Heroes come at just the right time. Just when the situation looks the bleakest or the odds of a rescue are down to nothing, that’s when a hero shows up! In a very real way that is what we needed. We needed a hero — someone who would step in and rescue us as we raced like crash dummies toward the wall of God’s justice. And that is exactly what God did through His Son, Jesus.
When Jesus came into the world.
When there was no hope — and at just the right time — Jesus came into the world, (Romans 5.6 ESV). Though Jesus was by nature fully God, He set aside His eternal glory and was born as a baby, (Philippians 2.6-8 ESV). He grew up just like you and me. He experienced temptation and pain, heartache and betrayal. He lived our life, yet He did it without sin. He never veered off course from His heavenly Father’s will, (Hebrews 4.15 ESV). He lived the life we were meant to live, walking the path of life and enjoying His Father’s presence, just as we were designed to do.
Because He was perfect in every way, Jesus could now step in as a substitute for you and me and pay for our sin. In His ultimate act of love, Jesus was crucified and died on a cross for our sin, paying our punishment in full.
Jesus paid our sin debt in full.
Think about it. All our sin was rolled onto the back of innocent Jesus, and God the Father treated Him just as if He had sinned our sin, (2 Corinthians 5.21 ESV). He bore your sin and mine on that cross, suffering God’s wrath against sin. From the cross He cried out “tetelestai,” which means “it is complete” or “paid in full,” (John 19.30 ESV). These were the words a merchant would stamp on a receipt to prove the debt was paid. That is what Jesus did for you. He paid your sin debt in full so you could be forgiven and start over.
(Romans 6.23 NLT) says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus died on a cross, and His body was buried in a borrowed tomb. Three days later He rose from the dead, conquering sin and death. After His resurrection, He appeared to hundreds of people over a forty-day period, proving Himself to be alive, (Acts 1.3 ESV).
(1 Peter 3.18 NLT) says, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God.” Jesus did what our own good works could never do — He made a way for us to get back to God.
Why did Jesus do all of these for you and me?
Hearing all that Jesus has done, anyone would wonder, “Why?” Why did Jesus do all of this for you and me? one word: love. (John 3.16 ESV) says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” You could scratch out the word “world” and put your name in its place.
God sent His Son, Jesus, on a rescue mission from heaven just for you! That’s incredible love. That’s an incredible hero.
This blog features an excerpt from our book, Walk With God.
