"Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" (Mt 27:40)
"...come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him." (42)
"come down from the cross and save yourself!" (Mk 15:30)
"...come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." (32)
"...let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." (Lk 23:35)
You know what? The Chosen One chose me. And you. Each of us who have gone astray.
Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." (Jn 19:11, emphasis mine)
The question I am ruined by is: Who is that one who handed him over to be crucified?
Pilate?
The Jews?
Judas the betrayer?
Peter the denier?
Us the sinners?
Satan the accuser?
Or God the Father Himself?
That power given from above. Surely no one has that authority other than God Himself? The one who "handed me over to you"? And..."guilty of a greater sin"??!
I hope my following proposal would not convey blasphemy to the extent of preventing you (the reader) from identifying with what I'm truly wrestling with as I ponder on this. Bear with me: I propose that God's greatest 'sin' was loving me so much that he handed Jesus over to be crucified. That he chose to withhold nothing less than the worst possible, to make available for my choosing the best possible. That he resolutely surrendered, at all costs. A scandalous love so extravagant, a sin so great yet he was willing to commit --- it shames me to consider it!
Oh, for this blasphemous wonderment my heart is wrecked.
Made himself nothing. Humbled himself. Obedient to death - even death on a cross! How can I respond with anything less than all of me? How can I, for that matter, live my life following Christ with mediocrity rather than resolute giving up of any attempts to 'save yourself' for immediate gains?
I CHOOSE HIM, KING JESUS, MY GOD AND SAVIOR.
I, the worst choice conceivable, choose he who chose me over himself.
I choose You.
And for this 'sin', I am willing to be guilty of for the rest of my life.
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2 comments:
Janice, I would have to venture to state conclusively, that it was not God the Father who had handed Christ over to Pilate. What Jesus is speaking of here (I believe) is that the power from above (God the Father) is granted on the earth, and the people who have handed Jesus over to Pilate (those assuming authority on earth) are guilty of the greater sin than that of Pilate. In an argument of sovereignty of God, by effect it is as if God did turn Jesus over to them because Jesus obeyed what must come to pass, but my theologia crucis highlights and mourns the epic of human blindness which God found to be the only suitable way by which to open our eyes. I am certainly enjoying your entries as of late... You go girl!
awesome words, bro! thank you for stating conclusively here, so very well put :) u too, keep confounding the wise. blessings.
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