Life of Christ Reflection

By: Jonas B. Carlos

Unusual, out of this world, and although it may sound crazy to some, this is the reality—the
undeniable and incomprehensible truth of our God. Quoted as a fairytale for those who can’t
grasp it. But this is the realest and truest story of humanity. The gospel truth has been
debunked for millennia, but as time passes, more evidence proves it. A man who dwelt among
us, a God who died for us, a God who stooped down here on earth, a God who was born in
human flesh, lived and walked this earth like a human and died in way where no human being
would like to die. He is God, but he allowed these things to happen because of us.

Indeed, the fact that Jesus was both God and a person at birth is one of the indisputable
realities of the scripture. Hundred percent human and hundred percent indisputable God. The
greatest human miracle, the one and only prince of peace, counselor, and flawless lamb of God,
was born of a virgin. One who is pledged from the outset to be a redeemer. According to the
book of John, "All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was
made." This means that before the creation, there was a Savior who is willing to die in order to
atone for the sins of many. "

In a humble, probably dirty manger, the King of all the kingdoms of earth was born. Despite
coming from a royal lineage, he didn't live in a mansion or used a golden spoon and plate to
dine. Born into a household that is unable to purchase suitable animals to provide as a sacrifice.
It is ironic that the Lamb of God, who was sacrificed alongside pigeons and turtledoves, will
ultimately give His own life to save us. A king who’s worthy of a thousand servants had served
and worked for thousands of lives.

I feel a strange kind of joy when I ponder that Jesus was once a little child who strolled around
the earth. Sometimes, I wonder if he jostled on the busy market with Mary while carrying the
food they bought. I was amazed that once upon a time, an extraordinary God once lived like a
normal kid. This makes me wonder if He had friends during his childhood who He played with
and shared His thoughts with. Jesus was reprimanded by His parents in Luke 2, not because He
had done anything wrong or was mischievous, but rather, because He was a son to Mary and
Joseph, unconsciously forgetting the very purpose of their son, Jesus – to die on the cross for
our sins. Just thinking about these things keeps me in awe and draws me deeper in love with
God. Jesus' first miracle mirrored His love with His mother. Reading this story made me feel as
though I was reading about a close relationship between a mother and son, or as we say in our
culture, "Paglalambing nang nanay sa anak," as if Mary, a proud mother, were asking her son to
show off his talent in front of her coworkers, and Jesus, a loving child, could not say no to His
beloved mother. This is not a literal interpretation of the event, but it provides a clear
indication of how much Jesus loved His mother, which helps me to understand why, as He
draws closer to death, He continues to consider her well-being and entrusts her to His beloved
disciple.
The love and respect that Jesus gave to His mother are also reflected in how Jesus loved God
the Father. As the Bible narrated in the event of Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:22), “You are My
beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." Jesus came to this world not to please Himself but to
please God the Father by doing and living solely according to the Father’s will. A life dedicated
to executing the Father’s agenda to save humanity, offering His own life for our welfare. Thus,
as stated in Philippians 2:8, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and
became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." Right from the very
beginning, Jesus was with the Father, together with the Holy Spirit. We can feel in His prayer in
the garden of Gethsemane how hard it is for Him to die on that cross as He marches closer to
the calvary. The shame, the wounds, the beating, and all other punishment won’t even
compare with the ultimate pain that He endured on the calvary. More than the excruciating
pain the Lord felt in His wounds and on the nails of the cross, is the agony Jesus felt at the very
moment he was separated from His beloved Heavenly Father.

All throughout Jesus’ life here on earth, there is only one thing that stands out and can be seen
clearly. That is love, love for all mankind. John 3:16 says it all: " For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. "There is no other reason; everything that we have today is the result of the
never-ending love of God. All the good things we see and enjoy today, including the peace,
comfort, and privilege of being part of the family of God, were all because of the love of God.
Our God, willingly extending His grace, gave His forgiveness for free and offered His mercy at
the cost of His Son. Not because we are lovable, worthy, nor even deserving of all these.
There’s no other acceptable and logical reason other than because God loved us. The Love
Himself loved us unconditionally, and that love was manifested in Christ Jesus.

