Always a Choice

By Tina Yerkes
God sent Jesus to earth to be fully human, fully divine, and to be the sacrifice for each and every one of us. Being fully divine, Jesus could have chosen to change the course of “Easter week” at any point.
Take a moment to read Matthew 4:1-11 where Jesus is tempted by Satan. This passage is from the beginning days of his ministry on earth. He wasn’t even close to what was to come at the cross.
Jesus was tired, hungry, and weak. When I am tired and hungry, I can tell you, that is when I am at my worst. Jesus was 40 days tired and hungry…However, Jesus made the choice to stay true to His mission and to what God told Him to do. And He not only resisted but commanded Satan to leave while putting him completely in his place. Matt 4:10 & 11 says, “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him. Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
Everywhere we look, there are problems, issues, angers, temptations, frustrations, and sadness, plus just about anything that can be thrown at us. God has given us an example to follow as well as the ability to say NO to what we shouldn’t and YES to what we should. We have a choice to obey or to go the other way. Jesus had a choice too. He did not have to go to the cross and endure all that He went through. We have the choice to obey and follow Him.
And the end of that verse is so powerful and I think sometimes overlooked. The angels came and took care of Jesus! Jesus, fully human, needed care. Jesus, fully divine, had angels at His time of need.
Whatever you may be going through right now, leave it at the foot of the cross. You have a choice. There is always a choice. It may be more of how you might react to something verses what path to take. Jesus is with you and He has angels at His beck and call. Even Jesus needed care. Take comfort and be empowered in that, friends.