The Gospel In Genesis

Let me ask you this in light of God’s wrath, and in light of God’s desire for relationship:

Do you actually believe that Jesus was afraid to go to the cross and suffer for sins?” No, that’s not what he was concerned about. Jesus’ suffering was not primarily what saves us; it was more His substitutionary atonement that did. Daniel 9 says that the Annointed One would make atonement for iniquity. Hebrews 9 says, “nor was it that He would offer Himself often” as they did in the temple yearly; and that “He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself;” “so Christ has been offered once to bear the sins of many.”

Jesus was concerned about “his Father’s business” He was concerned with righteousness and obedience. Jesus loved his Father so much that he obediently followed His every instruction during his life. Hebrews says, He is the author and perfecter of our faith and further, was without sin. He cared about goodness; and relationship. So much so that when he came closer to giving up His life, he contemplated ‘this cup’ and would ultimately die for you and me with these words: “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?”

You see, when you sin against others and think it goes unnoticed then you fail to see that you have ultimately sinned against God Himself. For as much as we hold up being good, and having relationship; Jesus was a greater champion of these!

Jesus being afraid to suffer and die would be like me being afraid that other people will condemn me of my sin. As a sinner, I just do not grasp relationship; I don’t grasp the beauty of creation, nor love! (Now, I would be concerned more if you could broadcast the very thoughts of my heart. In Genesis, we were told what was evil. It wasn’t the actual actions that this verse was so much concerned with, than it was the intents of their hearts!)

But, what Jesus really contended with was the much greater than His suffering and death. He contended with the wrath of God against sinners. He contended with being forsaken by His Father. I mentioned before how God has shown mercy to men all throughout time; yet on a cross outside the city of Jerusalem; God, because He could not look upon sin; forsook His One and Only Son!