“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8)
How far would you go to humble yourself? Humility doesn’t come naturally to any of us. Anyone can say they’re humble. How far would you really go?
Should we make a list? How far would you go to humble yourself: Change a baby’s dirty diaper? Let someone merge in front of you in a traffic jam? Do what your spouse or kids want, instead of what you want? Talk to the homeless person on the side of the road? How far would you go?
After hearing that list, maybe you’d say: “Yeah! I’d do all those things.” How about this: Die. But not just die. Die for your enemies. But not just die for your enemies. Die for your enemies in the painful, shameful way possible: Hanging by nails on a cross.
Would you go that far? Jesus did. He didn’t just humble himself by becoming a human being. That would have been amazing enough! He didn’t just humble himself by living as a servant instead of as a king. He went so much further. “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” That’s how far your God—your Savior Jesus—went for you.
I once watched a teenage girl hear that message for the first time. How Jesus went all the way to the cross for her. Do you know what she did? She broke down crying. “He did that? For me?” “Yes, for you!”
That cross that you wear around your neck… That cross that hangs on your wall… It’s not just a status symbol or a piece of jewelry. It’s proof of God’s amazing love for you. Jesus stopped at nothing—not even death—to forgive you and save you and win you back for God.
Thankfully, the real question in life isn’t how far you or I would go for someone else. The question is: “How far did Jesus go for me?” The cross gives you the answer: Even death on a cross! You don’t ever have to question whether you’re loved. Whether you’re forgiven. Jesus went to the cross for you.
Dear Jesus, your love for me has no bounds. Your sacrifice for me has no limits. You humbled yourself even to death on a cross. May your cross always remind me that I never have to doubt your love. Amen.
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