First, look at the obedience of Jesus Christ. He was perfect. Not one single time did He lose track of His life purpose. Not one single error in His thinking. He didn't hold any false doctrine about God. Neither did His heart separate thinking from feeling. He never let His joy be determined by His situation. His joy in God was the result of painstakingly thought out theology. Not once did He look lustfully upon a woman. Not once did He wish He could kill His enemies. He was never angry without cause. He never erred in His keeping of the 10 commandments. He never coveted something that belonged to His neighbor. He was never frustrated when He didn't get His way. He never once in His entire life complained to God. He never took God for granted. He spent as much time as He could in prayer but He did not neglect practical obedience to His Father. He never prayed to the neglect of His day to day duties of loving His people, healing their infirmities, or preaching the Word to them. Not once. His record was the only one unblemished in the entire history of humanity. BUT He didn't slip into pride as a result of it. He was remarkably humble and easy to approach. This man was like no other. There was no slipping, no disobedience, no shortcuts taken in His ministry. He didn't cut corners to get to the "spiritual results" faster. He didn't neglect anyone who came to Him for grace and love. Neither did He let anyone escape His anger when they had sinned. He never downplayed sin or encouraged someone whose actions were NOT to be encouraged! He was angry with others but not at the expense of graciously showing them their mistakes. All of this to say, Jesus Christ did not sin even one time. He. Was. Perfect. Unblemished. Whole. Devoid of sin. Completely righteous in every possible way.
Now flip everything around. Pretend that everything I just said was the complete opposite of reality. That's the punishment Jesus received. Here's how God looked at Him as He hung on the cross:
A thief. A liar. A drunkard. A man who showed no mercy. A man who hated everyone who crossed his path. A man guilty of rape, murder, incest, sodomy. A porn addict. An alcoholic. A person who never controlled his temper but allowed it to flare for no reason at all. A man who beat his wife. A man who rapes his children and then kills them. A guy that beats his dog and laughs as those who need his protection starve to death. A corrupt judge who takes bribes. A man who organized mass exterminations and laughed as his victims begged for mercy. A man who sleeps with different hookers every night. A man who is warned that there is a judgement but scoffs and threatens the one who warned him. An atheist. Someone who has twisted desires and doesn't hesitate to fulfill them. A serial killer. Someone who gets a sexual charge from physically injuring others and then violating their dead corpses.
I'm talking about the One whose gifts are infinite. Who willingly subjected Himself to death for YOUR sins. He's getting hit with licks deserved by religious hypocrites. He's in the fiery pit as if He was a wicked liar with twisted desires.
He's the source of all godly pleasure but he's being treated as if He's a child molester. HOW CAN HE BE TREATED THIS WAY! NOBODY deserved glory EXCEPT for Him! And HE'S getting all the shit that should have fallen on YOU and ME! He put forth the maximum work. He never slacked in doing righteousness but He's getting punished like one who never slacked in doing UNrighteousness! He is PERFECT in love and wisdom but He's being punished like he constructed the corrupt justice system! Like he's selling crack and pot and seducing teenage girls or looking at the most vile, abusive porn on the internet when he's not out performing violent sexual acts on the general populace!
When you look at the cross with these eyes you see how NUTS it is! I mean seriously! What. the. HELL! Christ suffered more in those 6 hours than anyone EVER will in hell! Let this cause you to weep over your sin and worship the One who put it away forever! He was NOT obligated to show you mercy! He wasn't obligated to do ANY of this! Nor does He do it to control you. He simply does it because. He. Loves. You. "Nobody takes my life from me. I lay it down of my own accord."
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