mattbraunlin
Member
The Agony of the Father
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.John 3:16
This is probably the most well-known verse in the Bible. It is always among the first verses kids are taught to memorise. As well it should be. It is a beautiful encapsulation of the message of the Gospel, which reminds us what it cost to set us free of sin and bring us intimately close to God. It is the great banner, the verse which advertises, so to speak, the Joy of Jesus Christ to the world.
And as I will explain today, it is also a beaming symbol of the bottomless mysteries of God's word, which he never, ever stops revealing to those who faithfully study it.
I was raised in a Christian family. I have known this verse for longer than I can remember. And yet only a very short time ago God revealed a secret within it, hiding in plain sight, which is so profound and solemn that it has transformed not just the verse, but many aspects of the way I look at the Bible, life, and God himself.
When we reflect on this verse, we as humans instinctively focus on the Son who was given for us. Considering the thunderous imagery of Golgotha, with the cross, nails driven through hands and the brutal scourging, this is not surprising and certainly no bad thing in itself.
But in the midst of this most tragic of spectacles, we forget about God.
The Father who gave his Son.
Imagine your five-year-old tripped and fell and scraped their knee. They start crying in pain and fear, and reach up to you, begging you to take them into your arms.
…and you do nothing. You just stand before them and watch, saying not a word.
They cry harder, reaching up ever more desperately.
…and you turn your back.
I couldn't go on if I wanted to. That may very well have been the most difficult and painful thing I have ever had to write. I truly apologize for bringing such horrifying imagery to your mind.
But now we understand, just a little, how God the Father felt as he watched his only Son die in agony.
Jesus begged it not to happen… and his Father who loved him was silent. Jesus was beaten and mocked and whipped and crucified… and his Father who loved him could do nothing. All the eternal agony of sin was heaped on Jesus' shoulders… and the very nature of his loving Father's goal forced him to turn his back.
The Bible is silent on the notion (at least I think it is, please correct me if I'm wrong), but for all I know, the spiritual agony that the Father suffered during this nightmare may have been as great as that of his Son.
And He did it for us. It was a gift for wretched sinners like me who steal and kill and betray and spit in the face of that gift every single day.
…I am unworthy. I am unworthy of the breath in my lungs, let alone the infinite Joy and glory of which I am already assured for nothing more than having accepted that gift.
And yet it is mine. The Father so desperately wants it to be yours, too. He gave his only Son, and his Son gave himself, to give you life with the Holy Trinity and the saved diverse in paradise forever.
Finally, I would like to say one more thing. To all parents who have lost a child, whose child is severely disabled or fighting cancer or addicted to drugs or battling mental illness or enduring any cursed agony of this corrupted world: you are very special to the Father, because you are very like Him. You are sharing in that ultimate, all-consuming heartbreak of watching your child suffer, that he Himself experienced. I pray with all my strength that you would find some comfort in that as you walk your solemn and noble path through this life. I pray that God's love would guide you to everlasting peace and fulfilment which belongs to all of his children.
God bless you.