Love is about giving. When you love someone, you give. Giving here is not just of material things but other valuable resources like time. There is a story said of when Jesus was asked by the Pharisees a question on paying taxes to Rome. They were doing what they always wanted to do, which is to trap Jesus. But Jesus then asked them for a coin. When they handed the coin to Him, He asked them whose face was on the coin and they replied, “Caesar”. He then said, give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give unto God what belongs to God. The bible also says the earth and its fullness belongs to God.
In the beginning when God was creating man He said,” Let Us make man in Our own image and likeness”. May I submit to you that when you look into the mirror you are looking at the very image and likeness of God. So, then the question asked earlier by Jesus makes sense when you look into the mirror what do you see? Then give God what belongs to God. Give yourselves to the Lord, come as you are because you belong to Him.
Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son. And when he got to the top of the mountain where he was to make the sacrifice, God gave a ram in the bush instead. Abraham demonstrated his love for God and so God demonstrated His love for Abraham’s seed. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. I was talking to an Ethiopian friend of mine and he recounts the story of Abraham and Isaac in a way I have never read in the bible.
Remember Isaac was not a baby when his father wanted to sacrifice him. He could have fought back but he allowed himself to be bound up and laid on the altar to be sacrificed. According to my friend he asked his father to turn him around so that the father could not see his face and deter him from proceeding to sacrifice. This also demonstrates the love the son has for his father to be willing to lay down his life for his father. The willingness of Isaac to be sacrificed is later shown by Jesus who willingly lay down His life for His father. As a father now I see why God would turn His face away from His Son on the cross, for I would too. I can’t watch my son go through so much pain and not be tempted to fight back. I think that is why Joseph (the earthly father of Jesus) died before this event ever occurred because the carpenter would have been on that cross too and taken a few of them people down with Him.
This gift in the person of Jesus Christ that was sent to the earth, decided to give His own life because Jesus loved His Father so much. God the Father knew He was sending His only Son to die a shameful death on the cross. And He did it for you and me. A gift that is indescribable that the only way to give back to God the Father is by giving yourself to Him. Give to God what belongs to God. We are His children, and we belong to Him.
God bless you.