When our oldest son, Noah, was a toddler I remember taking him swimming for the very first time. As all good toddlers do upon entering the water he flailed around helplessly until he finally relaxed into the knowledge that I was holding him tight and had no intention of letting him drown. What’s interesting is that the trust he placed in me wasn’t natural; he didn’t start off trusting me. In reality, he was highly sceptical of the mission ahead. For him, the idea of being submerged from neck to toe didn’t seem like a good plan, and he let me know about it! The fact that I loved him simply wasn’t enough; he needed to know I had the ability to keep him safe, as well as the desire to. Once he knew that, this dangerous enterprise became safe, even fun!
Some verses that have been with me this week are John 10:28-30. Speaking about those who follow Him, Jesus says:
28” I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
This passage contains an amazing claim, namely that Jesus and the Father God are one. Imagine I were to offer you eternal life this morning. If I claimed that I loved you and that I want you to be free from death, you could rightly reply to me, “that’s very nice of you Luke, but I’m not sure you have the power to give me that.” You would be right – I wouldn’t and don’t. But when Jesus offers us eternal life He does so not from a position of a good teacher or prophet, or well-intentioned friend, but from the position of being one with God. There is no one greater than the Father, “He is greater than all” and Jesus has this same power. Through this statement, Jesus not only claims to love us deeply but that His hands are like His Father’s; strong enough to hold us no matter the situation.
Jesus went to the cross for us as sinners and it was His love for us that pinned Him there. But through being raised from the dead He demonstrates His power over death in such a way that we can look at Him and know we are safe in His hands. Let’s place our trust in the strength of His hands this morning.
Luke