| Jesus Died For Me! So What? - article by Joel Hempel
If you are anything like me, you have heard and read countless times that Jesus died for you. Repeatedly, year after year, you have heard that our Lord suffered unspeakable rejection from Father God and suffered unfathomable pain on the cross bearing our sins and the death we deserved. We hear that Gospel message so often that if we are not in a life crisis, we can treat that amazing grace as if we’re hearing the weather report. Well, Gospel News is not about the weather. But it is about whether or not we have a life worth living and a death not to be feared. The Gospel truth is that the what, why, and how of our salvation either changes our life for now and eternity, or it is another boring, ho-hum message to be forgotten. What is it for you? By nature, God is entirely just and, simultaneously, altogether merciful. Scripture reveals that God demands complete obedience to the laws of love, demands justice when the laws of God are violated, and eagerly offers unconditional mercy for those who repent. (1) Because sin and an oppositional mindset are built into humanity as a result of the original fall from grace, each of us humans was headed to hell for eternity. However, Scripture repeatedly states that God is Love (2) and that he had to find a way to satisfy his nature, which is both just and merciful. Enter Jesus! Unlike Abraham, who was ready to sacrifice his son but was spared the pain, (3) God sent his Son, (4) whose mission was to serve both his Father’s love and demand for justice. Jesus came to die – not just our kind of death, but a death that included hell’s punishment. Jesus died for you! So what? You ask! Trees die to give us a house; wheatfields die to provide us with bakeries full of incredible aromas; flowers die in the fall to give us enlivening color in the spring. And Jesus died to grant us strength now and to remove suffering from eternity. He died to set us free from Satan’s controlling influence and to grant us abundant life – not free from pain, but free to be at peace and enjoy a life dedicated to God, who loves us and gives us opportunities to delight in loving others. So what that Jesus died for you? Consider what life would be without Jesus: - Suffering without his strength and courage.
- Never have that empty place inside us filled with God’s love and acceptance.
- Be slaves to the desires of our flesh.
- Not ever be confident we are forgiven and free from shame.
- No sisters and brothers in Christ who care for us.
- Not be a part of a vision and purpose that is more significant than us.
- Not have Christian songs and hymns to sing that add warmth and hope to our day.
- No potlucks!
So what? If you are still asking, So what? You need to get the life God wants for you. Ask him!
1. Psalm 97:2; Colossians 3:5; Psalm 145:8-9; Romans 3:21-26 2. 1 John 4:8 3. Genesis 22:1-19 4. John 7:33; 1 John 4:10 | 
