Friday, May 30, 2008

Sacrificing

The following day, John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and then declared, "Look! There is the Lamb of God!"
Then John's two disciples turned and followed Jesus.


Today is the last day that a co-worker, my friend, will be on the job. He is leaving for Ethiopia to participate in the quest to end poverty. The decision to leave required a conscious choice to sacrifice the comforts of the western world. This kind of sacrifice requires giving up a way of living.

There is a language of sacrifice that is used in the Bible that is barely understood in today's world. John is the only New Testament writer that refers to Christ as the Lamb of God, a phrase which belonged to a language of sacrifice in that era. Sacrifice describes the unique relationship that Jesus had with humanity.

So, what does Lamb of God mean to us?

While, this question could elicit a theological debate, on a practical level, the answer revolves around the concept that Christ, God with us, has sacrificed beyond our comprehension. The rendezvous between God and humanity through the sacrifice of Jesus created a way to intimately participate with God on a daily basis.

The thing is, participation with God requires you and I to sacrifice getting our way to go God's way. The process of sacrifice often is accompanied with a struggle of giving up what we think we need in life. Once the choice to sacrifice is made, our perspective of what really is important will change.

Seek God.
Ask for guidance of what needs to be sacrificed for the sake of Christ.
Lean on the understanding and power of God to make the sacrifice.
Celebrate the freedom of sacrificing something in your life today.

Learning with you to sacrifice for the sake of Christ,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)