Something stands out to me when I think about Good Friday from Jesus' perspective. He was very, very alone.
I hate to be lonely. I enjoy solitude well enough, but I don't like the feeling of truly being alone - I think it has something to do with the idea of identification. I don't necessarily need someone to be physically with me in a given moment, but I need to know that there are people who understand me...who connect with me...who live life on the same vibe I do, and who experience what I experience.
There were a lot of people around as Jesus walked the path to the cross, but He was very much alone. No one in the world could have resonated with Him in those moments. No one had ever done (nor will ever do) what He was about to do. The disciples were...somewhere else. Judas had completely betrayed Him, Peter had denied Him, Scripture doesn't even mention where the rest of them are. The closest was probably John. The gospel of John records that Jesus spoke, from the cross, to John and His own mother briefly. Matthew, Mark and Luke record that all His other followers and acquaintances were watching "from afar" or "from a distance." I imagine that most of His followers probably ran in fear. I certainly wouldn't want to be identified with someone who was being crucified!
Jesus' mother and His best friend tried their best to be there for Him, but is there any way that they could have understood what He was going through? I doubt it. There was no one there to truly share His pain, to share His burden, to lend support. The only One who could begin to understand would have been His Father. I can't imagine what it did to Jesus' spirit when the Father was forced to turn away as well.
Alone. Terribly, awfully alone.
Jesus was literally taking the weight of the world on His shoulders. He endured the wrath of God for our sin. No one else could do it. No one could help Him.
It strikes me from a spiritual standpoint. By all natural rights, I stand before the Father alone as well. I am blessed with more than one person in life who resonates deeply with me. People who really understand who I am, love me anyway, and live life on my vibe. They are Godly people, whose faith I admire. But not one of those people can stand by my side when I stand before God. Not my husband. Not my two dearest friends, who I count as sisters. Not any one of my four parents. I don't stand before God in the company of my church, or my Bible study. When God turns His eyes upon me and sees me for who I truly am, I stand alone. And it's not enough.
The beauty of the cross is that it shattered what should be. My alone-ness is part of the penalty for my sin that Jesus paid for that day. Jesus identified with me more deeply than anyone else ever could when He took my sin upon Himself and died in my place. He became what I should have been. No one on earth can stand by my side when I face God at the end of this life, but I will not stand alone.
"...we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins..." (I John 2:1-2)
Jesus stands before God in my place. And, unlike me, Jesus is enough.
1 comment:
So, so clearly put. I had the privilege of being at the hospice bedside of our dear youth pastor for a number of nights. A more godly young man you could never find. A man closer to his wife and children, siblings and parents, you could never have found. He was someone you could be close to. He was honest, faith filled, trust worthy. He also walk closely with his savior, Jesus. In death, which came oh so early in life, yet so slowly, it became apparent that near the end there was a terrible divorce that was occurring between him and all who were or would like to have been close to him. He laid there in bed, standing alone from the world's perspective. But, as you have so nicely reminded us, he was not alone. He stood there, before his creator, with Jesus at his side, cleansed and free from all sin, white as snow. So as he went, so will we all go, those who share in the true fellowship with the Messiah, The Christ.
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