The Paradox of the Cross
The Cross (symbolic for Jesus' crucifixion) was by far the most painful experience that God and man has ever and will ever have. However, it was also the most glorious and rewarding.
Jesus, as the bearer of the cross, was both God and man here on earth when He went through the extraordinary ordeal of the cross. As man, the cross was by far the most dreadful ordeal any man has ever and will ever experience. It was torture in the highest order. Jesus experienced excruciating pain during the crucifixion. He felt pain from the strokes of cane (which was one short of what was required to kill a man according to bible commentary), the public ridicule and embarrassment, the spitting, insults, abandonment by His disciples, the mockery of the people He was saving, even the irony of being mocked by a thief (who deserved to be crucified when He wasn't), the brutality of the soldiers, the fact that His mother was witness to this sorrowful ordeal, the thirst, and above all, the rejection of His Father, who for the first time in His Life He couldn't call "Father". Oh, it was painful! It was extremely painful.
Moreover, as God, Jesus felt pain too. And not He alone, but the entire Trinity. He felt pain from the disconnection from the Trinity because of the weight of the sin of the world past, present and future. The Father felt pain that He had to forsake His only begotten Son, that His Son couldn't call Him Father for the very first time in all eternity (which Father doesn't enjoy being called "Father" by His beloved child?), Oh, it was painful! He felt pain that He had to watch His Son go through such barbarism in the hands of man they created. The sight of that must have pierced His Heart. It was extremely painful. The Holy Spirit felt pain too because He was totally 'handicapped' to a situation He could 'fix' within a twinkle of an eye. It was not only the Trinity that felt pain, the entire Heaven did too. They had to watch their Champion go through what He went through in the hands of mortal man. Oh it was painful! It was exceedingly painful. Words cannot even describe how agonizing that event was. It was indeed very severe for Jesus. The soldiers dealt brutally with Him as if their lives depended on it. Of course, He saw it all before time and that's why He was almost not going to go through with it. But thank God, He accepted the will of the Father and went through with it. Glory to God He did!
On the other hand, despite the agony of the cross, it was also the most glorious and rewarding experience God and man has ever had. Through the cross, the entire world was reconciled back to God; all sins past, present and future were forgiven; all sicknesses and diseases were healed; the veil which acted as separation between God and man was torn and man was free to approach God; the devil was stripped of the power He stole from man; abundant and eternal life was restored to man; the handwriting of requirements that was against man was wiped out (Col 2:14); man was launched into the supernaturalness ordained for him from the beginning; the dominion and authority of man over all creation as God ordained it was restored; the Father-son relationship between God and man was restored and many other glorious occurrences.
Jesus saw the prospect of the cross. He saw us. We were the joy that was set before Him that made Him endure the cross (Heb 12:2); and every time a sinner repents, the entire heaven experiences joy (Luke 15:7). He saw a possibility of being in fellowship with us and spending eternity with us. He saw it all and the pain was worth going through because in His eyes, it was incomparable to the joy we presented Him! Glory to God!
And so friends, as we celebrate Easter, let us remember and appreciate our Lord, Savior, Friend and Master Jesus for the terrible ordeal He endured for our sakes. He truly deserves our worship and adoration for being such a Wonderful and Faithful God. Glory to you Jesus. Happy Easter once more. God bless you real good.
Jesus, as the bearer of the cross, was both God and man here on earth when He went through the extraordinary ordeal of the cross. As man, the cross was by far the most dreadful ordeal any man has ever and will ever experience. It was torture in the highest order. Jesus experienced excruciating pain during the crucifixion. He felt pain from the strokes of cane (which was one short of what was required to kill a man according to bible commentary), the public ridicule and embarrassment, the spitting, insults, abandonment by His disciples, the mockery of the people He was saving, even the irony of being mocked by a thief (who deserved to be crucified when He wasn't), the brutality of the soldiers, the fact that His mother was witness to this sorrowful ordeal, the thirst, and above all, the rejection of His Father, who for the first time in His Life He couldn't call "Father". Oh, it was painful! It was extremely painful.
Moreover, as God, Jesus felt pain too. And not He alone, but the entire Trinity. He felt pain from the disconnection from the Trinity because of the weight of the sin of the world past, present and future. The Father felt pain that He had to forsake His only begotten Son, that His Son couldn't call Him Father for the very first time in all eternity (which Father doesn't enjoy being called "Father" by His beloved child?), Oh, it was painful! He felt pain that He had to watch His Son go through such barbarism in the hands of man they created. The sight of that must have pierced His Heart. It was extremely painful. The Holy Spirit felt pain too because He was totally 'handicapped' to a situation He could 'fix' within a twinkle of an eye. It was not only the Trinity that felt pain, the entire Heaven did too. They had to watch their Champion go through what He went through in the hands of mortal man. Oh it was painful! It was exceedingly painful. Words cannot even describe how agonizing that event was. It was indeed very severe for Jesus. The soldiers dealt brutally with Him as if their lives depended on it. Of course, He saw it all before time and that's why He was almost not going to go through with it. But thank God, He accepted the will of the Father and went through with it. Glory to God He did!
On the other hand, despite the agony of the cross, it was also the most glorious and rewarding experience God and man has ever had. Through the cross, the entire world was reconciled back to God; all sins past, present and future were forgiven; all sicknesses and diseases were healed; the veil which acted as separation between God and man was torn and man was free to approach God; the devil was stripped of the power He stole from man; abundant and eternal life was restored to man; the handwriting of requirements that was against man was wiped out (Col 2:14); man was launched into the supernaturalness ordained for him from the beginning; the dominion and authority of man over all creation as God ordained it was restored; the Father-son relationship between God and man was restored and many other glorious occurrences.
Jesus saw the prospect of the cross. He saw us. We were the joy that was set before Him that made Him endure the cross (Heb 12:2); and every time a sinner repents, the entire heaven experiences joy (Luke 15:7). He saw a possibility of being in fellowship with us and spending eternity with us. He saw it all and the pain was worth going through because in His eyes, it was incomparable to the joy we presented Him! Glory to God!
And so friends, as we celebrate Easter, let us remember and appreciate our Lord, Savior, Friend and Master Jesus for the terrible ordeal He endured for our sakes. He truly deserves our worship and adoration for being such a Wonderful and Faithful God. Glory to you Jesus. Happy Easter once more. God bless you real good.
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