The Heart of Jesus' Death
Day 23
by Gini Crawford, MSW
God's kindness and patience
Kindness and patience are two characteristics that are a must to be loving, and of course God has them. A kind person is one who is loving, good-natured, gentle, helps others, forgives and is gracious. A patient person is one who is not prone to hasty anger or judgement, has self-restraint, endures patiently, puts up with things that don't go their way and doesn't avenge himself. Just think of a person who isn't kind or patient, they aren't very pleasant to be around to put it mildly.
God is kind and patient, and Jesus Christ is proof of that. Just think of the stories in the Gospels and how Jesus lived out kindness and patience. Even as He died He was kind to the people around Him and He patiently took God's wrath for us. Remember as God, He could have stopped His suffering at any time. Yes, God's patience and kindness went to the cross for us, so we could have His kindness now and throughout eternity.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 ESV®
A family lived in an extremely poor area, so it was not unusual for them out of kindness to go without some food so they could give their neighbors some, even the unpleasant ones. As their children grew the parents patiently taught them about the God Who out of kindness died for their sins. Do you share with others the kindness God has shown to you? (Micah 6:8).
Forbearance of God
Because of God's love towards us, throughout history God has held back His righteous and just anger against us. Romans chapter three discusses how God, because of His righteousness and justice, couldn't simply forget the punishment for sins committed. But, in forbearance God waited until the ordained time when His righteous and just wrath against sins would be satisfied by Jesus' sacrifice. This allowed God to be just and the justifier of us at the same time. Jesus' death on the cross was a real event in history which stands over all history to cover the sins of the people who have faith in Him.
... Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:24b-26 ESV®
Jesus was God's propitiation. This means that Jesus was the sacrifice that satisfied God's wrath for us, and by doing so carried out His righteousness and justice, and changed God's anger against us to favor. Remember, God is One, so in reality our triune God took His own wrath and punishment against our sin, to appease His own justice and righteousness. Do you see that faith in Jesus allows His sacrifice to be yours? That is sacrificial love at its most fierce strength, isn't it?
Life Application
God waits for us to find Him
Even though you may not know God, He loves you. You are never out of His thoughts or sight. His kindness patiently waits for you to know Him. He pursues you to turn to Jesus, so you won't perish but will have guaranteed eternal life. (Psalm 139:7-10; Isaiah 30:18-19). God loves you with an unfailing kindness that is endlessly patient, doesn't He?
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”/ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. / Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? / This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth ... / The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. Ezekiel 18:32; John 3:16; Romans 2:4; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; 2 Peter 3:9 ESV®
Repentance is a change of mind/heart towards God and what He wants. It's a turning from sin to God. When you repent, you are changing from a self-centered life to a God centered life. The word perish in these verses mean eternal death.
God lovingly waits for us: A woman had been looking for the meaning of life and thought she had found it in the new age movement. This woman came by my house in New Mexico decades ago to drop something off. I asked her in, but she stated she was heading to the power vortex of the universe in Sedona, AZ. I didn’t know what to say to that because God is the power of the universe, so I prayed. Her daughter, a friend of mine had been sharing with her mom for many years that the truth about the universe is found in Jesus Christ and His Word. As the years went on she listened to her daughter and found the true purpose of life in Jesus Christ. Her daughter added the rest of the story for me: In my mom's last years as her mind began to fail her, she wore a large cross, often holding it tightly in her hand. When asked why, she replied, "So I will remember what is important." The cross of Jesus, reminded her that "He carried in his own body on the cross the sins we committed. He did this that we might live in righteousness, having nothing to do with sin." (1 Peter 2:24-25).
As you awaken each morning, remember, God loved you so much He patiently waited for you to believe in Him. He died to be able to show you His kindness. So seek Him with hopeful anticipation. Invite Him to walk with you not only through the difficulties of life when you are desperate for His help, but also through the good times when you tend to forget Him. Confidently pray to God Who loves you so much He died so you could be with Him. Read Titus 3:4-7; 2 Peter 3:9. What has God's kindness done for you? Why are you glad God is patient?
Reflect on 2 Peter 3:9.