A sweet-smelling aroma - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

Christ...has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Ephesians 5:2.

A sweet-smelling aroma
If we ponder over the work accomplished by the Lord Jesus on the cross, we recognise what concerns us personally: "Christ has loved us and given himself for us". He suffered and died there at Calvary in order to save us. For this we are sincerely grateful to Him.

His death also has an aspect that is related to God. The Redeemer laid down His life as "an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma". From this viewpoint we become aware how highly Christ honoured His God and Father through His work. This fills our heart with wonder and worship.

Every day during His life the Lord Jesus had already proved His devotion to God. He wished to live and work solely for Him. This became all the clearer at the cross, when He gave Himself wholly as an offering to God and laid down His life to glorify Him.

Jesus Christ became Man in order to obey His God. Every morning He waited on God to hear what He was to undertake that day. But the climax of His obedience is seen in His death on the cross, when He carried out God's will to the utmost.

God found His greatest pleasure in the perfect devotion and unquestioned obedience of His Son. Both aspects rose up before Him as a sweet-smelling aroma. Now we can bring joy to our God and Father, when our hearts consider the moral glory of our Redeemer and speak to Him about it.

Today's reading: Jeremiah 22:1-12 · Luke 24:28-43