“Because you’re worth it.” For over 50 years, L’Oreal Paris’ signature slogan has been synonymous with the mega beauty brand and has been translated into 40 languages. Those four marketing words carry global impact.
It made me think. Have you considered Jesus’ 33-year journey from the cradle to the Cross? Ever wonder if you were worth the trip?
Radio personality Glenn Beck once wrote: “Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is believing you’re worthy of the trip.”
Recently I asked the Lord to please show me that “I was worth the trip” from heaven’s throne to the Cross. You see, even on the best days, life can have this unsettling way of making us feel unworthy, undone, or unknown. Am I seen? Am I heard? Does what I do really mean anything and do I matter? The heart runs deep. It poses silent questions heard and answered only by God.
I know that I’m loved by God. My worth can’t be taken from me and I can’t lose it. But I can lose sight of it. I can forget that I’m valued. Can you relate? I presume I’m not alone here.
Perhaps I’m not good enough, spiritual enough, wise enough, or patient enough, etc. The endless list of who I think I should be drags on and overshadows who I really am. I conspire against myself every time I overvalue who I am not, and undervalue who I am in Christ Jesus.
I know that I’m loved unconditionally, but I don’t always believe it. There’s a difference between “knowing” I’m loved and “believing” I’m loved. Huh, you may ask?
The beloved apostle John wrote: “We have come to know and have believed (with deep consistent trust) the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him.” (1 John 4:16)
Knowing is good, but it’s not enough. John both knew and believed in the unwavering love of Jesus as he leaned close on His Lord’s bosom at the Last Supper. So deep was John’s trust in this unshakeable love that he referred to himself simply as “one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23)
Here’s a man who was convinced he was loved. John knew he was worth the trip. So, how can you and I know, beyond all doubt, that we were worth the trip from the cradle to the Cross?
Consider this…
Did you know that ninety percent of Jesus’ earthly life was spent in obscurity? No fame, no fans, no following, and no accolades. We know relatively little about Jesus’ private life prior to His last three years in public ministry.
But the Alpha and Omega transcended time and space. As a man, Jesus lived more than many lifetimes in only thirty-three years.
From the majesty of heaven to the manger. From the humble manger to a life lived in obscurity. From anonymity to public ministry. From supernatural ministry to crucifixion at Calvary. From the brutal wooden Cross to bloodstained burial sheets. And from the rocky tomb to glorious resurrection in three days. “Wow” is surely an understatement!
Jesus’ path to the Cross was marked by agony and triumph. Yet it was a journey of ultimate love and reconciliation. Every footstep inched Him closer to death and He knew it. However, His life was never cut short; rather it was divinely appointed for you and me. Not a moment, not an hour, not a day was left to chance or coincidence. Jesus was born to die so that we might live. And He knew it.
He declared: “I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Jesus knew who He was, why He came, and why His trip to the Cross was crucial. He made the trip just for you.
Jesus had this wonderful way of going out of his way. He went the extra mile for those whom the world had forgotten and forsaken. Consider His visit with the Samaritan woman at the well.
In Jesus’ time, the shortest distance between Judea and Galilee cut through Samaria. But centuries of religious bias separated Jews and Samaritans. For Jesus, this appointment at a Samaritan well would mean 35 miles of rocky, hilly terrain on foot. No Uber, no skateboards, not even a pair of Skechers. Simply some weather worn sandals.
At the risk of being labeled ceremonially unclean, Jesus spoke with that outcast woman and transformed her life. How?
He invited her to chat with Him. In doing so, He identified her strengths and weaknesses with grace. He saw her worth and value as no one else could. Then He revealed who He was to her. And suddenly the outcast became an evangelist. A divine appointment.
On this Good Friday, I want to encourage you… YOU are worth the trip! Jesus didn’t have to descend from heaven. He didn’t have to endure all the pain and suffering. He didn’t have to surrender His life on the Cross.
He chose to make the trip just for YOU.
The Bible says: “…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
On this Resurrection Sunday, I want you to know that you and I are the reason Jesus chose to give up His life on the Cross. He laid down His own life to buy us back from the slave market of sin into reconciliation and relationship with Him. He went to the Cross so that we would always be close to Him.
Jesus was born to die so that you might live. This was His journey of love. Plus, He found joy in the journey. Yes, you are worth the trip!
So whenever and wherever you take Holy Communion, I hope you will see it as a divine invitation. To come and see His Cross as the place of total acceptance. His Cross is the only place to go with every weakness, every failure, every disappointment and heartache.
When I blow it and make mistakes, I go to the Cross. When I’m feeling weak and insecure, I go to the Cross. The Cross is not for strong and perfect people; the Cross is for broken people. For those who recognize their weaknesses and limitations.
Jesus said: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent (to think differently).” (Luke 5:31-32; Mark 2:17)
The Cross is the one place I know I’ll never be rejected, never be condemned, never be scolded, and never be refused. I’ll find unconditional love and acceptance for my flaws and imperfections.
Better yet, the Cross not only receives the broken but it also transforms them! I may come to Jesus in pieces, but I will not stay fractured and bruised. The Cross is where the shattered are healed, restored, and made whole from the inside out. From broken to beautiful.
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the punishment for our peace and well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
The Cross is not simply a historical event or a Christian symbol. It is not a fashion statement. It is the ultimate outpouring of God’s love upon fragile and flawed humanity. It’s indisputable proof that you are worth the trip. Every time you partake of Holy Communion remember just how much Jesus loves you. He said: “…do this in remembrance of Me.”
Friends, life may take us to unexpected places. But love always brings us home. Jesus made the trip to the Cross to bring us home to rest within the Father’s heart.
So the next time you blow it, fall short, or are having a rough day, remember… you are worth the trip… especially on those rough days. And you are special, uniquely special. Thank you, Jesus, for making the trip for us!