The Passion of Christ

In four days, the church of Jesus Christ will be celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.  Each year during this time, you will hear pastors talk about the passion of Christ.  But what is the passion of Christ?  Many would say it is the period of intense suffering in the life of Jesus from the Garden of Gethsemane to the crucifixion.  To others, the passion of Christ evokes images of gruesome punishment depicted in movies such as Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ. Without a doubt these views are correct, but I have discovered that there is much more to the passion of Christ.

First, let’s look at what it means to be passionate?  According to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, to be passionate means “having, showing, or expressing strong emotions or beliefs."

What was the source of Christ’s passion?  It was His intense love for mankind.  The great love of Jesus resulted in His extreme commitment to walk a very precise and narrow path to redeem mankind.

For the purpose of reconciling humans to God, He “...made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:7-8)  

His passionate love caused Him to leave behind the glory and majesty of His throne in heaven, take on human form, and live an obedient life of self-sacrifice required by the holiness of God. Only such a selfless life could produce the pure, innocent blood sacrifice required to cover the sins of those who put their faith in him. (Ephesians 1:7-8)

In Matthew 4:8-9, the devil offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world in exchange for His worship.  This offer represented a way for Jesus to establish His kingdom on earth without the cross.  It may have seemed like an easy short cut, but Jesus was passionate to accomplish the exact plan of the Father and so He rejected it.  Even in John 6, when a crowd tried to make Jesus a king by force, He again rejected their attempt because it would have caused Him to stray from the cross.  The final words of Jesus as He hung dying on the cross were a proclamation of victory.  Like a runner crossing the finish line in agony, yet with great emotion in overcoming obstacles, Jesus said, “It is finished!” (John 19:30)

The passion of Christ originated in love, was directed by the purpose of God, and was lived in dependence on the presence of God.  Jesus declared that every word He said was given to Him by God, the Father. (John 12:49)  In order for this to happen, Jesus lived every moment in fellowship with the Father.

The life of Christ has set a pattern for living a passionate life before God.  Believers in Jesus experience a spiritual rebirth that results in the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. (John 3:3) Therefore, believers have everything needed to live a passionate life for Christ.  Why then are there so few passionate Christians?  I believe the answer lies in the fact that so few Christians follow the pattern of Christ's life.

First and foundational to everything else, is the importance of building a love relationship with Jesus.  Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."  This is an ambitious goal, but one that is critical for believers to endeavor to achieve.

The love of Christ is the most precious, personal, and intense of relationships.  Believers must learn to live in daily dependence on Jesus, seeking His will, and experiencing His presence.  Paul says that believers are to set their minds on what is true, noble, right, and praiseworthy, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)

It may not be possible to do this all the time, but the more God is experienced, the more your mind will dwell on Him and with Him.  This produces ever increasing praise, worship and thoughts of God that translate into actions that express love, and seek to honor Him.

In practicing the presence of God, the purpose of God is discovered. This is summed up in the Great Commission where Jesus commands His disciples to go and tell others everything that He has revealed to them. (Matthew 28:19-20)  This is crucial to understanding and following God’s plan for our lives. Sharing personal encounters with God makes for passionate expressions of teaching, praise, and worship!

Finally, the power of God is made evident in actions originating from the love, purpose, and presence of God.  God energizes us, resulting in intensified joy and boldness to do His will.  Evidence of the power of God revealed through believers includes unexpected insights and blessings.  Other evidence of the power of God flowing through believers includes changed lives and spiritual growth based on increased faith, wisdom, and knowledge.

Along with God’s ever present power, is a love that transforms our lives and inspires us to be passionate in our pursuit of Christ!

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