Even the ministry of Jesus was very love-founded and love-centered. He went to the outskirts of
Jerusalem and Galilee, to the place where love is needed most. He went to those people who
are not loved by society—those who are neglected and outcasts. Jesus mingled with them, even
ate with them, and even called those who were hated heavily by society for their sins to be His
disciples. Matthew is one of those, Zaccheus was one of the most controversial during His time;
he even caused a wildfire of gossip for interacting with him. He associated himself with those
people that no one would dare talk with. From the most depressing places, even the filthy ones,
Jesus went to places where most wouldn’t even set foot. He healed the blind, spoke with
beggars, and even touched the lepers. Jesus never hesitated to reach out to those who
desperately needed him. On some occasions, Jesus purposely goes to places just to meet
specific people and extend His love and grace to them. A great testament of these events is the
woman in the well, those men who are possessed by a legion of demons, and many more. We
are all familiar with this scene; this is very true, even in my case: God going His way just for me
to experience His love, like a sheep who lost his way. He left the other sheep to find me.

In His time here on earth, Jesus did not just address the issues concerning our spirit. Our God
also gave us time to focus on our issues as human beings. Jesus experienced them firsthand; He
suffered with us; He even felt some need like us; He was tempted like us; He felt tired like us;
He fed the people and provided for them in ways we can’t imagine. When His disciples had
nothing to catch, Jesus provided a catch. He encouraged those who were depressed, lifted
those who were down, and comforted those who wept. He cried with Martha and Mary at the
time they were mourning. Though He fully knows that He can resurrect Lazarus from the dead,
Jesus still wept because He couldn’t stand to see Martha and Mary cry bitterly. Jesus cared for
us so much that He is crying with us at our lowest points.

A servant leader gathers all sorts of men and attracts all types of humans. Truly a God that is no
respecter of person, gathering 12 of the most unworthy disciples: Peter, who has an anger
issue, Thomas, who is a doubter, and Paul, who’s at the act of persecuting Christians. This is
relatable and comparable to many of us, just as Jesus called me out of sin and transformed my
life. We were not called because we are holy, faithful, and kind; God called us while we were
yet sinners and very defective to work for His kingdom. Only through His never-ending kindness
and faithfulness did He transform our lives and change every aspect of them. Like the disciples,
I’m far from being worthy, but because of Jesus, who was the only true worthy, I can now come
boldly to God.

Having all authority and the right to condemn and judge all people, Jesus chose not to. A
sample of this is the adulterous woman, God chose to love her rather than cast a stone on her.
We are all filthy in front of God, but Jesus cleansed us with His most precious blood. Truly, only
the love of Christ could cover multitudes of sins. Only His love could make our scarlet sin as
white as snow. We are all worthy to die and be punished; our sins are worthy of death and hell,
and instead of us reaping the consequences of our sin, Jesus chose to bear all suffering so that
we might be worthy of the forgiveness of the Father. If it had not been because of the love of
Christ, all of us would perish, and all of us would die.

If we will try to think of it, right in Noah’s time, God could end all humanity. He has the power
to reset everything and even create new human beings. But God chose Noah and the rest of us.
God could just let the Israelites perish in Egypt, but God chose to save them and even gave
them a land that is overflowing with blessings. He could just let the Israelites die in the
wilderness, for they have been a constant cause of heartbreak to him. He could just punish
them with His righteousness, for they are too wicked, yet God chose them and even reminded
them of His covenant with them. He even established a place where He could dwell in their
midst, not because they are worthy but because God loves them, and He chose them
repeatedly, no matter how hardheaded they were.

God could just let me live my life and reap the fruits of my sin. He could just let me die and be
punished according to my sin. Yet God chose me, even if it would cause Him the life of His
precious Son. Our Lord doesn’t need to go through all the suffering He went through; He could
just stay in heaven while being adored and praised by His angels, and yet He did it anyway. No
price could match what our God did for us; even our lives aren’t worthy of comparison with the
love that He stretched to us. As our gratitude for what God has done, all we could do in return
is offer our lives and fully surrender them to God, as the song says, “And I know it's not much,
but I've nothing else fit for a king, except for a heart singing Hallelujah.”.
Life Of Christ
Reflection
Submitted By: Jonas B. Carlos

Submitted To: Ptr. Fil Francisco