Yesterday I was driving home from a meeting. I don’t usually have that long of a commute, so I enjoyed the time to just think.

I started wondering what it would be like to have children. What would be required to sacrifice for my kids? How much did my mom really sacrifice for me? There aren’t enough trees in the world to write out the list I’m sure.
Then I began to wonder what it would be like to lose a child. I buried my father almost three years ago and that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I can’t even imagine having to bury my own child; a precious treasure that I gave birth to. Mothers bury their children everyday. Most, I would assume are unexpected, unplanned deaths. Whether it’s a newborn baby or a grown man, I would imagine it’s as equally hard.

But what if you knew your son was going to die and there was nothing you could do about it? My mind turned to Mary. Losing her son at 33 years old was devastating. Not only that, but she watched him be beaten beyond recognition. She saw blood drip from his body and heard agonizing screams as men continued to beat him.. and beat him.. and beat him.
I can’t imagine her pain. I can’t help but think of Jesus’ pain, knowing his mother was seeing his suffering. He loved her so much, in fact, that he appointed his disciple John to take care of her.
A mother buried her son. She said goodbye to the man whom she once held in her arms as a baby. Though she knew God’s will and wanted nothing more than to please Him, that doesn’t mean her heart broken any less. Her son was murdered. There was no trial to get justice for those that killed them. One day He was there and the next He was gone.
I think of Mary and her sacrifice. Yes, Jesus paid the ultimate price with the ultimate sacrifice. But let us not overlook Mary’s sacrifice. In her obedience to God, and perhaps unknowingly, her obedience to the ransom paid for ALL of our sins, she sacrificed her first born son.
As you finish your Christmas shopping and try to decide if you should spend the same amount on Sally as you did for Sam’s gift, think of Jesus and his mother. They both sacrificed so that we could celebrate what Christmas is really about.
Question: What blessing are you able to appreciate today because of Jesus’ sacrifice? Comment below…

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