Jesus Isn't Decaf (By Naomi Meyers)

Much of it wouldn’t last. It wasn’t deep enough. The surface-level amazement would wane. The awe over the miraculous would fade. The tentative belief in His true identity would dim and eventually die out. Their fervor would weaken with the unveiling of what it truly meant to be His disciples. Hours, days, weeks from now, not everyone who staunchly swore belief in Him would still be saying the same. Jesus knew that, knew what was in every heart, knew the future of every soul present. Those swearing allegiance. Those skeptically questioning. Looking out over the sea of faces, He read minds and thoughts, hearts and intentions. He knew not everyone would continue to follow Him when things got rough. Some would balk at His requirements. Some would be distracted by the cares of life. Some would choose the fun of the present over future fulfillment. Some, so bound by rules, regulations and religious traditions, would weigh the options and allow fear to convince them legalism was the proper path. Others would never choose Him over themselves in the first place. He would still extend the option. It was the reason He came.

Before trading the opulence of Heaven for the poverty of earth, Jesus knew what the outcome would be. He knew not everyone would believe. Not everyone would follow. Not everyone would choose to sacrifice the perishable pleasures of earth for the imperishable joys of Heaven. He knew the people in His own hometown would choose to doubt, foregoing miracles. He knew the rich young ruler would walk away. He knew Judas would defect. He knew Pilate would cave to the people. Yet still, knowing salvation could come to no one if He didn’t come for everyone, God sent Jesus to earth so that anyone who chose to believe in Him could have eternal life. No matter what Heaven knew in advance, still Jesus came to save all people from their sins. (John 2:24-25; Proverbs 5:21; Mark 6:5; 10:17-27; Matthew 26:47-50; 27:11-26; John 3:16-17)

God was never confused about how things would go on earth. As He separated light from darkness, stretched out the canvas of sky overhead, pushed back the waters and formed dry land, God knew the path humanity would choose. When He spoke the words creating plants and trees to feed the people He would soon create, God knew they would take His work for granted. Filling the sky with sun, moon, and stars, flooding the waters with fish, the air with birds, the fields with animals of every possible variety, God stood back and said, “It is good.” Yet, as He uttered those words, He knew the people for whom He had created this paradise would choose their own traitorous hearts over Him. He knew, yet still He chose to create them. (Genesis 1-3; Isaiah 46:10)

As the serpent approached Eve in the Garden, purporting his perversion of truth, God was not taken by surprise. When Eve cajoled Adam into eating the forbidden fruit, God did not hold His breath in desperate hope Adam would refuse. He knew he wouldn’t. Entering the Garden in the cool of the day to speak with the people He had so lovingly created, God didn’t ask where they were because their hiding place escaped Him. No. He knew where they were. He knew why they were there. He knew their hearts and minds had been irrevocably changed. He had always known it would be this way. Saddened but not surprised by the outcome, God still came to speak with them. (Genesis 1-3; Isaiah 46:10)

Listening to the desperate pleas of His people enslaved in Egypt, the great heart of God churned with compassion. Looking down on their oppression and suffering, He desired nothing more than to deliver them and bring them into a land of peace, rest and prosperity. Raising up Moses to lead them out of bondage and head them toward Canaan, God miraculously rescued them. Brought them out of bondage and set them on a path toward the land of promise. And it turned out exactly as He always knew it would. His rescued people didn’t respond with unwavering faithfulness. The ransomed multitude didn’t exhibit unflinching trust. The emancipated congregation failed to resurrect even a modicum of hope. Just as God knew they would, the people grew unhappy when the benefits of the Promised Land were not immediately available. Grumbling commenced. Complaining ensued. In the waiting, they allowed their hearts to be turned aside and worshiped a god made by human hands. They actively chose to live in fear and defeat when faith would bring victory. Yet God, knowing the outcome before beginning the endeavor, still chose to deliver His people. Not once did His plan change. Ever. (Exodus 2:23-18:11; 32)

