This is a short devotion on Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Take a moment to reflect on the discussion questions at the end. Use this free devotion in your small groups or Sunday school class.
I was swinging on my back deck with my three year old daughter curled up, snug in my lap.
I am 35 weeks pregnant, and our swing is made for one.
Needless to say all (3) of us were very cozy.
Until a huge wasp starting flying around us.
My daughter squeezed onto me tighter and tighter, until finally, the flying-stinging creature flew away.
As she was clinging onto me, I instinctively covered her, with my body protecting hers.
I had a sudden flash back to when I was a little girl swinging outside in my mom’s lap…
I began to tell my daughter the story.
It was the exact same scenario as my daughter and I were in.
A mother and daughter, swinging together in fragrant spring air.
Unfortunately it was not just one lone wasp that came near my mother and I, but it was an entire swarm of them.
The swing had an unseen wasp nest built underneath it.
I don’t remember the wasps coming out, nor do I even remember the moment they were stinging me.
What I do remember is what my mother did.
She covered my body with hers, and then ran us both into the house.
I felt safe.
Covered from head to toe in wasp stings, my mom comforted me and rubbed baking soda all over the stings on my fragile body.
Christ’s Sacrifice
As I told a variation of this story to my own daughter (which did not include the part about me being terribly stung, but did include the part about my mother covering me up when wasps swarmed), I was instantly reminded of what Christ did for us on the cross.
He sacrificed his own body, his own self, to save us from pain.
Just like my mother sacrificed her body to protect mine, and just like I embraced my daughter to keep her from harm, Jesus did the same thing, but on an even greater scale, for you and me, and all of humanity.
See Related: Why Did Jesus Have To Die on The Cross?
Was I scared for my own body as I covered my daughter?
Yes.
But did that stop me?
Did that stop my love for her?
Of course not!
I can imagine that Jesus was probably scared too. But he still went to the cross!
We find evidence of this when Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.
He asks his Father God if there is any other way.
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
But ultimately there was no other way.
Jesus obeyed his Father, and willingly, and lovingly went to the cross.
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:4-6
Discussion Questions
- Have you ever made a physical sacrifice for someone that you love? What were your thoughts as this was taking place?
- Has there been a time when you were scared to follow God’s will for your life? Just as Jesus asked for another way, have you done the same thing? What happened after you obeyed God or disobeyed God?
- Thank Jesus today for his ultimate sacrifice for your sins.
