The Power of Christ's Sacrifice

“Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life.... No man taketh it from me.... I have power to lay it down.” — John x. 17, 18.

“Therefore doth my Father love me.” What is this secret of the Father’s love? Why is it that the heart of the Father rejoices in the Son? Is it because of the pain of the Son’s sacrifice? Is it because His Father beheld in Him a victim on the altar of death? Nay, it is because on the altar of death He beholds in Him an offering that is no victim. The Father’s heart rejoices not that the Son is compelled to die, but that the Son can die without compulsion, that He has power to lay down His life. All other sacrifices had been types of impotence, but this was a type of power. Never had the strength of will been manifested so gloriously. There had been great conquerors and mighty warriors, who had paved their own way through the hearts of others; here was a life that could pave a way for others through its own heart. 0 strength perfected in weakness, 0 self-surrendering power of love, we, like the Father, yield our hearts to Thee. If it had been mere resignation to death we could have admired Thee; if it had been the mere distaste for life we could have pitied Thee; but since it is the choice ot love we love Thee. We magnify the power that could relinquish power, the might that could abandon might, the will that could resign will. Thou art most crowned to us in the valley of Thy humiliation. Thou art most glorious to us in the shades of Thy Gethsemane. We feel that Thou art no victim, that Thy love has chosen the burden, that Thou wouldst not have it otherwise for twelve legions of angels. Therefore Thy cross is to us not a weakness but a power; we are not ashamed of it, we glory in it, we long to be like it. We pant to be made conformable unto Thy death, to have our wills set free from their own burning. We gaze on Thee till we shall catch Thine impress, till we shall be transformed into Thine image from glory to glory, till we shall say, not with resignation but with acquiescence, “Thy will be done.” We shall get back our joy the moment we have ceased to seek it; when we shall have power to lay down our life we shall have power to take it again.