God Died

God died.

How is that even possible?

How could the all-powerful Creator of the Universe, the very master of all things, who created the concepts of life and death, die?

It’s impossible, isn’t it?

Apparently not.

He died on the first Good Friday, and He died at our hands. Not just the hands of the priests who conspired to have him eliminated and the Romans who actually carried out the crime, but at your hands and my hands.

Jesus came and died to save sinners, and that includes you and me. A somewhat trite, but still True, Christian saying is: If you were the only person in the world, Jesus still would have done what He did.

Just for you.

That’s how much He loves you.

And the glass-half-empty (and equally accurate) interpretation of that Truth is that he’d still have had to. Your sin alone makes the Cross necessary.

The entire story of Jesus’ crucifixion is absolutely heartbreaking, but two things Jesus says while hanging on the Cross really cut me to the quick:

1. My God, My God, why have you forsaken me. – Matthew 27:46
2. Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. – Luke 23:34

Jesus’ pain on the Cross is so great – both physical and emotional (Jerusalem went from Hosanna! to Crucify Him! in five days. Judas betrayed Him. Peter denied even knowing Him. All of the disciples abandoned Him) – that He feels as though even His Heavenly Father has forsaken Him.

Sometimes I wonder if Jesus’ being fully divine somehow made Him less human, but this quotation, where He quotes His ancestor David in Psalm 22, strongly suggests otherwise. Under tremendous pain and stress and rejection and humiliation, even Jesus momentarily doubted God!

And in spite of His brief, understandable, pain-induced speculation that God had turned His back on Him – even while enduring excruciating pain of torture and rejection – He prayed to His Father for mercy on the very people who actually did turn our backs on Him!

On you, and on me. 

And the Father answered His prayer.

“How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure. That He would give His only son, to make a wretch His treasure.” – Stuart Townend

Peace be with you.

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