Perfect Love Hung on A Cross (a Good Friday sermon)

In this sermon, our pastor, Ian Forest-Jones, asks the question, “If Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father, what does Good Friday say about God?”

This sermon was delivered on Friday, 29 March 2024.

A Pain in the But

Exactly what was happening on the Cross, and why, is a mix of complicated factors and beautiful aspects. There is no one, perfectly comprehensive, theology of the Cross, but I can describe at least four that have their own perspectives. Therefore, what I am about to say is not going to go far enough for everybody.

Someone will inevitably come up to me afterward and say, “But what about this verse?” and “But what about that?” To which I will inevitably say, “But have you thought about this?” and “But don’t forget to consider that”.

This conversation will be helpful but will reveal little more than we are both pains in the buts!

Fathers4Justice

Some time ago, I met a gentleman named Pete Nicholls. He told me his story of what he had to do to be with his children following his divorce from his wife.

Living in the UK, Pete Nicholls and his wife divorced in the early 2000s. About this Pete’s daughter Aimee wrote,

It doesn’t matter why right now, that’s history. But it is important that you know that it wasn’t down to my dad. It wasn’t something that he wanted, and he couldn’t do anything about it. It’s certainly not something that I wanted, but I also had no say. My dad is definitely the more natural parent out of my mum and dad, and I’ve always been closer to him. I do love my mom and dad both the same. But, if I could only live with one of them, it would be my dad, and it’s been that way for 11 years. There was no reason for that not to happen. He hadn’t harmed me in any way, and he didn’t pose any risk, or threaten me. My dad shared my care before my parents split.[2]

The breakdown in the relationship had the negative consequence that Peter was restricted from seeing his children. Sadly, no one in the social services, justice, and political systems of the UK would support Pete’s access to his children. He therefore had to take drastic measures.

In July 2011, Fathers 4 Justice founder Matt O’Connor and Pete Nicholls staged a hunger strike just outside Prime Minister David Cameron’s home, demanding that he honour his pledges about grandparents’ rights to see their grandchildren and about shared parenting.[3] With this exposure, Pete was able to get custody of his daughter Aimee, yet was forced to leave the country.

A father did what needed to be done to be with his children, even to the point of going on a hunger strike and losing his home. Any loving parent would do the same.

If it is true we should think of our creator-God as like a father (Mt 6:9; Jn 1:12-13),[1] then it is also true God, our Father, would do anything to save his children, those who have placed their faith in Jesus and live a Christian lifestyle. Good Friday, the day on which we commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion, is a painful reminder of that truth.

So What?

Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

John 14:9

“The one who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9) Jesus is the perfect revelation of God, our Creator. Therefore, everything Jesus said and did reveals something of the personality, behaviour, and purposes of God. And that means everything —Jesus’ birth, life, teaching, miracles, resurrection, and ascension— reveals God to us, not just his crucifixion!

Nevertheless, we are considering today Jesus’ crucifixion. This begs the question: What does a perfectly innocent man, falsely accused, humiliated, tortured, and hanging on a cross until dead, reveal to us about God?

Identification

Then he began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise after three days.

Mark 8:31

Throughout the Scriptures is revealed God set in motion a plan to save humankind from the curse of sin and death. Therefore, Jesus resolved to be the agent of our salvation. Toward accomplishing this, he prophesied three times that he would be arrested in Jerusalem, die, and be resurrected.[4] Knowing this would happen to him, he did it anyway. He did for us what had to be done, what we could not do for ourselves.

And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Mark 15:34

On the cross, Jesus cried out a curious thing, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mk 15:34; Ps 22:1)

It seems to be consistent that when humans are at their lowest point in life, suffering real physical discomfort or existential angst, we cry out to God. Psalm 22 describes such physical discomfort and existential angt in vivid and gory detail!

Yet in all the times I have felt overwhelmed in life —and there have been many, too numerous to count— in all those times I have never had the presence of mind to quote scripture! Why then did Jesus deliberately quote from the Bible in the midst of such an experience?

Jesus did not quote just any Bible verse; he quoted from a psalm. Like contemporary pop songs, the psalms express the emotions and experiences of both the composers and the intended audience. The psalms are meant to be used in individual and corporate worship. They arise out of the shared human condition and guide us toward worshipping our Creator.

In quoting from a psalm, therefore, Jesus was not crying out in pain but crying out in despair. In so doing, he identified with humanity, he felt our deepest despair, against which our physical pain pales in comparison. Jesus took on the human condition at its worst.

Why?

Why would Jesus do such a thing when he did not have to?

God is Just

[The righteous will] declare, “The Lord is just; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”

Psalm 92:15

Of the many things that can be said about God, that he is just is one of the most important.

Just as when we are taught as a child to apologise for wrongdoing, when we are fined for speeding, or are jailed for murder, when we break any rule or law, there are consequences. We might not like the consequences but we accept they are necessary and follow naturally.

If it is true, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Ro 3:23), what are the consequences?

He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities.

Psalm 103:10

Even though, “the wages of sin is death” (Ro 6:23), the fact is we do not suffer the consequences of our sin against God our creator. He does not treat us as our sins deserve, yet justice must be satisfied. Rather than punish humankind, our Creator chose to satisfy justice by allowing Jesus to voluntarily take upon himself the full penalty of our sin.

Jesus identified with humankind at its worst so that we would not have to suffer the just consequences of our sin.

God is Love

The next most important thing that can be said about God is he is love.  It is written,

When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and he was deeply grieved.

Genesis 6:5–6

In my opinion, the most troubling consequence of our sin is the deep grief of the Father. We break his heart every time we turn our back on him.  He looks at the state we have gotten ourselves into and weeps.

Yet our Creator does not in pity; rather he has declared:

Tell them, ‘As I live —this is the declaration of the Lord God— I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?’

Ezekiel 33:11

Rather than have us suffer the consequences of our sin, our Creator wants everyone to be rescued, redeemed, and reconciled.  He implores us to repent of our wicked ways, calls us to turn back to him.  The Father sees the disaster looming for us and encourages us to choose life.

This means,

The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

We will all have to account for our life choices one day.  Until then our Creator will do everything he can to call us back to him. Jesus’ passion, his suffering and death, means we do not have to suffer the consequences of sin.  As it is written,

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

We do not have to suffer the consequences of our sin.  We can turn back to our Creator and be saved.

Jesus identified with humankind at its worst, suffered the consequences we deserve for our sin, because God loves us.

Now What?

What did those consequences look like for Jesus?

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe. And they kept coming up to him and saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” and were slapping his face. Pilate went outside again and said to them, “Look, I’m bringing him out to you to let you know I find no grounds for charging him.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”  (John 19:1–5)

Here is the man and what a gruesome picture it is.

So, what does a perfectly innocent man, falsely accused, humiliated, tortured, and hanging on a cross until dead reveal to us about God? That God is just and we are not; that God is love and we are not.

Jesus did for us what needed to be done, what we could not do for ourselves. Perfect love hung on a cross so that you and I would not have to.

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[1]Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN, USA: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017).

[2]Aimee Nicholls, “Aimee Nicholls Versus the Star Chamber”, A Voice For Men, 4-Jul-2013, https://bit.ly/3sF1d1M (accessed 3-May-2021).

[3]Matt O’Connor, “Hunger4Justice: A Letter to the Prime Minister David Cameron”, Hunger 4 Justice, 26-Jun-2011, https://bit.ly/3rC6Qg6 (accessed 31-May-2021).

[4]See Mark 8:31–33; 10:32–34; 9:30–32.