Do you remember the fairy story of the three billy goats gruff? The smallest goat went to cross the bridge and the troll who lived under it was going to eat him up. ‘Oh, don’t eat me said the smallest billy goat, a bigger billy goat is coming along soon’. The troll waited for the bigger billy goat – ‘Oh don’t eat me’ said the second billy goat, ‘another even bigger billy goat is coming along soon’. When the biggest billy goat got there, once again the troll said he was going to eat him, but the biggest billy goat was able to defend himself and the troll was sent packing…. or words to that effect.
Anyway, what it got me thinking about was sacrifice. The first two billy goats happily offered up another billy goat to save themselves. Talk about throwing someone under the bus!
When Jesus sacrificed himself for us, it was not because we offered him up, but because he offered himself up. The purpose of his life was to take the sin of the world and die for it so that we could live lives with no fear, no burden, and no spiritual death. The greatest sacrifice that was made for mankind was made by one man, and what an amazing man he was.
Lord, thank you for the amazing sacrifice you made for us. You willingly paid the price for our sin. Help us to learn from your goodness so that we can be the people you want us to be. Amen
Jacqui