The old narrative that my sin and the sin of the world overwhelms God has touched nearly every aspect of my life. The belief that God’s holiness is far greater and more lasting than sin is slowly pealing away this old narrative. Like pealing wallpaper, sometimes large pieces come off quickly and smoothly and sometimes I become weary at how slow the progress is.
The events of Good Friday are a big sticking point. I feel like I’m going against giants of the faith (ie Spurgeon) when I consider the belief that God did not actually forsake Jesus on the cross.
But then I look at Scripture and think maybe it’s okay to disagree with the giants.
“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them.”
2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT
“God was in Christ.”
“For he has not despised or abhorred the torment of the oppressed. He did not hide his face from him but listened when he cried to him for help.”
Psalms 22:24 CSB
Maybe God did not forsake Jesus?!
“He was despised and rejected by men … He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him.”
Isaiah 53:3 CSB
Jesus was rejected by man.
“Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely.”
Isaiah 53:10 CSB
God was in Jesus and the one who crushed Jesus. God was definitely active and present in Jesus’ sufferings on the cross.
It pleased God to do so, maybe because of this:
“Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.”
Luke 12:32 CSB
But what do we do with Jesus famous cry?
“And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?’ which is translated, ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’”
Mark 15:34 CSB
It’s not a new cry. The prophets in the old testament were known to cry out to God asking him where he was and why he ignored them. God often responded with a correction in perspective:
“‘Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.’”
Habakkuk 1:5 ESV
God is very active during suffering and sin. It doesn’t overwhelm him. He works through it.
Could it be that, like when Jesus was troubled and wept at Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus was overwhelmed by emotion on the cross? Could it be that to have God crushing him, felt like God had forsaken him compared to the peaceful union they had experienced for all of eternity passed? Instead of walking side by side with God, Jesus was standing face to face with God with the sin of the world on his shoulders.
What if facing a holy God with all the sin of the world on your shoulders is hell?
What if Jesus carrying my sin on his shoulders makes it so that I can stand in God’s holy presence without withering away?
What if because of what God in Jesus accomplished on the cross God’s holy presence is heaven to me?
The Worth Of Knowing 
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