First, Jesus had a meal of fellowship, then He washed His disciples' feet.
As the Lord washed Peter's feet, Peter proclaimed,
"'I'm ready to die for you.' Jesus answered, 'Die for Me? I tell you the truth, Peter, before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know Me'" (John 13:38).
That is exactly what Peter did. During Christ's darkest hours, Peter turned his back on his Lord. As the soldiers bound and dragged Jesus through the crowd, Jesus caught Peter's eye. His look seemed to say, "Peter, I know you feel badly for what you have done. Please know that I still love you."
When we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, God envelops and infuses us with His everlasting love. John recognized this and exclaimed in 1 John 3:1, "See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!" This love will never change.
Your View of God Really Matters ...
A great many people have chosen to follow Jesus because they saw or experienced God's love through the lives of Christians. Do you know someone who needs to see God's love? Look for ways to demonstrate God's unselfish love to that person.
Learn more about God’s character at Discover God, by Bright Media Foundation, an affiliate of Cru.
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Bright Media Foundation is an affiliate of Cru.
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