We were sitting together at home the other night, and my daughter Chrissy was next to me sitting on the floor, and she mentioned that Jesus died on the cross. So my wife asked her what did it mean when Jesus died on the cross. I was really surprised by her answer.
Before I tell you what she said, let me ask what you would have said. Why did Jesus die on the cross? I know what I was trained to say, and probably what I would have thought of first. My answer would have been first of all that Jesus died so that our sins would be forgiven. Probably yours too. And let me say that that answer would be impeccable. There is nothing wrong and everything right with that answer. Except for the fact that in light of my daughter's answer it seems a little off. It puts the emPHAsis on the wrong sylLABle (as a old friend of mine would say).
Chrissy told us that Jesus' death on the cross "tells us about Jesus loving us." Wow. Why did Jesus die? Was a response to our sin or initiated by God's love? Is it about God correcting our mistakes or is it about God displaying his love in a powerful way? Is it about us causing God pain and suffering or is it about God suffering so that we could experience true love? Both are right and each amounts to the other. However, I was struck by the depth of insight that the cross "tells us about Jesus loving us" means we focus on him, rather than our own sin.
1 John 4:9-11 (New International Version)
9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[a] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[b] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Personally, I would much rather focus on the goodness of God than my own faults. I have a tendency to focus on myself in so much of life. I wonder if I am a recovering self-addict? However, I think that we will succeed more often following the grace that Jesus gives us, than focusing on what occasioned our need for that grace. I am not saying we should forget it, just where do we put the emphasis?
Psalm 8:2 (New International Version)
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise [a]
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
Now, I am not sure where she got that was of telling about the cross from. Perhaps it is because she has awesome preschool and Sunday school teachers (both of which are very superb!) or if it was a God-ordained inspiration. But I thank my God and my daughter for refocusing how I will explain the meaning of the cross in the future. Hallelujah!
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