And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:8 NIV
Obedient to Death
According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada, accounting for 25.9% of all deaths in 2023. Closely following is heart disease, which caused 57,890 deaths or 17.7% of total mortality. Cancer and heart disease combined caused nearly 44% of all deaths in Canada in 2023. Accidental deaths, including falls and overdoses, ranked third—highlighting ongoing public health challenges beyond chronic disease. Deaths from diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and chronic liver disease also remain persistent health burdens.
***
Back in the book of Genesis, God used a faithful man, Abraham, and his young son Isaac to drive home one of the most important spiritual lessons in the Bible. In Genesis 22, we read the command of God to Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. No doubt the Lord was testing the faith and obedience of Abraham, and the patriarch passed that test with flying colours. In the end, God provided a ram for the sacrifice, just as Abraham had told Isaac when the boy asked where the sacrifice was. Thousands of years before Jesus came, God had revealed His plan. The ram in this story was not the ultimate sacrifice. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming, he proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world. No wonder Paul would write in Philippians 2:8: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” You are Isaac, and Jesus is the lamb who became obedient to death – for you.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley