The Cost of Saving Myself

Whenever I read the account of Jesus' crucifixion I am always grabbed by the words of the onlookers -"Save Yourself!" I wonder what life would be like if Jesus had saved Himself.
Surely the temptation was great to do so. Did you see the physical torture that He had to go through? He was scourged - that is, whipped with a cat-of-nine-tails so that his back would have been ripped up into ribbons of flesh. He was beaten with rods, had thorns pierce His skull, nails penetrate his hands and feet. Beyond the physical was the humilation, the ridicule and contempt of his enemies, but even the desertion of those who were His friends. But if we understand the cross these were not the things that troubled Jesus most.
What troubled Jesus most was being forsaken by God. The fact is while on the cross Jesus bore our sins, and having bore our sins, the punishment, literally the hell those sins deserved was placed on Christ. That hell, that being forsaken or separated from God is what made Jesus cry out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" That was the worst part of the cross which would have made it very tempting for Jesus to try to save Himself.
But thanks be to God He did not do that, for if He had saved Himself, we all would have been lost.
There is an interesting parallel to this in the book of Esther. Esther is confronted with a similar dilemna. She could save herself which would result in the Jewish people being annihilated, or she could risk all to save them. Her choice prefigures the choice our Savior made.
I think the application to our lives is obvious. We can try to save our lives - to make them comfortable - to seek our own pleasure and safety. But in doing this there is great cost to others around us and it seems to always include some manifestation of death. But if we are willing to lay down our life, risking all to serve God and others, God will use this to bring His life to others, and by the way, we will experience life in its fullness.
May we be reminded today... there is great cost in saving ourselves, but there is great reward in laying down our lives for others as we follow the example of Jesus and are led on by His life that fills us.