The Gift

How do you show someone unadulterated love? How do you give such an expression of genuine affection that there can be no doubt in the object’s mind about the depth of your care?

Generosity usually counts for something. Few would have misgivings about someone who gave them something free of cost, such as food, clothing, jewelry, or a song. When someone hand-picks or designs something with the desire to show affection, the gift is often received in like sentiment.

But everyone knows a gift can be manipulation.

Think of the flowers which said “I love you” but meant “Love me!”, the song with the chorus “I’ll never let you go” but meant “Don’t leave me!”, and the expensive jewelry which makes a break-up just that much more guilt-wrenching. Sometimes even the gratitude itself which we receive in return raises our own estimation of ourselves far too high, leaving that as our focus, rather than the joy with which the gift was received by our beloved one.

So how do you prove your love absolutely?

Ultimately, it comes down to this: giving a person your self.

Consider what Jesus says to his disciples only a few hours before he was murdered:

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
(John 15:12-13)

When you give your life up on someone else’s behalf, you have proven your love. True love is self-sacrificing.

I think that’s why we love dogs so much.

Ever wonder what’s so lovable about dogs?

I heard a story of a boy who had never cried at a funeral for a relative, but cried deeply and passionately when his first dog died. I can understand. Dogs (good ones, that is) are utterly faithful. If you love your dog, chances are high that you believe this animal would protect you to the point of its own death.

But a good dog doesn’t just die for its master. In fact, dogs seldom need to die in order to prove their love. They prove it by greeting you excitedly every time you come home, licking you excessively even when there is no apparent reason why, barking at all strangers who come within one-hundred feet of your home, and growling at any other animal, even their own kind, should they see it as a threat.

Make no mistake, the canine is stupid sometimes, but we call it “man’s best friend” because it tends to be more fully devoted to its human master than any other animal.

Back to Jesus.

This Good Friday, I just want to make a simple point, Jesus loves people more than anyone else.

Consider Paul’s epistle to the Romans,

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:6-

When Paul says we were “yet sinners”, his is only recapitulating his diatribe against the human condition from chapter 3, where he says “There is none who seeks for God…all have turned aside and together become useless…their feet are swift to shed blood…there is no fear of God before their eyes.” (3:10-1 We are not merely people who mess up. We are not merely weak. We are not merely wounded or broken. We are rebels with a cause. We have hated God and despised his influence on our lives.

Yet, “Christ died for us”.

He loved us before we knew him, and he died for us so that would would be reconciled to God. In his death, Paul says, we were, “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.” (3:24-25a)

What of all of my rebellion, hatred, and disobedience toward God? Jesus was the propitiation for it. God assaulted his son on our behalf, publicly, so that I could be guilt-free, justified completely in the divine presence.

If you love someone, you are willing to do whatever it takes to meet their greatest need.

He suffered and died in my place so I could be with him.

Jesus loves me, this I know.