...and. These thoughts are still brewing around in my brain. They might not be well-put-together quite yet...but...I was thinking about the things we (as believers) usually encourage each other in when we're struggling.
Though He gave perfect mercy and forgiveness to those in His life, He was receiving anger.
We point to the cross and declare that we've been forgiven and are loved...and will never know wrath. No condemnation...even though we deserve it.
We preach forgiveness, and grace. Mercy and healing.
We are compassionate as we hear other's difficulties and consider similar struggles and temptations in our own lives.
We remember peace that is ours...because we're reconciled to God.
Once we were sinners...now we are children.
And usually, we end reminding ourselves that no matter how bad it is, God is sovereign and He won't leave us. He is with us. And will stay with us through whatever we're walking through...
Then I began to think about Jesus. In the Garden of Gethsemane. The temptation to fear that must've lurked over him as He sweat blood.
I thought to myself, "What did Jesus comfort Himself with in those moments as He prayed the cup pass from Him?"
Did He say, "God is with me, and He won't forsake me." No. He couldn't. He was about to be forsaken...and He knew that. Gosh. How scary...that the One He'd known perfect communion with since eternity past...would reject Him. The Father wouldn't be with Him. Couldn't. He was becoming sin...and the Father is Holy. Christ couldn't look ahead to the pain He knew He was about to endure and think, "I can call upon the Father"...because the Father was going to punish Him. He actually WAS going to be all alone.
Did He remember, "Peace is mine because I'm declared righteous." No. He couldn't. Even though HIS righteousness was earned by HIMSELF (and mine is granted to me by another)...he didn't have that comfort. Peace wasn't His! There was nothing to "comfort" Himself with! ...and...yet...somehow...in this...He did not sin.
It's backwards.
We fear and we've been promised God's nearness.
Christ knew He'd be rejected and still...didn't fear. He trusted the Father's wisdom anyways. This...we will never experience. We will never be called to trust God AND be rejected by Him. We are called to trust Him and we are promised His nearness to us.
The Gospel is backwards to Jesus. If we were there in the garden with Christ...we could not encourage Him with the things we encourage our own hearts with.
He'd known (and deserved) only love from the Father, but got wrath instead.
He received undeserved condemnation.
He was perfect and was "unjustly" being punished.
Though He gave perfect mercy and forgiveness to those in His life, He was receiving anger.
He was a child, and now was being treated as a sinner.
And...He still obeyed. He still endured the wrath of God. All alone. So we wouldn't have to.
I'm amazed.
The Gospel is for every man that ever walked this planet...except for Christ. He is the only One who could not find comfort in the truths that we find comfort in. And yet...it is because of Him, and because of this...that we are able to have comfort at all.
Oh, may we respond in worship! He is King!
So...what do you think? Have you considered this? Is there something I'm missing? Something that needs to be added?
1 comment:
Wow. Never thought of this exactly like this before so not sure if you've missed something. Sure makes Isaiah 53 a more stark reality to me. Can't even begin to imagine that suffering!
Thanks for your faithful study of God's word my friend! Love you!!!
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