Absolutes

It is impossible for us to get everything right. It is impossible for us to remember everything that we’ve been taught, told, and instructed to do. for us to remember every way that we are to speak and how we are supposed to act. It is impossible for us to be perfect. We will fail, we will fall short, we will not meet expectations, we will make mistakes. 

However, right now, there is one very important lesson that comes to mind as we are in this Easter season: The importance of absolutes. The words have deep meaning, but we often don’t realize how much weight they have. Absolute/absolutely, always, never, only, none, just, nothing, total/totally, constant/constantly, not, and complete/completely are examples of what absolute words are. The definition of an absolute word is this, “an absolute word is one that is complete and total. Words that are inclusive, all-encompassing, an end in themselves, and cannot be modified.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his ONLY Son, that whoever believes in him should NOT perish but have ETERNAL life.” 

The verse that is probably one of the most famous, has not one, not two, but three absolute words in it. These words cannot change no matter how you look at them. God Gave his ONLY son. There is no more, there is no less, just one. One son. One person that took on every sin, for every person. He took the punishment for the murderers, the rapists, the thieves, and the saints. He took our mistakes, our failures, our imperfections so that we will NOT die, but have ETERNAL life. 

And he died an EXCRUCIATING death because of love we could never fathom. 

The Word excruciating is an absolute that many people may not know about. It is the only word that fully describes the pain that goes into a crucifixion. The only word that was specifically created to represent the pain of crucifixion. 

The only word that can describe the pain of having his knees bent at an angle and nailed in a position that forced him to put his weight in his arms and legs which then dislocated his arms and wrists. For six hours he was in such pain that at the end his heart LITERALLY burst. His heart broke for us. 

He REFUSED to drink the wine that would numb some of the pain so that he could feel every single thing for us. Every single thing that we deserve, he took on. 

He died. He was dead. Death is supposed to be absolute. Can’t add more life, can’t take away more life. Dead is simply dead, yet he came back. Life was added to his being and he was alive. Carrying the scars of his ultimate sacrifice he rose again so that he can prepare a place for us in the kingdom of God. 

Because God knew that we could not get everything right, that we would make mistakes, that we will fall short and not remember how to speak and act in the proper way, he sent his son. Sent his son to give us a way, to give us all a way, into the kingdom of God. All we have to do is believe.