The Power of Weakness

The fact that Jesus, who was God, became a human through conception in the womb of Mary, and being born as a helpless little baby, makes other people think that he was not God. How can an All Powerful God become so weak, subjecting himself to be killed by his own creation? Well, think of it this way…

Jesus enters the world where there are landmines everywhere, and people are being killed everyday. Instead of going in to remove all the landmines and show his power that way, he chooses to go into the world and stay there amongst the landmines. He takes all humans into himself. The landmine explodes and kills him together with all the humans he has taken into himself. This way he completely dis-empowers the landmines. He takes on the death of the landmine and comes back to life with all the humans that he had taken into himself. The landmine can no longer kill him. Once the landmine has exploded, it becomes powerless. It can no longer explode. He takes away the sting of sin and death. Humans gain victory over sin and death in him. And now humans are safe.

It reminds me of the teacher who called one of the naughty students to the front of the class so that he can give him 10 of the best. The boy obliged. The teacher got his cane, lashed the boy so hard that the lashings could be heard throughout the school. The boy remained quite throughout the beating. When the teacher finished, the boy stood up straight, and with a smile, looked at the teacher and said, “Are you done?” At that point, the teacher and his cane were completely immobilized. The boy had the victory, not by refusing to be beaten, but by submitting to the beating, to take the sting out of the beating. That is what Jesus did when he subjected himself to death, and then come out of the grave after 3 days. He took the sting out of death!

^“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:4-6)

^“For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:3)

That, is the power of turning the other cheek, or going an extra mile. Whilst the actions appear weak from our perspective, they are powerful!

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