The kiss of death, the kiss of life

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).

In December of 1878, the death of Princess Alice the second was announced to Parliament. Her death had come about through an act of love. Alice’s daughter had contracted diphtheria; the royal physician had forbidden her to kiss her child, lest she also contract the deadly disease. But during a bad spell of delirium, the young mother could not hold back; she took her daughter in her arms to soothe her. When the child eventually opened her eyes and said, "Mama, kiss me", the princess was overcome with love. Without stopping to think, she kissed her sick child on the lips—but this proved to be the kiss of death. In a few days, the daughter had recovered, but her mother lay pale and cold beneath a royal funeral shroud.

Princess Alice gave up her life out of love for her child. This is the same kind of love that Jesus has for us. We are all sick with a terminal disease—the disease of sin. Sin makes our lives miserable. Our bodies suffer from disease and the effects of encroaching old age. Our minds are clouded by sinful thoughts and desires. Eventually, the infection of sin will kill us. Left untreated, not only will our bodies die, but our souls will experience an eternity of dying in hell.

Because of His love, Jesus came to rescue us from the sickness of our sins. In the waters of holy Baptism, our Lord takes His children in His arms and gently kisses them. At baptism the infection of our sin is transferred to the Son of God, who died from that terrible infection on the cross of Calvary. But the death brought by our sin was not strong enough to keep Jesus in the grave; on the third day He rose to new life, completely cured, completely healthy. He rose so that He could continue to love us—to hold us and sooth us while we live in a world made sick by sin, and to rescue us from the grave so that we can live in eternal health with Him in heaven. Please join me in praying,

We thank You, Lord Jesus, for loving us so much that you would give Your life in exchange for ours. Please forgive us for the times when we try to push You away. Hold us in Your loving embrace, and give us the blessed assurance that You will make everything okay. Amen.