A repost but so fitting for this weekend. The Lord has really been moving in my heart this week!
The face Moses had begged to see -was forbidden to see-was slapped bloody. The thorns that God had sent to curse the earth’s rebellion now twisted around his own brow…..They lift the cross. God is on display in his underwear and can scarcely breath. But these pains are just a mere warm up to his other and growing dread. He begins to feel a foreign sensation. Somewhere during the day an unearthly foul odor began to waft, not around his nose, but around his heart. He feels dirty. Human wickedness starts to crawl on his spotless being-the living excrement from our souls. The apple of His Father’s eye turns brown with rot.
His Father! He must face his Father like this!
From heaven the Father now rouses himself like a lion disturbed, shakes his mane, and roars against the shriveling remnant of a man hanging on the cross. Never has the Son seen His Father look at him so, never even felt the least of his hot breath. But the roar shakes the unseen world and darkens the visible sky. The Son does not recognize these eyes.
"Son of Man! What have you behaved so? You have cheated, lied, lusted, stolen, gossiped-murdered, envied, hated, lied. You have cursed, robbed,overspent,overeaten-fornicated, disobeyed, embezzled, and blasphemed. Oh the duties you have shirked, the children you have abandoned. Who has ever so ignored the poor, "so played the coward, so belittled My name? Have you EVER held your razor tongue? WHat a self-righteous,pitiful drunk-you who molests young boys, peddle killer drugs, travel in cliques and mock your parents. Who gave you the boldness to rig elections, foment revolutions, torture animals, and worship demons? Does the list never end? Splitting families, raping virgins, acting smugly, playing the pimp-practicing exhortation, filming pornography, accepting bribes. You have burned down buildings, perfected terrorist tactics, founded false religions, traded slaves-relishing each morsel and bragging about it all. I hate,LOATHE all these things in you. Disgust consumes me, can you feel my wrath?"
Of course the Son is innocent. He is blameless in Himself. The Father knows this. But the divine pair have an agreement and the unthinkable must now take place. Jesus willbe treated as if he is personally responsible for every sin ever committed. The Father watches as His heart’s treasure, the mirror image of Himself sinks drowning into raw liquid sin. Jehovah’s stored rage against humankind from every century explodes.
"Father Father why have you forsaken me?"
But heaven stops up its ears. The Son stares up at the One who cannot, who will not reach down or reply.
The trinity had planned it. The Son endured it. The Spirit enabled him. The Father rejected the Son whom he loved. Jesus. The Father accepted his sacrifice for sin and was satisfied. The rescue was accomplished.
The rescue accomplished here was for YOU! Before we can see the cross as something done for us (leading us to faith and worship) we must see it as something done BY us (leading us to repentance). My sins sent him there. Did you see your own offenses named on the list of sins that necessitated the cross? If not name them yourself.Name your darkest sin. Now reflect on the fact that Christ bore the punishment for that sin. He took the punishment YOU deserved. Do you feel his passionate specific love for you? He dies for YOU. He was condemned and cursed so YOU could go free. He was forsaken by God so you would NEVER be.
-From the book When God weeps by Steven Estes and Joni Eareckson Tada as quotes by Joshua Harris in Boy Meets Girl
This reminds me of a song I love, the title the same as this blog:
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
His Father! He must face his Father like this!
From heaven the Father now rouses himself like a lion disturbed, shakes his mane, and roars against the shriveling remnant of a man hanging on the cross. Never has the Son seen His Father look at him so, never even felt the least of his hot breath. But the roar shakes the unseen world and darkens the visible sky. The Son does not recognize these eyes.
"Son of Man! What have you behaved so? You have cheated, lied, lusted, stolen, gossiped-murdered, envied, hated, lied. You have cursed, robbed,overspent,overeaten-fornicated, disobeyed, embezzled, and blasphemed. Oh the duties you have shirked, the children you have abandoned. Who has ever so ignored the poor, "so played the coward, so belittled My name? Have you EVER held your razor tongue? WHat a self-righteous,pitiful drunk-you who molests young boys, peddle killer drugs, travel in cliques and mock your parents. Who gave you the boldness to rig elections, foment revolutions, torture animals, and worship demons? Does the list never end? Splitting families, raping virgins, acting smugly, playing the pimp-practicing exhortation, filming pornography, accepting bribes. You have burned down buildings, perfected terrorist tactics, founded false religions, traded slaves-relishing each morsel and bragging about it all. I hate,LOATHE all these things in you. Disgust consumes me, can you feel my wrath?"
Of course the Son is innocent. He is blameless in Himself. The Father knows this. But the divine pair have an agreement and the unthinkable must now take place. Jesus willbe treated as if he is personally responsible for every sin ever committed. The Father watches as His heart’s treasure, the mirror image of Himself sinks drowning into raw liquid sin. Jehovah’s stored rage against humankind from every century explodes.
"Father Father why have you forsaken me?"
But heaven stops up its ears. The Son stares up at the One who cannot, who will not reach down or reply.
The trinity had planned it. The Son endured it. The Spirit enabled him. The Father rejected the Son whom he loved. Jesus. The Father accepted his sacrifice for sin and was satisfied. The rescue was accomplished.
The rescue accomplished here was for YOU! Before we can see the cross as something done for us (leading us to faith and worship) we must see it as something done BY us (leading us to repentance). My sins sent him there. Did you see your own offenses named on the list of sins that necessitated the cross? If not name them yourself.Name your darkest sin. Now reflect on the fact that Christ bore the punishment for that sin. He took the punishment YOU deserved. Do you feel his passionate specific love for you? He dies for YOU. He was condemned and cursed so YOU could go free. He was forsaken by God so you would NEVER be.
-From the book When God weeps by Steven Estes and Joni Eareckson Tada as quotes by Joshua Harris in Boy Meets Girl
This reminds me of a song I love, the title the same as this blog:
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for leaving me a note!