Lately I have been studying the passion of the Cross and it has been so eye opening. There are so many things I would like to say about the Cross, but instead, I’ll just tell you what was revealed to me about the heart of Jesus. It is very hard to put into words what the Lord has shown me, but please try to keep up.
It all started as I was reading through John 13-17. This all takes place right before Jesus heads to the Cross. In John 13, Jesus washes his disciples feet. Not only does he was the disciples feet, an act of great humility, he washed Judas’ feet, the very man that was about to betray him.
There is no quick way to summarize John 14-17, but what struck me about the passage is the way Jesus comforted his disciples. As I just mentioned, this takes place right before he goes to the Cross. Hours before our Beloved one is crucified, instead of thinking of himself, he is speaking comfort to his disciples. He tells them about the Holy Spirit who will comfort them and he even reminds them he is returning. What kind of God do we serve? Our God is the one who is comforting his loved ones even though he was about to endure great pain, rejection, abandonment from God, insults, and even death. Oh, I cannot tell you how this moves my heart.
Okay, this part is the hard part to explain. So, our own rebellion and sin is the reason that Jesus died on the Cross. He experienced the wrath of God so that our sins would be forgiven. And, most of our own heart ache and pain comes from living in a fallen world and comes from our own rebellion toward God. The pain we experience is because of our own hatred toward God before we accept him. This is what gets me, Jesus is the one that heals our heart ache and pain. He leads us by still waters to restore our souls (Psalm 23:2-3). He heals the heart ache that comes from our own rebellion which put him on the Cross. How amazing is that? Jesus experienced the pain of the fallen world and instead of being bitter, he reacts with great tenderness. He touches area of pain and brings healing, even though the events that cause our own pain are what put him on the Cross. Once again, who is this God that we serve!
