Love So Amazing

Love So Amazing
Words of Faith 3-27-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 14
[27] "You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: " 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' [28] But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." [29] Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not." [30] "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today-- yes, tonight-- before the rooster crows twice, you yourself will disown me three times." [31] But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.

Jesus had just declared by powerful image and symbol that He is the Bridegroom and the Disciples, with the people of God, are the Bride. He sealed this betrothal with a cup of wine declaring that He would not drink from the cup again until He returns for His bride. But then, Jesus said a strange and sad thing: "You will all fall away."
Can you imagine if, after an engagement party, the Bridegroom predicted the bride's unfaithfulness just after the betrothal? Such a prediction would probably break the engagement in our world and time! Of course, there were strong denials from Peter and all the others. But Jesus was emphatic in His declaration that there would be unfaithfulness during the marriage and even before the first night of the engagement was over!
Here, we see the immensity of God's grace in Christ Jesus. An earthly bridegroom would never seal his betrothal with a bride he knew would be unfaithful. An earthly bridegroom would walk away from such a ketubah (marriage contract), but not Jesus. He is a heavenly Bridegroom. He had weighed the price carefully. His love for the bride was not based on a prominent family name or a significant dowry. His love for the bride is totally undeserved and is so great that even unfaithfulness will not keep Him from paying the full bride price and setting the date for the wedding feast.
Such undeserved love is unequaled and unexplainable. This Bridegroom did not choose the bride based on her holiness or "proven virginity." Instead, he chose to serve her, giving Himself for her and cleansing her by washing with water through the Word to present her to Himself as a radiant bride without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, holy and blameless (Eph. 5:25-28). It is overwhelming, this love...
This love of God is nothing new. We see it in the patience of the Lord with Israel in the Old Testament. We see it in the story of Hosea. Do you recall the story? That Hosea might understand the love of God, He was commanded to marry an adulterous wife, Gomer, and then continue to love her even when she was unfaithful. This is the unmerited love of God, treated with disdain yet unrelenting and overwhelming in its resolve to redeem and heal. "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them" (Hosea 14:4).
Have you ever been loved so much? Have you ever been loved by someone who knew you would betray them yet loved you nonetheless? There is only one such love, that of the Bridegroom Jesus. Our "dowry" of service, tithes, and offerings is all we have to offer. But anything we offer is an embarrassing shortfall compared to His gracious love for us. And how embarrassing to think we might consider withholding a part of that meager dowry.
Jesus loves you. Not for your family name. Not for what you do or give. Not because of your faithfulness but despite your unfaithfulness. Isaac Watts put it this way: "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all."

Lord, forgive me for misjudging Your love for me. Forgive me for withholding any part of my paltry dowry. Forgive me. Thank you for Your pledge to return for me. Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.