April Meditations: Jesus, Sacrifice, and Obedience

Abraham was tested and called to sacrifice his son Isaac…He almost did it, but of course, God wouldn’t allow it. 

And of course, He knew down the line He’d send Jesus to be that sacrifice. 

But, still there was a willingness from Abraham, why? 

He didn’t just love God, he obeyed Him. And he didn’t just obey him, he had reverential fear for him. 

What do we do when we’re at the cross roads of God calling us deeper and requiring us to lay down a thing or two?

The short and simple answer is you do it. 

But, in the midst of that, we grapple with the agony of loss, the reality of what letting go actually means, what it changes, what it means, and so much more. There are thoughts before there’s actions, and there's perhaps negotiation in the midst of that. But, what if on the other side of that sacrifice is freedom?

There have been countless times when the Lord has personally prompted me to let go of a person or a thing so my life could bring about different results. From moving on from relationships that no longer aligned with the destiny He's planned for me to resigning from positions that were in conflict with the version of me I could see I needed to become. Abraham could say the same, he needed to become the Father of many nations and God needed to know He had all of Him in order to fulfill this promise.

Why this approach though -- sacrificing his son? I have a hypothesis here: remember when Abraham gave into his wife's (Sarah) insisted him to bring forth a child with their servant (Hagar). This act led to the birth of a child (Ishmael) outside of the promise the Lord had given Abraham. Now, imagine how God must of felt realizing that His son didn't have the faith enough to wait or the reverence enough to resist this request. He told Abraham he would make Him father and that would be through Sarah not Hagar -- despite what Sarah permitted it led to Abrahams disobedience. Yet, despite it, the Lord didn't retract His promise instead He still fulfilled it and in an act of foreshadowing God called Him to prove His obedience once more. And thank God, He obeyed.

Sometimes, God doesn’t need us to do anything other than obey. A test of your faith challenges your belief system and how deeply you really believe that God is who He says He is. Is this act of faith calling you to a new revelation of the God you serve? Perhaps giving you an opportunity to re-announce His name in your life through an act that demands more of you in order for you to see more of Him. 

While Easter celebrations have come and gone this month, the truth of Christ's resurrection still stands. This is a season to think about the meaning of God's love as we mediate on the meaning of Jesus, sacrifice, and obedience. My prompt for you is to ask yourself if the request was made to you: what would you sacrifice for the love of God?

Why this prompt, because this period and celebrating the life of Christ isn’t just another moment to get dressed, attend church, commune over food afterward, nooo. It’s a period of reflection and deep consolation as we remember what God had Jesus go through on Calvary and the victory at the end of the 3 days. The weight of Jesus's obedience has led to the freedom many of us proclaim today and the gift of the Holy Spirit (our advocate and intercessory) that comes after His 40 days amongst men after He rose again.

So again, I ask you if you were asked to nail something to the cross what would it be? Could you do it? Yes or No, and why? Are you willing to wait to see the transfer of power, the transfer of works into blessings?