When we deserved the worst of the worst,

Jesus gave us the best of the best.

The story of Joseph so beautifully illustrates this. Joseph’s brothers had treated him horribly. They sold him into slavery out of jealousy and bitterness. Then to cover their sin, the brothers lied to their father, giving him the impression Joseph was dead. Through a series of circumstances only God could have arranged, Joseph rose to be in second in command in Egypt. When he could have easily sought revenge on his brothers, Joseph instead used his power to do good for his family and they were all reconciled as a result. He is an amazing example to us of what true forgiveness looks like and what it looks like to trust in God, being confident in God’s sovereignty to work out His perfect plan. God worked through Joseph’s kindness to abundantly provide for his family when they were in danger of starvation, and through his example, we see a beautiful picture of the gospel.

When we deserved the worst of the worst, 

Jesus gave us the best of the best. 

We were all once dead in our sinful enslaved nature, with a hardened heart. We rebelled against God. We loved ourselves more than the God who created us. We suppressed the truth. Although we claimed to be wise, we become foolish. We walked filled with unrighteousness, wickedness, greed and evil. (Romans 1:29)  Even the good deeds we tried to do were like filthy rags before God, for without faith it is impossible to please God.   

But God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners. It is through the grace of the Lord we are saved through faith in Jesus. It is not something that can be earned or boasted about. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. God chose to save us from the foundation of the world. In Him we have redemption and the forgiveness of our sins, for He has lavished the riches of His grace on us. When Jesus died and rose again, we saw His immeasurable power and kindness. We were once without God in the world, but now we are brought near to God by the blood of Jesus. The love of Christ surpasses all understanding. We now have peace with God and we can now stand on His grace. We have been rescued from the dominion of Hell and we now have a glorious future awaiting us in Heaven with Jesus. 

When we deserved the worst of the worst because of our sin and rebellion,

Jesus gave the best of the best through His perfect sacrifice and righteousness.  

So call on the name of the Lord today, and you will be saved from the worse and the worst to enjoy the best of the best, who is Jesus Christ for all of eternity!