Scripture Reference: John 19:28-30

1. Jesus Addresses the Father – Continued

From Last Lesson: Suddenly, a horror of darkness unspeakably greater even than that of Gethsemane, overwhelms Him. As the darkness of a cave blots out the light of the sun, so the darkness of Jesus taking on the sins of the whole world blots out the smile of the Father.

He knew that in the counsels of eternity He had made covenant with the Father and the Spirit to the effect that for the saving of His people he must be forsaken by His Father.

He knew that Moses and the prophets had spoken of this hour. He knew that He was to be the suffering servant of Jehovah:

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6).

Jesus knew that the ceremony of the great day of atonement, when the High Priest laid the sin of all the people upon a he-goat, to be led into the desert never to return, it was a shadow of what He now must do for sinners who deserved to be sent away from Him forever.

Jesus not only knew all that during His life but went toward its realization quite of His own will. No doubt He was tempted to not walk this way. As the time drew near He spoke often to His disciples of His suffering that He must accomplish at Jerusalem and as He did so His disciples sometimes saw amazement on His face, such amazement as had never been seen on the face of any other man condemned to die by crucifixion. He alone, though sinless Himself, knew the depth of the heinousness of mankind’s sinfulness, for He alone knew the holiness of the Father, being One with the Father.

You can imagine His prayer, “but, Father, is there not some other way?” No, He tells Himself. The only other way would be the way of Satan, the way that Satan had suggested in the wilderness, the way of receiving without being forsaken of God for His people. If He followed that other way then the voice of the seraphim that Isaiah had heard, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3) would fall silent. If he followed that other way, the powers of hell would enslave all mankind to everlasting doom, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me” (Matthew 16:23), was His answer whenever that other way presented itself as a temptation to His mind. “My Father, . . . your will be done” (Matthew 26:42). Those are the last words we hear from Jesus’ lips on this subject.

Jesus knows He must go the way He is heading; He will continue on; it is the only way, not only by the will of the Father but as well by His own will.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, ESV © 2016 by Crossway Bibles.
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