God's Mistake

Christians understand in principle that Jesus Christ died for their sins.  We read our Bible and watch Christian movies, and are saddened to see someone brutalized and murdered who did not deserve it.  But there are many things that make His death seem as merely a historical event, an action taken by God, and not something of personal import. There are several reasons that is so.

Christ's crucifixion occurred over two thousand years ago.  It occurred long before we were born, and certainly we were not there to witness it or even have anything to do with His trial and execution.  Most people alive today cannot even relate to World War II, occurring only seventy years ago.  Although Christ's atonement was the most significant occurrence in the history of all mankind, it is difficult to relate personally to any event that happened so long ago. 

Secondly, although His death was ordained by a sovereign God, so are all historical events.  This can seem like simply another page in history, a matter of fact, no different than the building of the Pyramids of Giza or the burning of Rome.  It was part of God's plan all along and decreed by His will.

Lastly, in the Bible itself His upcoming execution is often described in general and impersonal terms.  In Matthew 16:21 we read, "...Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and raised the third day."  That sounds rather clinical, doesn't it?

Jesus is a little more descriptive in Matthew 20:18, although He refers to Himself in the third person, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify.  And the third day He will rise again."

Jesus rarely uses the word "I" in verses alluding to His death; He usually refers to Himself as the "Son of Man" when referring to His crucifixion.  Even when He tells us why He is going to do this, as He states in Matthew 20:28, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."  He becomes a little more personal when He states that "I am going away" in John 8:21 and in 14:3 "I a go to prepare a place for you."  The one place where he does use the word "I" in direct reference to His upcoming death is in John 10:15 "...I lay down My life for the sheep."

So, all in all, Christ's death can seem like an ancient historical event, a done deal long before we were born, something that we had no role or part in.  It was part of God's plan for our salvation, and for Calvinists God has sorted that out before the beginning of time, eons ago.  Christ made some largely general proclamations about what was going to happen and what He was going to do, but we weren't there to hear them. It was all over thousands of years ago.

If you truly embrace the Gospel and all that message contains, you are aware of your sinful nature.  You know of the sins you committed before your salvation and the ones since, the big ones and the little ones.  I myself sit upon a veritable mountain of accumulated sin.  Now suppose that Jesus Christ were sitting beside you.  Here is a man who did not sin, who lived a life of generosity, compassion and healing.  Perhaps you have come to realize that not only is this God's son, but God Himself, who created the universe and everything within it.  Yet He is also a man, fully human, your friend and brother, and He looks at you squarely and says, "I am going to die for you."

Your first reaction would be to be startled.  His statement would not make any sense.  "Excuse me, what did you say?"

"I am going to die for you."

"You can't be serious.  Why would you do that?"

"You  have sinned, and will continue to sin while you live.  You cannot enter My Father's heaven because of your sin; He cannot allow sin into heaven.  I will go and die for you, and My Father will accept My death as payment for your sin."

Now that is personal.  This perfect, sinless man, who has never wronged anyone, been untruthful, lusted, coveted, or robbed in any way, is going to die a horrible death.  For you.  Is it any wonder that Peter, in Matthew 16:22 tried to rebuke Jesus, saying "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  Would you also try and rebuke Jesus?  Would you try and discourage Him from doing this for you? 

After Jesus was scourged, beaten and flayed, as you watched Him bleeding and battered carry His cross outside of Jerusalem to Calvary, on His way to be affixed to that cross with nails through His flesh, would you cry to Him, "Stop! This is wrong!  Don't die for me! You didn't sin, I did!"  You know that you were commanded to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength, yet have failed to do so.  The bloody man struggling up the hill did, yet God will take His life, not yours.  Would you offer up an anguished prayer to God the Father, "Don't do this to Him!  I am the one who coveted and lusted and lied and did not honor You!  God, you are making a mistake!"

I think it helps us to understand what God gave us and what Christ did for us when we can somehow, some way erase the two thousand years between then and now.  Yes, it was an historical fact, decreed by God, but it was very personal and you do have a role in it.  Because you, a sinner, born in sin, filled with sin, and living in sin, will get to live forever with God in heaven.  You will not deserve this, nor have earned or merited it.  God will take in trade the death of Christ for your mountain of sin. God never makes mistakes, and certainly not with salvation.  I confess a doubt, however.  Some question God's goodness because of suffering in this world (a topic for another day).  I question God's wisdom at letting me into heaven.