During Jesus’ journey to Calvary– from the time of him being taken in the garden through to his dying upon the cross, there is an odd irony to it all. I am not sure how to express it. The Gospels clearly describe horrific things being done to Jesus such as his false trial, his torture, the mocking of the people and finally the brutality of the cross, yet what is being visibly described is both true and not true. Please do not hear me wrong, yes, the gospel accounts are absolutely historically true, but an eyewitness on that day would witness Jesus as a person who is a fool and not a king, a person lacking power to do anything, a person condemned to die, and a person who is unloved by the Father, all of which are not true. This is what I mean by saying that what is visibly being described in the gospels is both true and not true. Jesus never once ceased to be the King, he never ceased to be powerful, he never ceased to be the one who saves, and the Father never ceased to love him. When the soldiers mocked him (Matthew 27:27-31), little did they know that Jesus really was the King of Kings. When Jesus was mocked as being weak and having no power by people jeering at him to come off the cross and save himself (Matthew 27:32-40), little did they know that Jesus’ awesome power was on display as he chose the cross and interceded on our behalf. Even when they jeered at Jesus and said to him “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him (Matthew 27:43),” little did they know that the Father Himself grieves the death of the Son as the temple curtain is torn from top to bottom just as one would tear a garment in grieving over the death of a loved one. Yes, Jesus became sin on our behalf and suffered a punishment and wrath that we cannot comprehend seen in his cry of agony, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” but this does not mean that the Father ceased to love the Son. All of God suffered at the cross.
This odd irony of what we see as being both true and untrue is what it means to live by faith. As I write this post we are living through one of the most horrific times of a generation. Thousands or people are literally dying each day, the liberty to gather and move about has be severely limited, many have lost their jobs, and concerns about the future abound. In this context many think or voice that God has no power, that he does not love, and that he does not save. What is visible says that death wins, fear reigns, and all persons must save themselves through actions driven by selfishness and dread. This is not true.
- Truth is that death does not win for we have victory in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
- Truth is that fear is not the master for God’s perfect love has cast it out (1 John 4:18).
- And Truth is that through our own weakness the Lord’s grace, strength and glory is revealed. His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Faith is recognizing what is untrue in the visible and knowing, believing, and living by the Truth that is unseen. And here is the truth – You are not alone no matter how alone you are. You are loved no matter how unloved you feel right now. And death is not the end no matter how final it seems, for there is life that survives the grave (John 11:25). Thus, like our Lord’s journey to Calvary, let us too live by faith and not by sight as we follow Him.
Grace and Peace
Pastor Trent Eastman (4/7/2020)
Concerning the Word of Life 