Written by: Nina Bueno
Editor’s note: I’m Nina Bueno, the new religion editor for the Accent! By God’s grace, I look forward to producing some uplifting material for you this semester and would love for you to contribute as well! If you are interested in writing an article for the religion column, feel free to contact me at ninab@southern.edu.
We are nearing the end of the first month of 2025. Already, the year is flying by, and we wonder how we are going to keep up with assignments, work and life in general. And as is typical when we begin a new year, I’m sure many of us made resolutions.
Perhaps resolutions to eat better, work out consistently, or spend more time with Jesus. Following the mantra of “New Year, New Me,” we will do whatever we can to become a better — perhaps even the best — version of ourselves. Yet, these resolutions often come to an end when the demands of everyday life pile up, and we realize that try as we might, we can’t actually carry them out.
Over the break, my devotions called me to meditate upon the sacrifice of Christ. It’s a hard thing to do. Many of us have grown up hearing about it over and over, and it has become commonplace.
Yet, on the other hand, it is unfathomable that a God out there somehow loved us enough to send His own Son to die for us. But as I beheld Jesus’ sacrifice and His love, I realized that we are sinners in need of Christ, and no resolve of our own can fix that.
We make so many resolutions that we will do and be better, changing this and that in our lives. But the mantra is wrong. It may be a New Year, but nothing I can do will make a new me. Instead, it is a New Year but a still-sinful, still-proud, still do-it-myself me. However, while our resolutions cannot do much, Jesus’ resolution makes all the difference in the world.
Many verses in the Bible show the resolve Jesus had in coming to die for and save us, and we should remember that He didn’t have to! It was even harder for Him because of the horrible separation from the Father that He endured. But when predicting His death to His disciples, Jesus said, “Now my soul is troubled and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:27-28).
Jesus stayed strong in His resolution and submitted to His Father’s will. Later, we read Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (Matt. 26:42).
This resolve of Christ resulted in a sacrifice, in redemption for all people. As the years pass and people continue seeking true change, we can see a beautiful truth in beholding this sacrifice. Throughout every New Year, “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8, NIV).
And His resolution remains the same, which is to “draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32) Jesus’ resolution truly does make a difference — the difference between us living in sin forever or becoming new, changed individuals. Let us allow Jesus to draw us to Himself, for we will become our best selves when we become renewed in Him.
