The above picture is not from a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. If you look closely, you will discover this is an employee of the Richmond Wildlife Center in Virginia.
The employee is dressed up like a red fox and administering medical assistance to an orphaned red fox. The organization’s Facebook page tells us why they take this unique approach – “It’s important to make sure that the orphans that are raised in captivity do not become imprinted upon or habituated to humans. To prevent that, we minimize human sounds, create visual barriers, reduce handling, reduce multiple transfers amongst different facilities, and wear masks for the species.”
In other words, the team at the Richmond Wildlife Center understand that it takes a red fox to best serve, imprint, and bring comfort to another red fox.
This brings us to Good Friday and Easter.
Jesus knew it would take a human to best serve, imprint, and bring comfort to all of humanity.
So He came to earth, took on human flesh, put skin on, to glorify His Father and ultimately become the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.
In fairness, this is where the illustration breaks down. I cannot imagine the employee shown above willingly dying for that orphaned fox. But Jesus willingly died for you, I, and every human who ever lived.
Read the following verses:
- “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:13 (ESV)
- “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” – John 10:17-18 (ESV)
- “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:7-8 (ESV)
- “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” – I John 3:16 (ESV)
- “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – John 10:11 (ESV)
- “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8 (ESV)
To God be all the glory this and every weekend.