The Love That Stayed

There are moments in life when we desperately want an escape route. A difficult conversation. A painful diagnosis. A broken relationship. A season of uncertainty. Most of us have faced situations we'd rather avoid. If given the choice, we'd often choose comfort over struggle, convenience over sacrifice, and relief over suffering. 
 
If you've been following my blog or have known me for a while, you know how much I love worship music. And honestly, it doesn't have to be Easter for me to listen to songs about the cross, the resurrection, and the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for us.  Recently, I was listening to a song (linked above), and I found myself thinking about something I hadn't considered deeply before. Not that Jesus could have called on angels. Not that Jesus had the power to stop what was happening. But that He willingly chose not to. Jesus chose the cross. He was never powerless.

Matthew 26: 53-54 tells us, "Do you think I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" 
 
I think it’s easy for people to portray Jesus as helpless during His arrest, trial, and crucifixion. But Scripture paints a different picture. Jesus wasn't overpowered by Roman soldiers. He wasn't trapped by circumstances. He wasn't the victim of a plan gone wrong. 
At any moment, He could have changed the outcome. In the Garden of Gethsemane, when Peter drew his sword to defend Him, Jesus responded with words that reveal just how much authority He possessed. Heaven wasn't silent because heaven lacked power. Heaven was silent because Jesus was walking in obedience. The cross wasn't evidence of weakness. The cross was evidence of strength under control. Meekness is strength submitted to God's will. It's power under control. Jesus had authority. Jesus had power. Jesus had every resource of heaven available to Him. Yet He chose surrender. That didn't make Him weak. It made Him the strongest person who ever lived. 
 
One detail that has always stood out to me is that Jesus didn't casually walk toward the cross. He wrestled in prayer. Three times, Jesus prayed to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. The first time: "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will." The second time: "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done." Then Scripture tells us He went back a third time and prayed again. 
 
Jesus wasn't pretending the cross would be easy. He wasn't denying the pain. He brought it honestly before the Father. That means obedience isn't the absence of struggle. Sometimes obedience comes after wrestling. What makes the cross so extraordinary is that Jesus had options. He could have called for angels. He could have ended the suffering. He could have walked away. Yet He stayed. When the disciples fled, He stayed. When false accusations were made, He stayed. When the soldiers mocked Him, He stayed. When the nails pierced His hands and feet, He stayed. Not because He lacked power. Because He loved us, knowing the cost and going anyway. Jesus knew the betrayal was coming. He knew the physical agony was coming. He knew the humiliation was coming. He knew He would bear the weight of humanity's sin. Yet He walked forward anyway. The cross was the price of our salvation. And Jesus willingly paid it. 
 
Following Christ doesn't mean we're powerless. It means we're learning to submit our power, our preferences, and our plans to God's will. Jesus showed us what that looks like in its purest form. When you wonder if God loves you? The cross is God's answer. 
 
You are loved. You are pursued. You are worth rescuing. Jesus knew every failure, every weakness, every regret, and every sin. And He chose the cross anyway.