A Love Moment

            I held my daughter close on my lap, as I watched my husband hold his white haired Dad’s hand, while he sat beside his hospital bed having a heartfelt conversation.

           

My husband spoke loud and clear. His Dad answered slowly, and yes, he did believe that Jesus Christ died for his sins.

            “That’s the best gift you could ever give me, Dad,” my husband smiled.

            In response, his Dad brought their two clasped hands to his face, and gave my husband’s hand a long kiss.

            Tears rolled from my eyes. I felt honored to be a witness of this interaction of love between a Dad and his son.

            Then to add to the moment, a few seconds later, he brought their hands up to his face again, and kissed his son’s hand once more.

            So precious…

            It was possibly one of their final moments together, and it was filled with love, and a guarantee they would see each other once again in heaven.

            No goodbyes…rather a, “I’ll see you there when it’s my turn.”

             All because…God gave us His Son, Jesus, who is the greatest gift ever given to those who believe in Him.

            John 3:16-19New International Version (NIV)

 

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

 

Hebrews 10 New International Version (NIV)

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. ² Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. ³ But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. ⁴ It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

⁵ Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
    but a body you prepared for me;
⁶ with burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you were not pleased.
⁷ Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
    I have come to do your will, my God.’”^[a]

⁸ First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. ⁹ Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

¹¹ Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. ¹⁴ For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

¹⁵ The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

¹⁶ “This is the covenant I will make with them
    after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds.”^[b]

¹⁷ Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts
    I will remember no more.”^[c]

¹⁸ And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

All because...God loves!