Jesus is the most incredible example of extravagant love. Love that literally went above and beyond anywhere that our earthly love could go. Father God’ s extravagant love empowered Jesus as he left His Father’ s side in heaven, to come to earth as a tiny vulnerable child. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Extravagant love empowered Jesus, (who had only experienced the perfection of heaven) to live in the midst of this sinful world. Extravagant love strengthened Jesus as He looked into His Heavenly Father’ s eyes in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was desperate, knowing that the brutal cross lay ahead of him, as he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” In that moment Jesus was filled with overwhelming love both for his Father and for you. He longed to be reunited with his Father but could not go without making a way for you and I to encounter his Father, face to face like he could.
Extravagant love kept Jesus hanging upon the cross, as he died a barbaric cruel death, hanging there with the weight of my sin and your sin upon his shoulders. Jesus’ love, life and death made a way that we can all fully engage with Father God and be vessels not just filled but overflowing with His overwhelming extravagant love. God’ s extravagant love is the powerful antidote that brings breakthrough into our lives when we are willing to completely lay down everything and live for Christ; that’ s the Gospel, the divine exchange. He takes us and our mess, and transforms us and empowers us, to be a message carrying the Gospel to the world.
God is looking for those who have laid everything down and who are willing to serve Him and fall in love with Him. As we love Him we are filled with so much extravagant love, we are empowered by Holy Spirit to live in such a way that we glorify God. Matthew 12:18 says, “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.”
We are created to live a life of extravagant love, firstly we receive it for ourselves – we believe who God says we are and we allow His unconditional love to cleanse and heal us, no matter where we have been, what we have done or what has happened to us. We stop being victims and we become victorious, joy and hope filled glory carriers. Then because of God’ s extravagant love filling us, we can see people through God’ s lens of love and we cannot resist sharing that love with them. Our lives become a lifestyle of worship, prayer and declaring God’ s word from that position of extravagant love. Our lives glorify God and He trusts us to pour out His Spirit, and we experience a flow of signs, wonders and miracles that all continue to demonstrate God’ s amazing and extravagant love.
Sue Sinclair is the leader of Community Watchmen Ministries and a leader in the city of Liverpool. Find out more at www.cwmprayer.com
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