He was Happy to Die

Jamie told me recently about a conversation that she and Eden, our almost 3 year old, have almost daily.  It usually starts with a frowny little girl saying, "I'm sad that Jesus died on da cross." Then, she will brighten up as she states, "But He was happy to die."  Then, Jamie prompts her by asking, "Why was He happy to die?"  To which Eden replies, "Because He wants us to go to heaven to live with Him forever."  Little reminders like these make it easier to understand "unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3) It doesn’t make sense, does it? The perfect, all powerful God of heaven disrupted the ideal nature and the calm of His heavenly home to create…people. But, why? Why did He make us? Why does He love us? I have wondered how much I could possibly ever love a person who had helped cause the death of my child, yet God does just that. “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8) Even though He knew we would fail Him. He knew we would struggle to live like we love Him. He created us, and He sacrificed His ONLY Son for us.

            Love is the only answer that makes any sense…and even that idea stretches greatly my capacity for love. You see, we are made in the “image” of God. (Gen 1:26) He made us like Him in various ways. To fathom God’s desire to make me, I think back to my own desire to become a father. I certainly knew my children would, at some point, let me down. Even in their innocence, they don’t always make my life easier. But I chose fatherhood so that I could LOVE my children.

            This is the explanation that God gives for making and loving us unconditionally. “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, ..” (Heb 12:2) We are His joy. Providing us with a chance to be saved is what caused our Father in Heaven to create us, and it is precisely what held Him to the cross.  He truly was "happy to die."

           

 

----Darrell Powell