Tuesday, March 4, 2008
John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Mark 15:34 "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
FOR GOD *SO* LOVED THE WORLD
"Tough love" is a term that has been used in recent years to describe choosing to do what is best even when it is painful. Often a parent and a child are involved and both feel the pain. All too often drug abuse is central to these scenarios.
Could there be a more striking example of "tough love" than the crucifixion of Jesus Christ!? And we're not talking about the pain that pierced the heart of Mary His mother that day.
Of course, one thing that makes the crucifixion so striking is the fact that while it involved a Father choosing to do what was best even though it was extremely painful to Himself and His Son, it was not this Son who needed to be rescued from a destructive addiction. No, it was all we children of men who had been enticed, enthralled, and horribly addicted by and to sin. And the destruction awaiting us sinners was not only physical.
Eternal spiritual death is hard to describe to people who have trouble grasping anything involving a person's relationship with God. But to see the perfectly loving and perfectly righteous Son of God cry out in terrible agony because His Father has forsaken Him on account of His sin brings the matter home with clarity and force. Especially since we know that the guilt that is Christ's is really ours and the sin for which He is held accountable, we committed. The Father "made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Is it possible to lay too much emphasis on the little word "so" in that Gospel verse we know so well?
O wondrous Love, what hast Thou done?
The Father offers up His Son!
