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He First Loved Us On a spring day nearly 2,000 years ago, an innocent man was tried illegally, convicted of crimes he had never committed and was then tortured to death. It was not the first cruel and unjust execution in history; nor, sadly, was it the last. Yet, that death was unlike any other. As that man suffered through his final, agonizing hours, heaven itself marked the significance of the event. Though it was the middle of the day, darkness suddenly descend on the land. As one historian put it, "the sunlight failed," Luke 23:44+45 Well, by now it was about the sixth hour, and yet a darkness fell over all the land until the ninth hour because the sunlight failed; then the curtain of the sanctuary was torn down the middle. Then, just before the man breathed his last, he said these unforgettable words: "It has been accomplished!" Indeed, by laying down his life, he accomplished something wonderful. His sacrifice was the greatest act of love ever performed by any human. John 15:13 No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his life in behalf of his friends John 19:30 When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said: “It has been accomplished!” and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. That man, of course, was Jesus Christ. His suffering and death on that dark day, Nisan 14, 33C.E., are well-known. However, an important fact has often been ignored. Though Jesus suffered intensely, someone else suffered even more. In fact, someone else made an even greater sacrifice that day - the greatest act of love ever performed by anyone in the universe! What act was that? The answer provides a fitting introduction to the most important of subjects: Jehovah's love. The Roman centurion who supervised the execution of Jesus was astonished both by the darkness that preceded Jesus' death and by the violent earthquake that followed it. Matthew 27:54 But when the army officer and those with him keeping watch over Jesus saw the earthquake and the things happening, they grew very much afraid and said: " Certainly this was God's " Clearly, Jesus was no ordinary man. That soldier had helped to execute the only-begotten of the Most High God! Just how dear was this to his Father? The Bible calls Jesus 'the first born of all creation.' Colossians 1:15+16 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All other things have been created through him and for him Just think - Jehovah's was in existence before the physical universe. How long, then were Father and together? Some scientists estimate that the universe is 13 billion years old. Can you even imagine that much time? To help people grasp the age of the universe as estimated by scientists, one planetarium features a time line 360 feet long. As visitors walk along that time line, each step represents about 75 millions years in the life of the universe. A the end of the time line, all human history is represented by a single mark the thickness of one human hair! Yet, even if this estimate is correct, the entire time line would not be long enough to represent the life span of Jehovah's ! How was he occupied during all those ages? The happily served as his Father's "master worker." Proverbs 8:30 Then I was beside him as a master worker. I was the one he was especially fond of day by day; I rejoiced before him all the time John 1:3+4 All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence. What has come into existence by means of him was life, and the life was the light of men. So Jehovah and His worked together to bring all other things into being. What thrilling, happy times they had! Now, many will agree that the love between parent and is amazingly strong. Colossains 3:14 But besides all these things, clothe yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union. Who of us, then, can begin to fathom the power of a bond that has existed over such and immense span of time? Clearly, Jehovah God and His are united by the strongest bond of love ever forged. Nevertheless, the Father dispatched His to the earth to be born as a human baby. Doing so meant that for some decades, Jehovah had to forgo intimate association with His beloved in heaven. With intense interest, He watched form heaven as Jesus grew up to be a perfect man. At the age of 30 Jesus got baptized. We do not have to guess how Jehovah felt about him. That father spoke personally from heaven. Matthew 3:17 Look! Also, a voice from the heavens said: “This is my , the beloved, whom I have approved. Seeing that Jesus faithfully did all that had been prophesied, all that was asked of him, His Father must have been so pleased! John 5:36 But I have the witness greater than that of John, for the very works that my Father assigned me to accomplish, these works that I am doing, bear witness that the Father sent me. John 17:4 I have glorified you on the earth, having finished the work you have given me to do. How, though, did Jehovah feel on Nisan 14, 33C.E.? How did He feel as Jesus was betrayed and then arrested by a mob in the night? As Jesus was deserted by His friends and subjected to an illegal trial? As he was scourged, his back torn to ribbons? As he was nailed, hands and feet, to a wooden pole and left to hang there while people reviled him? How did the Father feel as his beloved cried out to Him in the throes of agony? How did Jehovah feel as Jesus breathed His last, and for the first time since the dawn of all creation, His dear was not in existence? Matthew 26:14-16 Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said: “What will you give me to betray him to you?” They stipulated to him 30 silver pieces. So from then on, he kept looking for a good opportunity to betray him Matthew 26:46+47 Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer has drawn near.” While he was still speaking, look! Judas, one of the Twelve, came and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people Matthew 26: 56 But all of this has taken place for the writings of the prophets to be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples abandoned him and fled. Matthew 26:59 Now the chief priests and the entire San′he·drin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death Matthew 26:67 Then they spat in his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him on the face, Matthew 27:38-44 Then two robbers were put on stakes alongside him, one on his right and one on his left. And those passing by spoke abusively of him, shaking their heads and saying: “You who would throw down the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are a of God, come down off the torture stake!” In the same way also, the chief priests with the scribes and the elders began mocking him, saying: “Others he saved; himself he cannot save! He is King of Israel; let him now come down off the torture stake, and we will believe in him. He has put his trust in God; let Him now rescue him if He wants him, for he said, ‘I am God’s .’” In the same way, even the robbers who were on stakes alongside him were reproaching him. John 19:1 Pilate then took Jesus and scourged him Words fail us. Since Jehovah has feelings, the pain He suffered over the death of His is beyond the power of our words to express. What can be expressed is Jehovah's motive for having allowed it to happen. Why did the Father subject Himself to such feelings? Jehovah reveals something wonderful to us. John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten , so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life This Bible verse is so important that it has been called the Gospel in miniature. So Jehovah's motive amounted to this: LOVE. Jehovah's gift - His sending His to suffer and die for us - was the greatest act of love ever! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't it make you just cry. For Jah's sadness and for His loving kindness toward us. What hope could we have ever had without it. Love, Katidid. 
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