THE CROSS IS GOD’S “ME TOO”

Everyone who has felt the pain of abuse, betrayal, humiliation, victimization, accusation, injustice, violence and the depths of human cruelty has asked a question. Some ask it out loud. Some only silently. Where was God?

Part honest question, part accusation, the silence of heaven to the suffering of humanity leads some to abandon faith altogether. The Bible itself asks this question in the prophets, psalms and poetic literature. It builds in intensity from the exile east of Eden to the exile in Babylon.

The cross is the answer to the question. God is in it with us. He has experienced all of the injustice and violation humans can dish out. The cross is God’s way of saying “me too”.

Couldn’t God just destroy evil? Of course! But he would destroy us in the process because the evil has infected all humanity. We have been passing it around like the flu as victim becomes victimizer and hurt people hurt people. Eye for eye had to end somewhere. So he allowed our wickedness and violence to do its worst to him and he forgave us.

On the cross, God became our victim. He was unjustly accused, sentenced, beaten, humiliated, stripped naked, tortured and murdered. Then he forgave us. And he entrusted to us this message that the war is over. The guilt and shame and perpetual grudges we have against others, ourselves and even God are what keep dragging the world down. They were dealt with once and for all on the cross, where the most truly innocent victim gave up his right to revenge.

This is how God could destroy the evil without destroying us. He simply absorbed it and forgave it. The accuser has no more power if all is forgiven. That is how Jesus triumphed over the powers and made a spectacle of them! If God had offered the forgiveness of sins without becoming the victim himself, we could accuse him of injustice. How could he forgive those people for what they did to me? We would have a case against God. The “where was God” question would leave him without an alibi. But God was there with us.

Where was God?

“God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19

 

Come learn more about this wonderful message of reconciliation at our Good Friday Service, this Friday, March 30th at 7 PM at Saddleback Valley Christian School. Then join us for the exciting conclusion Easter Sunday at 6:30 AM, 9 AM or 11 AM.