It never has. Knowing humanity would need rescuing, God planned it from the beginning. At just the right moment, He sent Jesus, His perfect, spotless, only Son to earth. Because humanity needed Him. They needed to hear the teachings that came from His lips. They needed to learn from His actions and reactions. They needed to feel the touch of His hand as He brought healing and love to wretched souls in desperate need. They needed to know the truth. About God. About themselves. Words of life, for life eternal. They needed to comprehend selflessness. The kind of love that makes one without obligation willingly endure the shame and humiliation of public death on a rugged cross so people living in the darkness of sin could choose to be forgiven, could choose to be saved from the disastrous mess they’d made for themselves. (II Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:12; John 6:68-69; Matthew 27:32-56)

They needed to find the empty tomb. Discover the completion of His work. Sink down in the beauty of the promise that, although He was no longer physically with them, His Spirit, His presence, His peace, always would be. They needed to know that Jesus was alive, sitting at the right hand of God the Father, praying for them just as He prayed for them when He was on earth. Praying that their faith wouldn’t fail, their hope wouldn’t weaken, their trust wouldn’t be shaken in the storms and temptations of life. Praying they would remember His promise that where He was, they would someday be also.  If they chose to follow Him regardless of the cost. (Matthew 27:57-28:10, 16-20; John 14:1-3; 16:1; 17:6-26; Luke 9:57-62; 14:25-34; Romans 8:34-35)

It seems to be the cost that gets us. Trips us up. Stops us in our tracks. Makes us second-guess our choice. Convinces us that we can puzzle out this eternal life thing on our own without pain, suffering, or sacrifice. We can’t. There is only one door to eternal life. There is no side entrance. No window left ajar. No underground tunnel. There is only one entrance. Planned from the beginning of time. Forgiveness of sin through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross and salvation through the power of His name. Redemption from sin. Salvation from ourselves. (John 10:1-18; 14:6; Acts 4:12; 16:30-31; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:13)

Humanity has never had a history of proper choices unaided by solid wisdom and sound direction. I don’t. Neither do you. No one does. Instead, our checkered pasts are a muddle of hideous decisions, made through clouded vision, that often jeopardize our souls. God knew it would be that way. Before you or I were ever born, He knew the choices we would make. Bad. Good. Horrendous. He knew where we would be when we hit rock bottom. And He planned a rescue. From ourselves. Unwilling that you, me, or anyone should miss Heaven, God made a plan. A costly plan. One that would sear His own heart with pain and anguish. The only plan that had any possibility of rescuing lost humanity. He sent His only Son to earth. Allowed Him to be tortured and tormented, hung on a cross to die in abject humiliation. And Jesus chose to be obedient to the plan of God. Why? Because He didn’t come to simply save us from our sins. Jesus came to save us from ourselves. Our poor decisions. Our jaded choices. Our overly impressionable minds. Jesus came to save us because we are hopelessly lost on our own. Jesus came to save us from ourselves. 

I don’t know about you, but there is something immensely profound about those words for me. I know me better than anyone else on earth. I acknowledge the poor choices I’ve made on my own, and recognize the ones I would have made if Jesus hadn’t rescued me. Perhaps you are in the same space. Amazed and humbled by the steadfast love of God that pursues and persuades, providing a way to escape the choices you made while still lost in the chaos of your own wilfulness. Astounded by His grace and mercy that gently pulls you back every time your feet go astray, your eyes get distracted, or your mind contemplates giving up. Forgiven, you rest in the knowledge your future is in Heaven. You have been rescued, ransomed, saved. From death. From sin. From yourself. Knowing you were under no obligation to accept Him, Jesus still came. Still died. Still rose again. Still offers eternal life to those who believe. May our hearts resound with gratitude! In spite of everything He knew about humanity, still Jesus came. (Romans 6:3; I Corinthians 3:18-20; 15:53-58; 6:9-11; Psalm 40:1; 145:8-9; I John 2:2; Colossians 1:13-14; II Corinthians 9:15)