In 2002 in the lead up to Easter, our teaching series on a Sunday morning was all about Jesus and why he had come into this world, humbled himself to die and to rise from the dead. It was based on the writings of John Stott who had been asked to write his thoughts on the "Incomparable Christ" at the turn of the Millennium, identifying exactly who Jesus was and is. "There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life." (1 Corinthians 8:6).

Jesus was and remains God. He came humbly to this earth with a clear purpose - knowing he would take on all human sin and God’s anger to provide a bridge back to God. This was both a real and sacrificial love. "Christ gave up his life for us." (1 John 3:16). Jesus could have been a King on this earth but that wasn’t the Father’s will for his life.

Instead he chose to suffer jeering, beatings and ultimate death and separation from God to fulfil what had been prophesised many years before.

"He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well." (Isaiah 53:5). We can be saved and forgiven if we admit we are a sinner and wish to turn away from doing wrong things, believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead and by accepting Jesus’ leading for our lives. "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)

As we grow in our faith for Jesus, we should act in the same way as He did for us by acting as a living sacrifice - humbly serving those around us through love. We also look forward to that day when we will meet him. "We are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is." (1 John 3:2)