This particular aspect of Abraham’s rescue of Lot is very important, showing the complete and entire recovery of not only Lot but also his family, all his possessions, and all other people. It was a thorough recovery, a rescue that was complete and included everyone and everything that had been taken.
Dear friend, for just a moment, turn your eyes to the events surrounding the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus was stripped naked, then beaten and bruised, had His beard plucked out, His back torn to shreds, and His face pummeled all while wearing a crown of thorns. Then they put a cross on His back and He carried it out the city gates of Jerusalem, up a hill called Mt. Calvary.
There they laid Him on that cross, pounded nails into His hands and feet, and lifted Him up in full view of all people, who mocked and insulted Him. As His life was drawing to a close it became pitch dark at noon, the darkness covering the whole land, as we saw in the previous lesson. God had forsaken His Son, turned His back on Him, and the light of the sun went out even as the life and light of Jesus Christ were being extinguished.
Our Savior at that moment had entered the darkness, our world full of sin and rebellion and unbelief, our world of sickness and sorrows, our world of depression and loneliness and isolation. He did this not only to glorify God, not only to obey His Father but because of His love for you personally. Paul said, Jesus “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20) and you can say the same thing. Yes, Jesus loved you and gave Himself for you to rescue you out of darkness.
Do you see Him there, friend? Do you see your Savior coming for you? Do you see Him entering right into your darkness, right into your loneliness, right into your isolation and fears and emptiness? Do you see Him hanging on a cross between earth and heaven, being rejected by both? He came for you! He rescued you! Remember, He said He would do this: “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1 NIV). This all happened at the cross.
Question 4. As you consider the lengths Jesus went in order to rescue you, the love He displayed by entering the darkness to die for you, what thoughts do you get? Please share them here:
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Harris writes, "That this sacrifice is for me, and it is sufficient enough for my freedom and not only but also for my restoration."
Tori writes, "I feel loved really. As I think of it now tears come out of my eyes because for so long I didn’t know what love was. I didn’t know I was good enough for anyone to want to go beyond for me. To do anything for me, let alone die for me. My father was so out of the picture and did not care. My mother I realize now how she loved me because I am understanding what sacrifice is, even though she could not love me perfectly from her own baggage. My Christ is perfect love, he cares so deeply for me that he was willing to step down into my pain into my darkness into my despair and regrets and rescue me himself from it. Notice that God all powerful may have been able to send someone else, but he sent His only son. Christ himself came down for us, I feel that adds so powerfully to the beauty of the story that I still cannot fully grasp yet. Learning of His love is something that always grows, there’s always more depth to it, more to be known and more to experience and more to understand, more love to ravish, rescue and completely change our souls."