Weekly Devotion

April 18 2021

Jesus’ Sacrifices

Romans 12: 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Twice recently I have been reminded of the sacrifices Jesus made for us. Normally we hear of the
sacrifice (singular) Jesus made by giving his human body on the cross to preserve our spiritual bodies.
We celebrate that sacrifice, and His overcoming death, at Easter. But there were other sacrifices He
made as well.

When Jesus came to earth in human form, that was a sacrifice. We celebrate that sacrifice at Christmas.
The words of a song tell us “He left the splendor of Heaven, knowing his destiny”. God willingly took on
human form and experienced human trials and temptations so that we humans could become more like
God. Jesus came as an example of how to live a Godly life, then He became the sacrifice for our human
failings, our sin, to preserve our spiritual life.

When Jesus went into the wilderness and was tempted for forty days, that was a sacrifice. Being “fully
human yet fully divine”, after days without food Jesus was humanly tired and physically weak yet when
he was tempted to use his divine abilities to provide for his human needs he resisted. That is an
example for us.

So, when Paul says in Romans 12:1 “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God…” it
really is our reasonable (spiritual) service.

Merciful Lord, thank you for the sacrifices you made for us. Guide us each day that we may serve you
sacrificially.