Devotionals for the Heart: The Creator of the Universe (God) loves you!

For The Love of Mankind
A devotional by Julia Wilson

“They nailed his hands and feet to the cross.”

— Mark 15:24 (TPT)

It may seem strange to focus on Jesus Christ being crucified when we have just celebrated Jesus coming as a baby at Christmas. Christmas and Easter are forever united. We celebrate Christ’s coming at Christmas and we mourn His passing on Good Friday before celebrating the risen Jesus on Easter Sunday.

I want to focus on Jesus the man, the man who loved the whole world so much that He died for us all. (John 3:16) He died for me. My name was on His lips as He hung on that cross. He died for you. Your name was on His lips as He hung on that cross. Don’t you just find that mind-blowing? Two thousand years ago, way before we were born, Jesus died for every sin you and I will ever commit. Wow. That is love in action!

“For when the time was right, the Anointed One came and died to demonstrate His love for sinners who were entirely helpless, weak and powerless to save themselves” (Romans 5:6 TPT). Christ’s love for us is huge! I love the words from Sheila Walsh’s worship song, “Here is Love Vast As the Ocean.” No one will ever love us as much as Jesus loves us. I have an overwhelming love for my children but His love for me is far greater.

A few years ago my husband and I visited Coughton Court in Worcestershire. There is a family church on the grounds and we went in. I am not normally one for statues but there is a statue of Jesus holding out His nail-pierced hands and it had a profound effect on me. I took several photos but even so the image of His hands in tattooed in my mind. I cannot begin to imagine how much those poor hands must have hurt (and his feet too).

I have always noticed hands, they are fascinating. As I stood looking at the statue of Jesus I thought of Mary, His mother. As a baby Jesus had tiny perfect hands. Mary watched those hands grow into a man. And then she had to see those beautiful hands pierced with nails. As a mother, I just feel for her pain. Can you imagine the hurt as a soldier mutilates your son’s body?

When I looked at Christ’s nail-pierced hands, something just pierced my heart to the core. I felt desperately sad. I realized just some of the pain that Jesus endured for me. He died a sinless man for the sins of all mankind. His love for me and for you is vast, far greater than we will ever comprehend.

As you consider and sing songs about Jesus the baby during this Christmas season, please do not forget Jesus the man who died for me, for you and for all mankind.

May I lead you in a prayer?

Let’s Pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for coming in the form of a tiny baby who would grow into a man who would sacrifice Your life to save my soul. Your love for us all is so vast! We all owe a debt we cannot repay. I love You Lord. In Your Holy Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

My name is Julia Wilson but I also go by Christian Bookaholic.

I live with my husband and five cats in a small town in Worcestershire on the banks of the River Severn (England). We have four grown up children and three granddaughters.

I have always loved reading and have always been surrounded by books. I used to work as a teaching assistant for special needs in the local high school. Ill health forced me to stop working in December 2015. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (known as M.E.) and fibromyalgia. I now have plenty of time to read and review books!

Our eldest son set up my Christian Bookaholic blog. I review every book I read. I read over 300 books a year. I read Christian and mass market. I prefer stories set from 1850 onwards. My favorite type of books to read is stories set in WWI and WWII, and Russia under Czar Nicholas II.

I am a historian, having a Combined Humanities degree where I majored in History and minored in English. I also love swimming. I only learned how to swim in 2017 and go swimming four mornings a week for 90 minutes before breakfast, it keeps my joints going.

I am also a crazy cat lady. I absolutely love my cats. I have grown up with cats and cannot imagine life without them. My dream is to own an old fashioned seal point Siamese … but not while we have our young rescue cat as she hates other cats!

I love God and love going to a large lively church called Lifecentral. I cannot imagine life without God. He gives a peace even when life does not. He guides my life. He is my Rock.