We celebrated Easter a couple of days ago. However, Eastern Christianity celebrates Easter next Sunday.[1] So, this might be considered a true Easter week. Not that we need special dates to ponder the central event of the Gospel, but Easter came and went too quickly for me this year. I’m still pondering the stunning discoveries of God’s great love for us poured out on the cross. Deeper dimensions continue to unfold and I don’t want to move on.
Even the most stable human love pales in comparison to God’s great love for us. And when relationships cause unthinkable emotional pain, there’s an invitation to drink deeply of His delight in us. What we discover can set us free from the trappings of offense and allow us to love sacrificially as He’s loved us.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NASB)
The Passion of Christ
Good Friday is also referred to as the “passion of Christ”. Passion is a strange word to describe the murder of Christ, but it fits the Latin origin “passio,” which means enduring suffering. The modern application of the word “passion,” an intense desire, appears disconnected from the original meaning. But the connection has to do with the intensity and endurance of the desire. The root word, “patio” expresses the idea of being moved to action where there is pain and suffering.
Jesus was moved to action in the midst of unimaginable pain. His desire was to endure suffering for our sakes, even though He could have chosen otherwise.
Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53 NASB)
Jesus’ intense desire was for us, motivating Him to endure indescribable pain.
Excruciating Pain
To understand Jesus’ suffering for us, consider the Romans used iron nails up to seven inches long driven into the victim’s wrist and ankles to fasten him to the wood.
The nails pounded through the wrists would have crushed the median nerve, the largest nerve going to the hand, causing indescribable pain. “The pain was absolutely unbearable,” says Dr. Metherell. “In fact, it was literally beyond words to describe; they had to invent a new word: excruciating. Literally, excruciating means ‘out of the cross.’”[2]
Nails driven through the ankles would have produced similar pain. And there was the unmerciful beatings and flesh flying scourging leading up to the cross.
There was no existing word to describe the suffering Jesus Christ was willing to endure on our behalf. His passion for us was excruciating.
The Lord was Pleased to Crush Him
But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering (Isaiah 53 10:b NASB)
This speaks again of God’s great desire to purchase our eternal fellowship with Him.
Pleased to crush Him. These words really have no place to land in my heart. How could God be pleased to have His Son crushed and broken for any reason? Could we agree to this for any of our children for any reason? Of course not. Yet, he wished this for His Son on our behalf.
For the Joy Set Before Him
let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1b-2 NASB).
What was the joy set before Jesus which motivated His endurance of the Cross?
As I ponder the question, I know the answer. Rescuing us from eternal separation was the joy set before Jesus. We bring Jesus joy; so much joy it motivated Him to endure the unthinkable.
The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy (Zephaniah 3:17).
The Lord actually delights to be with us. We cause Him to rejoice and shout for joy. Don’t read quickly past this. Allow it to sink past all the pains of human hurts and anchor your soul.
It bring the Lord joy just being with you.
God’s Delight in Us
So Jesus’ intense passion for us motivated Him to endure excruciating pain to rescue us. Seeing His eternal fellowship with us gave Him joy which fueled His passion and endurance. God’s delight in us is so great He was pleased to have His son crushed on our behalf. Being with us brings God joy.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the many love messages we find in Easter. Your love swallows up all the pain of human offences. In light of your great delight in us, hurtful human actions are as grains of sand at the bottom of Your ocean of love.
When your love is hidden from me, please destroy all fortresses and strongholds which raise themselves up in an attempt to hide you.[3] You are love.
I’m only beginning to grasp the far reaching extent of Your delight in me. Please keep showing me that Your love may flow through me.
I rejoice in You this moment. May my life be a constant praise to You. Amen.
[1] Eastern Christianity uses the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian. For this reason, Easter sometimes falls on a different date. This is the case in 2019.
[2] https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions…/what-is-the-lords-passion
[3] II Corinthians 10:3-5
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