The Strength of Christ’s Love

The love of Christ is the love of omnipotence.

The love of Christ for his own had the power to hold back the angelic hosts from rescuing their King. “Then Jesus said to [Peter], ‘Put your sword back into its place….Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?'” (Matt 26:52-53). The angels stood ready for rescue as they watched in wonder the Lord of Glory being delivered over to sinful men. The love of Christ held up under the burden of sin’s guilt as he bore the sins of his people. As our representative, sin’s crushing weight cast down our Lord to the ground squeezing out sweat as drops of blood as he prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…” But love held up! For, we hear the end of the prayer, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matt 24:39). And, on the cross we see Christ’s love was held out to undeserving sinners. Of his executioners and mockers Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34), and to the dying, believing thief beside him he promised, “Truly….today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43).

The love of Christ–strong enough to hold back 12 legions of angels; strong enough to hold up under sin’s crushing weight; and strong enough to hold out salvation to undeserving sinners who will look away from themselves and their sin and look only to the Savior.

Be encouraged believer, for it is the strong love of Christ that has laid hold of our lives and will carry us all the way home.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom 8:37-39