LOVE always PERSEVERES

This is to persevere: To persist in or remain constant to a purpose, idea, or task in the face of obstacles or discouragement.

As I watched the Passion of the Christ last night, It was not the first time I had watched. It was not the second. But somehow last night as I watched, I was overwhelmed in thinking about how calmly Jesus acted in the midst of betrayal. How calm he stood before His accusers. How calm he was as they antagonized and spit on him and attacked his character. As he received the flogging, he was in pain at the very least, for sure- pieces of his flesh being ripped from His body- and he was calm. As he hung on the cross- a tortureous, humiliating death suitable for the worst kinds of criminals- he actually prayed for the people who put Him there. He prayed and asked for them to be forgiven for they didn't realize what they were doing. This was a huge demonstration of remaining constant for a purpose in the face of obstacles....perseverance.

No one really questions whether of not Jesus existed. They do, however, question who He really was. Who was this man that history has recorded as doing many wonderful things while here- and making a lot of people very angry while he was here- and while being innocent of any real crime- was killed as a criminal while here- and then was unable to be found in the tomb he was burried? Some people dismiss Him of being anyone important at all.

There are eye-witness, recorded accounts of people who saw this man after He was raised from the dead. Of these people who saw Him, many are recorded as dying later (martyrs) because of their belief in Him. If I was going to question who He was...all I would have to do, really, is look to the ones who believed so strongly in who He was, because they were with Him the whole time. They were there while he performed miracles and preached, while he was persecuted and stayed so calm, when he died and was burried, and when he rose from the dead and showed Himself to them.

Some were crucified like Jesus. Some were crucified upside-down. Some died by the sword or spear. Why would any of them die for a person that was a liar? No, I believe they believed so strongly as they saw Jesus set on his course of love for others. Giving up Himself completely, in all humility, as a sacrifice for all and then, after dying, being raised from the dead- just as He said.

"No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded." John 10:18.

If he wasn't who He said He was, and He didn't do what has been recorded in History, and I had been following Him, I would have been embarrassed. I would not have wanted to be associated with it all. I would never have died for Him - or because of my belief in Him. Why would they?

But, He did what He did. He died like He did. He was ressurrected like He was, so that we could be forgiven. So that we could know that kind of selfless love and try to implement, in our own lives, the kind of love that He demonstrated. LOVE THAT PERSEVERES.