"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
How many times have you heard the cliche "God loves you" weather it be from your friendly local pastor or the crazy guy on the street, we have all heard it time and again, were almost desensitized to it. It loses all meaning. But let me break this down for you.. God loved you so much that he sent his only son to die for you. DIE. Now I am pretty convinced that God is a smart guy, all seeing all knowing and all that jazz, so when he decides to do something as drastic as putting up his own son for death he must have some pretty solid logic behind it.
I have a heart condition, and have had 3 open heart surgeries to date and I can tell you one thing I have learnt from the large amount of time I have spent in hospital throughout my life (besides the fact that the food quality is somewhere up there with dog food) and that is this, it hurts my parents a million times more than it hurts me. I remember once I was getting a needle into my lung to drain some fluid and my dad was holding my hand, he went so white watching me in pain as I yelled about ducks and ships, or something to that affect, he was so upset that the medical staff asked him if he needed to leave the room to compose himself. I didn't cry that day. My dad did. And that was just a needle. I have watched my parents hurt over me so much more than I could ever physically hurt.
At Calvary God had to watch his son go through a million times more pain than I have ever had to endure. Any parent can only imagine the pain you would feel having your some come to you and say "Dad, please take this cup from me, but not my will be done but yours." Just like if I had said to my dad the night before my operation "Dad please don't let it happen" I can't even imagine what that would do to him. Then after watching his son go through all that torture, being despised and nailed onto a cross left to die in one of the cruelest forms of execution history has known, God had to look away. It would be like my dad having to leave that room white faced with tears in his eyes as I cried out "Why have you forsaken me." To watch your son not only go through physical torture but then to leave him completely alone in the moment when he needs you most is more pain than I can imagine.
How many times have you heard the cliche "God loves you" weather it be from your friendly local pastor or the crazy guy on the street, we have all heard it time and again, were almost desensitized to it. It loses all meaning. But let me break this down for you.. God loved you so much that he sent his only son to die for you. DIE. Now I am pretty convinced that God is a smart guy, all seeing all knowing and all that jazz, so when he decides to do something as drastic as putting up his own son for death he must have some pretty solid logic behind it.
I have a heart condition, and have had 3 open heart surgeries to date and I can tell you one thing I have learnt from the large amount of time I have spent in hospital throughout my life (besides the fact that the food quality is somewhere up there with dog food) and that is this, it hurts my parents a million times more than it hurts me. I remember once I was getting a needle into my lung to drain some fluid and my dad was holding my hand, he went so white watching me in pain as I yelled about ducks and ships, or something to that affect, he was so upset that the medical staff asked him if he needed to leave the room to compose himself. I didn't cry that day. My dad did. And that was just a needle. I have watched my parents hurt over me so much more than I could ever physically hurt.
At Calvary God had to watch his son go through a million times more pain than I have ever had to endure. Any parent can only imagine the pain you would feel having your some come to you and say "Dad, please take this cup from me, but not my will be done but yours." Just like if I had said to my dad the night before my operation "Dad please don't let it happen" I can't even imagine what that would do to him. Then after watching his son go through all that torture, being despised and nailed onto a cross left to die in one of the cruelest forms of execution history has known, God had to look away. It would be like my dad having to leave that room white faced with tears in his eyes as I cried out "Why have you forsaken me." To watch your son not only go through physical torture but then to leave him completely alone in the moment when he needs you most is more pain than I can imagine.
God, being the all knowing father that he is would not have done this if there wasn't a strong reason behind his madness. In the midst of all this pain, watching his son slowly die and leaving him in it all alone he knew that, you know what, this hurts, this breaks my heart,
That is how much God loves you.
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