EMBRACING DEATH

Have you ever met the CEO of the business for which you work? I haven’t. I’ve seen videos of him. He has a slight lisp and sometimes I get distracted by that. I know that surprises you. The CEO of my company did not rise up from the ranks. There are quite a few people in upper management who have not come up through the ranks, so they don’t exactly know the ins and outs of what goes on by those who do the grunt work, by those who deal with and work with the general public on a daily basis offering customer service. Sometimes decisions are made by those in the ivory castle (corporate), and I wonder, “Did they even bother to find out from those who will be doing this if this is helpful?”


I’m thankful that God doesn’t work that way. He doesn’t sit in the ivory tower watching from his throne on high not having a clue. I am so thankful that God took on flesh becoming Jesus. Jesus was tempted. He faced death and WON! He did this for us, human. He didn’t do this for angels. No sir, He didn’t. He doesn’t reach out to help angels. He reaches out to me, His sister. He isn’t making some grand decisions from the ivory tower without experience. He was tested. He has suffered, and He did these things so He could help us. He showed us a better way through trials and temptations while He was in human form.

Hebrews 2:14-15 is a new love of mine. In the Message, “Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it’s logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death.” I want to break this down, so bear with me because I remember being scared to death of dying and of death.  EMBRACING – This isn’t a sideways hug. You know what I mean? There are some people you hug them from your side. EMBRACE means to wrap your arms around them, chest to chest. I love bear hugs. That’s the way I hug. I love them. This type hug is what I think of when I hear about Jesus EMBRACING death. When you bear hug, when you embrace something, you are bringing it into yourself and enveloping it with your body. Jesus embraced death. He took it into his body and HE KICKED IT TO THE CURB! IT’S OUT OF HERE! Devil used to use death as a kick to the gut to control people out of fear, to manipulate people. But Jesus took death and has made it into something beautiful, something to hope for. Yes, something to hope for because on the other side of death is heaven that we have access to if we ask Jesus into our hearts and claim Him as Lord and Savior. Devil = 0 Jesus = 1 + infiniti (those who have been saved and will see eternity in heaven).

So who do I call on when I’m struggling with earthly issues? Jesus. Why? Because He’s been there, done that, and won, and he’s family. Don’t you like the sound of that too? Jesus is family. Some of you may not have the best of families, but I’ve been blessed with godly parents who while not perfect loved Jesus and parented the best they knew how with what they were given. I’ve been blessed with a warped sister who is also my best friend and one with whom I cross-parent and do life with. I have a husband who has stayed through good and bad, through thick and thin. I have been blessed with children straight from God – not that they are perfect, but I know He chose them for me. And now, I call Jesus family because I’ve been adopted into HIS family. His family that is full of love, grace and mercy. His family that has no dysfunction. His family that has mansions in heaven. That’s what I’m talking about. I’m His family. No angel can say that, can they? Thankful to be REDEEMED.