When Love Holds Nothing Back

Walking in the Gift of the Cross
A Day in the Life

There are moments in the Gospels when I try to place myself beside Jesus—not as a distant observer, but as one walking closely enough to feel the weight of what He carried. As Easter approaches, I find myself lingering near the cross, not rushing past it. I imagine standing there, watching the One who spoke peace to storms now giving Himself without resistance. And in that moment, the words of Romans 8:32 begin to settle into my heart: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all…” The Greek word for “spared” here is pheidomai, meaning to withhold or refrain from giving. God did not hold back. He did not protect His Son from suffering. Instead, He gave Him fully, completely, and without reservation.

As I walk with Jesus through this day, I begin to understand something that reshapes my entire view of God. If the Father did not withhold His most precious treasure, then there is nothing in His heart that is reluctant toward me. Too often, I have approached God as though He were hesitant—measuring my prayers, weighing my worthiness, wondering if I am asking too much. But Paul dismantles that thinking. The cross becomes God’s definitive statement: there is no greater gift left to give. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “He who gave us Christ will not deny us anything that is truly good for us.” That insight reframes prayer, not as a negotiation, but as a relationship rooted in trust.

I think about how Jesus lived this reality. He walked in complete confidence in the Father’s love. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, where the weight of the cross pressed heavily upon Him, He prayed with surrender: “Not my will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). His confidence was not in the absence of suffering but in the presence of the Father. That same confidence is extended to us. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace…” (Hebrews 4:16). The word “boldly” comes from the Greek parrēsia, meaning freedom of speech, openness, and assurance. It is the picture of a child approaching a loving parent without fear.

This is where the connection to love becomes unmistakable. Our theme this week—“Becoming Who God Wants Me to Be: Love”—is not about striving to produce love through effort. It is about responding to the love already given. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The cross is not only the demonstration of God’s love; it is the source from which our love flows. When Paul speaks of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, the first and foundational fruit is agapē—a love that gives without expecting return. That kind of love is not manufactured; it is received and then reflected.

As I continue walking with Jesus in this reflection, I realize how often I have underestimated what God is willing to do in my life. If He has already given His Son, then why do I hesitate to believe that He will provide what I need today? Jesus Himself said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). The word “abundantly” (perissos) speaks of something overflowing, exceeding what is necessary. God’s desire is not merely to sustain us but to fill our lives with His presence, His peace, and His purpose.

There is a quiet but powerful shift that happens when this truth takes hold. I no longer pray as though I am trying to convince God to act; I pray knowing that His heart is already inclined toward me. As A.W. Tozer wrote, “The goodness of God is the drive behind all the blessings He daily bestows upon us.” That means every answered prayer, every moment of grace, every provision in my life flows from a heart that has already proven its love beyond question.

So today, I choose to walk in that confidence. I choose to live not as one who is uncertain of God’s care, but as one who has seen the evidence of it at the cross. The resurrection confirms that love did not end in sacrifice—it triumphed in victory. Easter stands as the eternal declaration that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39).

For further study, consider this resource: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/he-who-did-not-spare-his-own-son

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