Why Did Jesus Die?
Myth: Jesus Died to Appease the Father
Rachel wasn't even 25 but she had been in jail
and through rehab more times than she cared to admit.
Her father had cashed in his retirement, lost his savings and re-mortgaged his home to get Rachel clean.
Time after time, with hope in his heart, he watched as she left the security he provided and went back to the streets.
One day his heart was breaking
as he looked out the window of his office,
he wondered how his daughter
was faring down on the streets below.
That was the day he made the decision
to take a leave from his job.
His plan was to walk the city until he found his daughter.
He would never force Rachel to stay with him,
but he would just go
where he might see her and offer her lunch.
Then if she needed anything, he would take her shopping.
If she needed a dentist he would get her teeth fixed.
Nothing would be too much to make his daughter safe.
The beauty is that his plan actually worked.
It wasn't long before he found Rachel,
hungry and cold, so she willingly accepted
his kind offer to buy her a new coat.
Day after day, he bought her lunch.
Over these lunches,
they had conversations they never would have had
if he had stayed at his job on the 57th floor
while Rachel was combing the streets.
One day, he offered Rachel his keys.
He promised if she would come home
that he would pay once again for her rehab.
He figured he could cash in his retirement.
Throughout their recent contact,
Rachel had begun to realize how much her dad loved her.
Before, when she had gone to rehab,
it had been just to get her driver's license back.
This time she felt loved and worthy of a better life.
Rachel agreed to the idea,
but she still had one problem.
She owed someone money.
If she left today, he would probably try to kill her.
She knew he'd killed others and she was scared.
The father knew there was nothing
that he wouldn't do for his little girl,
so he handed her the keys,
"If I'm not back in an hour, call the cops."
Then he went to bargain for His daughter.
As Rachel waited in the car,
she began to fear the worst.
Finally, she saw that familiar form walking toward her.
It caused her heart to soar.
Oh how her father's smile warmed her heart.
No one but her dad could do that for her!
Then suddenly, out of nowhere,
a black car struck him down.
Rachel screamed as she recognized the vehicle,
but it was too late.
She ran to his side to comfort him
While sirens blared and an ambulance pulled up.
Her heart sank as she watched
the ambulance driver shake his head.
"Not another hit and run," He said.
Rachel was stunned and in shock.
She knew this was no random act,
the person who did this knew what he was doing.
How could he kill someone so full of love?
Her heart broke as she remembered her father's keys.
Slowly, she walked toward the car
and turned on the ignition.
Rachel sat there for what seemed like hours
with her head in her hands.
Will Rachel take the keys and get cleaned up?
Or will she go back to her old lifestyle?
Does this story seem a little familiar?
God knew He couldn't reach us from heaven.
So He took a break and came down to live among us.
Walking with us, He filled our needs.
But His greatest desire was for us to trust Him
and allow Him to bring us to safety.
Just as Rachel's father paid the ultimate cost
for her wrong choices,
Jesus has paid an enormous cost for each of us.
The cost of God saving His children
was whatever it took to get us back.
God Himself did not demanded the ransom-
no, the wages of sin is death.
It is sin itself that calls for the ransom,
because sin is the unhealthy condition
of living apart from God.
Sin is so very expensive that it cost
Jesus His life to win us back to God.
For all of eternity,
Jesus will wear His divinity clothed with our humanity.
It is part of the price He paid to get us rehabilitated
so He could bring us home to safety.
Every one of us is a sin addict, headed for death,
but Jesus is offering us a better deal than sin.
The question is how many of us will believe Him
and come clean so that we can be safe
to live with others and God for eternity?
Jesus, Why Are You Worthy?
Someone told me You are worthy because
the Father needed Your blood to forgive me.
But if it was a payment that God desired,
How would that show forgiveness?
And what about all the sinners You forgave
Even before You spilled Your blood?
Others tell me that You are worthy
Because You showed us what God is really like.
That is certainly true, but there must be more.
I do see how You showed us what God is like.
I read how You were misunderstood.
I saw how they slandered and hunted You.
They described how the cruelest punishments
Were put upon You and You simply allowed it.
I saw where You comforted the thief beside You.
Then asked someone to watch over Your mother.
How they taunted You and called out for You
To save Yourself,
But You did not.
A wise man once said,
It is not the power a man wields
But what he does with his power
That shows his true character.
Perhaps the same could be said of a God.
Now I know why You are worthy Jesus!
You had all power in heaven and on earth;
Yet You endured human ignorance and hate.
And allowed the created to kill their Creator.
Yes Jesus, now I know why You are so worthy!
You are worthy because
You are so unselfish and so loving
That You would rather die than hurt us!
You are worthy because
You are a not willing to serve Yourself
Even when Your enemies are wrong.
You are worthy because
You are are the same- yesterday, today and forever!
You are worthy because You are completely safe
For a sinner like me, to trust.
© 2009 Cherilyn Christen Clough
