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Article by Cameron Spink
I was immensely encouraged this weekend for many reasons, not least of which the occasion of Easter. Easter is a great reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus. A sacrifice that Jesus didn’t have to do. A lot of times I forget what the Easter message is about. I think it is about me and how God has sanctified me and my fellow Christians. Jesus’ sacrifice, however, is about God. It’s about God’s power, mercy and justice. The fact that I am saved by Jesus’ death is merely a by-product of God’s power.
On Sunday night I was at a friend’s baptism. The most powerful thing about my friend’s example was that he was from an Asian background. This meant that by giving his life to Christ he had to forsake his past, his culture and his family. Nearly every Asian student I have met feels a great deal of indebtedness to their parents who have paid for their educations in Australia. Sometimes only the most promising child from a family is sent to get further education and is expected to return and support the family. This is a huge weight to carry and yet my friend proclaimed to the world on Sunday night that his relationship with God came before his obligations to his family and the expectations of others.
This provides a small example of what it means to be forsaken. The greatest example of being forsaken is Jesus Himself. The expectation put on Him by His Father is much greater than any worldly parent. In the last hours before His crucifixion Jesus was overwhelmed with sorrow. It was not His death that caused Him the greatest sorrow but the weight of all our sins upon His shoulders.
Our redemption occurred because Jesus was condemned and forsaken. He did not have to do it; we didn’t deserve to have a second chance. Yet it is through God’s great glory that we see new brothers and sisters join the faith every day. So when contemplating what God has done for us remember His unfailing love is not dependant on you or me but rather on Him. And I, for one, am very thankful that the burden that I should be carrying has been given to the forsaken Christ. It is just disappointing that it takes me a memorial event to remember His grace.
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