Can you imagine what it would be like if one day as you were struggling to make a living, an official dignitary offered you a leadership of a kingdom worth billions of dollars? Imagine for a moment the tremendous wave of emotion that would engulf you as you realized the dramatic change of circumstances in life. Out of the blue you were handed the opportunity to put aside the stress of daily want and exchange it for all life of comfort and power? The feelings of relief and delight would be impossible to put into words, would it not?
Well I have often thought of how amazing it would be if one day I heard such a knock on my door, there is a transformation of circumstances that amazes me even more. And that is the one that occurred in Heaven some two thousand years ago when Jesus stepped down from His position next to His Father and risked everything to save mankind. Every time I think about it fills me with wonder. In vain I try to imagine what is must have been like on that day when after listening to the angelic choir sing their melodic praise, Jesus rose from His seat and took off His royal robes. Exchanging them not for the feeble glory of an earthly kingdom, but exchanging His regal robes for the humble garb of a servant. Leaving the unimaginable glory and perfection of Heaven, for the discord of earth. Knowing that instead of being welcomed with open arms, He was facing a lifetime of hatred, cursing, abuse, and eventually a cruel death upon the highly stigmatized cross.
Yet He did this not because we were paying Him, for the entire fortune of earth could not pay Him for the years of peaceful worship that He loss. He did this not because all mankind would glorify Him, for even today His name is used as a byword, an insult, and to swear. And certainly not for the accolades of the rich and mighty, for sadly many of the the wise and the noble of this world look upon Him as a fool.
Instead He chose to suffer and to bare the shame because He loved this world. Because He looked down with sorrow at our hopeless state, and he shuddered in horror when He thought of the bleak end that would be ours if nothing was done to open the doors of hope. His tender heart ached at the frightful state of a world left to the cruel devises of the enemy of life, and He longed to shelter us from the deplorable plight that would be ours unless He bent low to open the flood gates of mercy.
As I considered how I longed for the first scenario, and how delightful it would be to open the door to such a fortune, I could not help but wonder at the love that drove Christ to be willing to risk all to save me and to open the doors of salvation to all who desired to come in. As I thought of my life now, and imagined how hard it would be for me to give up what little I had and willingly sink into the deep and hopeless depths of poverty, to lose what little freedom I have now, and to willingly endure the taunts and cutting remarks of my fellow man, it struck me that I do not even begin to comprehend the depths of love that moved the soul of God that day.
I realized how little I appreciate the fullness of love that would cause the Savior of mankind to risk the praise of worlds yet unfallen and still march in perfect peace, to come to a world where envy and hatred has increasing rule. In vain I tried to put myself in His place, to imagine what it would be like to have everything, and put it all on the line in order to help a world that would spit in my face, that would mock me at every turn, that would seek to rip me from limb to limb, and would jubilantly beat and torture me before crucifying my bruised body for all the world to see.
With joy I wondered at His willingness to risk all for us, and it was from this wonder that the following poem was inspired. I hope and pray that it will inspire you to spend a few moments considering the depth of love that caused Him to risk all on your behalf.
HE RISKED IT AL FOR US
By Katherine B. Parilli
Why did my Jesus face His death on Calvary’s tree?
Why did my Jesus spill His blood so free?
Why did my Jesus leave His perfect home above?
Why does my Jesus care so much?
I do not deserve His love.
I have not earned His precious grace.
I am not worthy of a drop of His all-cleansing blood.
He did not have to die for me.
He could have stayed above in glory
He was one with the Father.
Adored by thousands and thousands,
His was the life for which earthly kings kill.
But He gave it up,
Left it all behind.
And why?
He loved His fallen creation more than the trumpets.
He loved them more than life itself.
He risked it all to save a dying race.
Willingly put all of Heaven on the line.
One mistake and forever it would be gone.
He too would have been cut off.
Still, He took the chance.
Knowing full well He might never see home again.
Knowing a life of misery would be His lot.
No longer praised and worshiped.
Now He would be-
Hated and despised.
Shunned by the world He would die.
Cut off from every loving hand.
Dying alone among hundreds.
Why would He do such a thing?
Why would He take the chance?
Risking life, power, position, and honor for me.
What could make a perfect God leave His Heavenly home for an ungrateful race?
Could it be He saw something in His earring children?
Could it be that He knew there were diamonds to be found?
Could it be that even a perfect God could not be happy without one of His children?
Maybe He needed us almost as much as we need Him.
Perhaps His heart yearned to rescue even one of His feeble creatures.
We do no deserve this special gift.
How could our rebellious hearts earn the price of a perfect deed?
Earn the price of God’s greatest gift.
But that is the beauty of it all.
We do not have to earn God’s great sacrifice of love.
All we must do is accept.
Allow our sins to be washed in His blood.
Place our feeble hands in His.
And lean on His strong shoulders when the trail is rough.
My God’s love and mercy are endless.
If you place your life in His, it will be safe.
He gave His life.
Risked all He had which was only the praise of entire worlds,
A seat next to the Father,
And His divinity.
He could have lost it all.
But the risk where nothing compared to His intense love for us.
© 2017
KB Writes 