Devotions: An Appropriate Sacrifice

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Easter is at the crux of Christianity. It was at Easter (then called Passover) that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins for all eternity. It was there that He established His deity, proving that He is God, defeated sin and death, and nullified our need to sacrifice animals for every sin we commit (for forgiveness only comes through blood). His death and resurrection accomplished all of this in one fell swoop. He sacrificed everything for us. He gave up heaven and everything He rightly deserved in order to take our place in judgment. What other response could we possibly have than to give everything back, not out of duty or obligation, but out of grateful love and adoration?

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, which is the 40 days of preparation before Easter. It was tradition to sacrifice something, give something up, during that period as a way to prepare for Easter, to be mindful of the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf. Would you be willing to give up something for these 40 days? It could be a traditional luxury like milk, eggs, or butter, or maybe sweets or coffee. It could be a bad habit like complaining, smoking, or gossip. Or instead of giving something up, you could take on something good that has been missing in your life, like praying or reading your Bible every day, or working on being more kind or loving. These are just a few of many possibilities, the point is to bring yourself closer to Christ through this time of preparation. Is anything too great a sacrifice for your Saviour?