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| Descent from the Cross by Sadao Watanabe, 1973 |
The Son of God sacrifices His life
for something He wants more:
the lives of you and me.
This is the strangest event
in the history of the universe.
But for us it is also the mightiest
and most gracious.
+ The Mightiest Sacrifice,
Deep Down Faith
Last spring, I had the joy again of spending some time with young people connected to Emmaus City Church engaging the Scriptures alongside one of my favorite reflections on God called Deep Down Faith by Cornelius Plantinga Jr. Plantinga, like C.S. Lewis in many ways, has a gift for discussing profound thoughts in whimsical, rich, and accessible ways for young and old alike.
In honor of St. Valentine's Day and the witness of the 21 martyrs who died on February 15, 2015, today's post focuses on Jesus' sacrifice on the cross being the strange, yet ultimate symbol of love and acceptance. Some helpful Bible Project videos that complement this post include "Messiah" and "Atonement."
The Cross Is Still a Strange Thing
We have seen and heard of it so often it no longer surprises us. But it is strange. Planted like a scarecrow in the center of our religion is an ugly, humiliating thing. People wear it on a chain like a charm. Churches mount triple-sized replicas of it twenty feet off the ground. Two-year-old Catholics (and Orthodox Christians) learn how to touch out the pattern of it on their own heads and chests. We have gotten used to it. But it is still a strange and ugly thing.
A torture rack is the main symbol
of the Christian faith: a cross.
Christians see Jesus Christ
not just as Messiah,
but as crossed-up Messiah.
He is not just Immanuel,
but God with black eyes
and a split lip
and a beard matted with
other men's spit.
He is not just one of us,
but a scapegoat
for all of us.
This is all very strange. The apostles went up and down the Mediterranean basin preaching "Christ crucified." People thought they were crazy. Who else would dream of celebrating the death and humiliation of their God? Who else would think there was universal power in a rubbed-out preacher, dead weight hanging from spikes on a dreary afternoon?
It is strange, but true. God deals with sin (ours and the world's) by the sin of Romans and Jews. God conquers death by death within the holy Trinity. God overcomes misery by the misery of His Son. Because of the capital punishment of Jesus Christ, last-minute pardons are issued for us. By His scarred hands and spiked feet we are healed.
The whole process is called atonement. It means putting right what sin puts wrong. It means repairing a broken relationship. It means making amends for sin, paying the price to cover the damages. The Bible and Jesus' Church, in fact, use a number of words for what happens in atonement — words like reconciliation, redemption, satisfaction, and sacrifice.
When you sacrifice, you give up something of value in order to get something of even greater value. The Son of God sacrifices his life for something He wants more: the lives of you and me. This is the strangest event in the history of the universe. But for us it is also the mightiest and most gracious.
God did not turn away
from a world bent on destruction
but turned to face it in love.
With patience and tender care,
The Lord set out
on the long road of redemption
to reclaim the lost as His people
and the world as His Kingdom.
You Are Accepted by the Son of Man
(as seen in The Man of La Mancha)
When God accepts us,
we can accept ourselves.
Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes tells a story that helps us understand acceptance. He tells about Don Quixote, a brave but awkward knight. In one episode (adapted in The Man of La Mancha; see also "The Scandal of Grace and Don Quixote") Don Quixote comes into a little village inn, where he meets the village prostitute. She is a prostitute. There can't be much doubt about that. After all, everybody in the village says she's a prostitute. And everybody treats her like a prostitute. Most important, when people look at her with scorn, she reads "whore" in their eyes.
But the strange and brave Don Quixote doesn't see a prostitute when he sees this young woman. He sees a noble lady. He tells her she is a great and noble lady. He treats her as though she is royalty. And most important, when he looks at her, she sees in his eyes the image of a great and respected person. When she sees this image in Don Quixote's eyes, she recognizes it as her real self.
So she starts acting like the image she recognizes. She stops acting like a prostitute and starts acting like a great and respected person. She becomes Don Quixote's noble lady.
This is what acceptance can do for unacceptable people. The God who comes for us in Jesus Christ is forever looking at people like you and me and saying not only with His lips and eyes but also with His life the words, "son," "daughter" (ex. see The Chosen's "She was healed by touching hem of His garment?"), "noble lady," "my child."
The same terrifying cross on Golgotha
that tells us we needed someone to die for us
also tells us that God thinks we were worth
dying for.
If God accepts us,
who are we to condemn ourselves?
For Reflection
Who will bring any charge against
those whom God has chosen?
It is God who justifies.
+ Romans 8:33 (NIV)
"When God accepts us,
we can accept ourselves."
What does this mean to you personally?
Prayer Starters
Talk to God as the Father
who totally accepts you
and calls you His child.
Ask God to help you feel
and act as an accepted
and free person.
Thank God for making you
His child.
Q. What is your only comfort
in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own
but belong —
body and soul,
in life and in death —
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ
+ You Are Accepted,
Deep Down Faith
Previous cross-focused posts:
May God's Kingdom come, His will be done.
Que le Royaume de Dieu vienne,
que sa volonté soit faite.
愿神的国降临，愿神的旨意成就。
Nguyện xin Nước Chúa đến, ý Ngài được nên.
Jesús nuestra Rey, venga Tu reino!
🙏💗🍞🍷👑🌅🌇
With anticipation and joy,
