Pain. For the past few days I have experienced the most physical pain in the span of years the Lord has allowed me to be here. Had a cortisone shot between L4 and L5. The end result is supposed to be good, but the day after the shot was not much fun.
Laying down – which was all that I could do – the pain level was 4 or 5. If I moved, tried to turn over or, stand up, the pain in my left leg immediately spiked to a hard 10. Things have settled down. My left leg is really weak, but that is supposed to clear up in week or so.
This experience got me thinking. We are looking at Easter. Good Friday is in six days. One of the things that Jesus says on the cross in Matthew 27:46 (here @ Bible Gateway), was “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
When we consider what the Bible says about Christ, the pain evident in these nine words emerges. Christ was unified, one with the Father and the Spirit. That reality permeates the Gospels especially the Gospel of John (here @ Bible Gateway). During His time on the cross Christ was separated, ripped away from that relationship.
I am a fan of the Tour de France. The climbs are rated 1 – 4 with the largest rated HC or Hors Catégorie, “beyond categorization.” We are asked to measure pain on a scale of 1 – 10, ten being described as “unspeakable.” It occurs to me that what Christ suffered was Hors Catégorie, beyond categorization. He did that so that we could be restored to a relationship with His Father from whom He was separated, which caused that Hors Catégorie pain. He did that voluntarily. He did that for you and me.
We should probably respond.
Laying down – which was all that I could do – the pain level was 4 or 5. If I moved, tried to turn over or, stand up, the pain in my left leg immediately spiked to a hard 10. Things have settled down. My left leg is really weak, but that is supposed to clear up in week or so.
This experience got me thinking. We are looking at Easter. Good Friday is in six days. One of the things that Jesus says on the cross in Matthew 27:46 (here @ Bible Gateway), was “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
When we consider what the Bible says about Christ, the pain evident in these nine words emerges. Christ was unified, one with the Father and the Spirit. That reality permeates the Gospels especially the Gospel of John (here @ Bible Gateway). During His time on the cross Christ was separated, ripped away from that relationship.
I am a fan of the Tour de France. The climbs are rated 1 – 4 with the largest rated HC or Hors Catégorie, “beyond categorization.” We are asked to measure pain on a scale of 1 – 10, ten being described as “unspeakable.” It occurs to me that what Christ suffered was Hors Catégorie, beyond categorization. He did that so that we could be restored to a relationship with His Father from whom He was separated, which caused that Hors Catégorie pain. He did that voluntarily. He did that for you and me.
We should probably respond.
Thank you for this reflection, Mike. It is one I need reminded of frequently, and very timely at this time in our calendar. Just like everything else about God, the death of Christ and what it accomplished is beyond any significant level of our comprehension. If I understand my limited theology at all about the cross is that it doesn't represent only a Crucifixion only of His body and the suffering involved as did all others who experienced this barbaric form of punishment. It meant that on the three or six hours (I've read theologians who say one, others the other; it makes no material difference to my point) the sinless Son of God (second person of the triune God) bore all the eternal penalty for all the elect. Eternal penalty! What that could be like for even one we who are sheltered in Christ will never know. We will only look on the holes in His wrists, and that huge gash in His side, then made glorious for all it accomplished for us!
ReplyDeleteThere are many wonders about God we will learn about for all of eternity, yet never know fully. God is infinite, and always will be. I am not, and never will be. There will always be more to learn and rejoice in, through all of eternity.
I am sincerely glad the worst (for now) has passed for you, friend! I have a number of others (as I'm sure you do) whose suffering (physical/mental/emotional) is unlikely to pass in this life, only with it. Whichever way the Lord chooses to lead us, the day is coming when we will reside in another land...forever!
Really good observation on the placement of the sins of the elect, or the world (depending on the number of points to which one accepts) - that brings into sharp focus the unimaginable magnitude of the pain and suffering He endured for us. That is a wonderful amplification of what I was feebly attempting to communicate.
DeleteThank you for taking time to share that and for your encouragement.