At One

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. ~ Romans 3:25

In my last blog I described how God had presented Jesus, as the solution and saviour. I used the analogy of my Mum presenting me at the school gates, to begin my day's education. But of course, When God the Father presented Christ for the engagement of his life's duties, what awaited him was slightly more ominous than the tasks that awaited me at Cholsey Junior School (as it was then) in rural Oxfordshire.

There is a dark tone to these words, and a tone that sometimes gets lost to Christian ears, ears that have become used to hearing of sacrifice and crucifixion, becoming somewhat anaesthetised to it's painful connotations and almost deaf to it's raw power.

If I said that some father or other in modern times had presented his child to be sacrificed, we would be shocked at that idea.

But often through overfamiliarity we are not shocked at the idea of Jesus being given over by his father. But we should be.

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood

We should be shocked that this was a measure that was required for our fore-mentioned redemption. It was This Serious.

The doctrine of the atonement is something that has come under a lot of scrutiny over the last decade or so (and I dare say a lot longer) and particularly the doctrine of substitutionary atonement. It has been described by a prominent British Church Leader, identifying as an evangelical, as 'Cosmic Child abuse'.

You see, I sort of get where he is coming from. We preach a God of love and yet we preach a God who, in one sense could be seen to be killing his own son to unjustly take the punishment of others.
I remember a line from the film 'Quills' where the Marquis de Sade is in debate and says of God that he was the worst and cruellest out of the lot them because he had 'Strung up his own son like a side of beef'. And it was a powerful statement. But it is ill conceived and lacks understanding of the depth of God's love.

The primary things we must remember when considering the atonement are thus.

1. Jesus went to his death willingly. He was not forced.

And although we could argue from the scene in the garden of Gethsemene that he did not want to, (Father if it is possible take this cup from me), but we find rather that he wrestled internally with competing desires. His greater desire was to do the will of the Father (Your will be done, not mine). He later says that

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."~ John 10:18

2. Jesus is God.

So this is the biggie, the thing that always seems to get lost by people like the Leader who accused The God of substitutionary atonement of 'cosmic child-abuse'. Jesus and God are one. If it was abuse, which it was certainly not, God and Jesus are both guilty of it. And if the supposed crime takes place within the Godhead itself, then what is the issue? Who is to question him? Which should have been our starting point in the fist place!

At Gethsemene we have been privileged to have been granted an insight into the internal wrestling within the Godhead, but that just makes this more loving. God decided to do the most loving thing he could in sacrificing his son/himself, but it was an effort. There was a struggle, born out of the great cost. Sometimes, just occasionally, we ourselves have agonised over the cost involved in doing the right thing. But that did not diminish it's rightness.  And the cost makes it all the more loving. And Christ himself was rewarded for his sacrifice. Not only given the name above every name, but he was granted the pearl of his great price.

You.

And do you know what? This will shock you (or at least it should). He got a good deal. It was worth it. Not because you are somehow so special that you merited that sacrifice, but that because love had it's way. His great love was made complete in his sacrifice and God obtained for himself, the object of his desire; the freedom of his people.

3. God SO loved the world.

This substitutionary atonement is not fair. But the unfairness was not on Jesus. He laid down his life of his own accord. No, what is not fair is that we get 'justified' when we have done nothing to earn it. We contribute absolutely nothing, zero, zip, nada to our salvation, but we are recipients of it, none-the-less.

Why?

Because God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
 

I heard a talk recently in which another preacher was quoted. We are told in Matthew's gospel that a good father will not give his child a snake when it asks for a fish, or a stone when it asks for bread. This preacher asked the question (I am paraphrasing) 'how could God give us, his children, this bread?' (salvation) and the answer was; because he gave to his other son, a snake.

 

God put our need above his own comfort. And that demonstrates his great love for the world.

God demonstrate his own love for us in this, that while we are still sinners, Christ died for us.

Atonement, for us, means being 'At One' with God. And that was only possible because the price for our sins was paid, By God, in Jesus. We often think of the cross as Jesus' sacrifice. But I try to remember that the sacrifice made by the Father was more than equal to it.

Imagine watching your perfect and innocent son being crushed and having all the resources at your disposal to stop it, and yet holding back in your great love for those who were crushing him? It can't really be contemplated or borne. It is unfathomable.

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.

 

 

God bless you,

This day,
And all days.