From C. J. Mahaney’s, Living the Cross Centered Life
Knowing the hour for His death is fast approaching, Jesus has come here in need as never before of His Father’s comfort and strength. Instead, hell – utter separation from God – is thrust in His face.
We hear Him cry out: Father – is there an alternative? Is there any way to avoid this? If there’s a way this cup could pass from Me, would You please provide that to Me?
Silence. We can see it in His face – Jesus receives no answer to this desperate entreaty.
A second time He pleads for an alternative to that horror of abandonment by His Father. If such an alternative existed, the Father would most surely provide it. But the obedient Son’s plea to his loving Father is met with silence. Why?
Listen to this verse again for the very first time: For God so loved the world…that He is silent to His Son’s agonizing appeal.
This is what bearing our sin means to Him – utter distress of soul as He confronts total abandonment and absolute wrath from His Father on the cross, a distress and an abandonment and a rejection we cannot begin to grasp.
In this, our Savior’s darkest hour…do you recognize His love for you?
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The following song by Stuart Townend is so fitting in describing what God has accomplished for us through His beautiful Son, Jesus. May God fill all of us full and fresh with these truths this Easter weekend and let us “recognize His love for us”. Blessings on your thoughts of Him!
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
by Stuart Townend
How deep the father’s love for us,
how vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son,
To make a wretch His treasureHow great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns his face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One
Bring many sons to gloryBehold a man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffersIt was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finishedI will not boast in anything
No gifts, no powers, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrectionWhy should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Beautiful – Another book I must add to the reading list.
By the way, Mom was wondering why we weren’t making kuleech and c-paska today! I said good question! We may need to start our own tradition sister!
I’ve got the ingredients for seerney paska that I was going to make. When do you want to come over? 🙂
Today is a half day – how does noonish sound!
“How Deep the Father’s Love” is one of my favorites! As a matter of fact a dear friend reworded it a bit the day she heard we were going to meet our Russian-born daughters for the first time. She called and sang her version–still with God-honoring lyrics–on my answering machine at work (I “retired” shortly before becoming a mom!). I cried buckets of tears right there in my office.
To this day I can’t hear it or sing it (both versions!!) without tears! It is a rich, rich, song. Resurrection Day blessings to you and yours!
I agree with you Connie about the richness of this song. Blessings on yours, too. Kristos voskress, voyeastena voskress! I tried to spell phonetically in Russian, Christ is Risen, truly He is risen. This is the customary Russian greeting on Easter. Blessings!
Yes!! Our oldest has shared that greeting with us! As a matter of fact, our pastor in Dallas was a first-generation Greek-American and greeted our oldest in this way when he first met our girls! She “lit up” cause it was familiar to her ears! Thanks–how sweet!