I do not understand nor can I begin to comprehend “Why?”

Why would Jesus do what He did?

Why would He make the choice to give His life for mine?

Sure, I know what the Bible says and I believe what the Bible says.

But I don’t understand it?

What could drive Him to leave His home in Heaven and come to earth?

Why would the Creator subject Himself to the abuse and torture of His creation?

Why would He do that?

Why would He go to the cross?

Sure, I know WHAT is taught in the Church.

I know what every teacher I have ever had at every age has taught me about the cross.

They have all told me the same thing.

And I believe they were telling the truth of WHAT happened but I want to know WHY.

My curious mind ponders such things.

My inquisitive brain wants answers to my queries.

But I have found in all of my questioning and pondering that I have to fully grasp the WHAT before I can comprehend the WHY.

SO WHAT?

What is it that held Jesus to the cross?

Was it the soldiers?

After all, they were strong, trained warriors who knew the art of combat and had learned the skills needed to attain victory.

Their training taught them not to give in and not to back down.

Defeat only came to them when they no longer had breath in their body.

Surely this One Man was no match for their skill and training.

No matter how strong Jesus was physically there is no way He could possibly defeat a trained Roman guard detachment carrying out their orders.

Or could He?

Wait!

Yes, He could!

I remember!  On the night He was arrested Jesus told His disciples, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”

No matter how strong or trained or skilled a Roman soldier was they could not stand up against just one angel much less 12 legions of angels.

So it was not the soldiers that held Jesus on the cross.

What was it?

It must be the nails.

After all the nails did go through His wrist and His feet and deep into the wood.

Once they pierced His flesh and severed nerves and muscles and scraped bones and ruptured blood vessels then they must be WHAT held Jesus to the cross!

Each minor movement Jesus made would have caused excruciating pain that would have run throughout His entire body catching His breath and stopping any motion.

And yet He spoke from the cross.

HE SPOKE!

In order to speak Jesus had to move.

There was no way around it.

Jesus said things like, “Father, forgive them.” And, “It is finished!”

While the nails caused pain they were not the instruments used to hold Jesus on the cross.

Nails cannot hold God on a cross.

Then what was it?

Maybe it was His weakness that held Him there.

He had been beaten so severely before being nailed to the cross it is logical to say that He was too weak to help Himself.

The flogging was so brutal that He was not recognizable even by those who knew Him the best.

The more than 39 lashes Jesus received before his crucifixion left His body torn and dehydrated and His blood volume depleted.

No one in His condition could possibly save themselves.

Yet, Jesus was not just some nobody.

He turned water into wine, fed thousands, healed the blind and paralyzed, and raised the dead.

If He could do that for everyone else He could definitely heal Himself and take Himself off the cross.

He may have been beaten but Jesus was not defeated.

Whipped? Yes. Weak? Not a chance!

If it was nothing physical that Held Jesus to the cross then it must have been something else.

Something spiritual maybe?

I wonder if it was my sins?

The Bible tells us that Jesus died for our sins.

He died for your sins.

He died for my sins.

It must have been my sins that held Jesus on the cross!

I did it!

It was me!

But wait – if it was my sins that held Jesus on the cross then there is no way He would be the Son of God because that would make me more powerful than Him.

How could He be my Savior if He cannot overcome my sin?

My sin and your sin is what put Jesus ON the cross but our sin is not what HELD Him there.

No. It must be something else.

If it wasn’t soldiers or nails or weakness or our sins that held Him there then what was it?

Do we have any clues?

What did Jesus say?

How did it go?

What did He tell His disciples?

“Greater love has no man than this that He lay down His life for His friends.”

Love! That’s it!

It was not some object or some person that held Jesus on the cross.

It was His love for me that held Him there.

He knew I couldn’t do it!

He knew I could not pay for my own sins.

He knew that I could never be good enough or do enough or say “I’m sorry” enough to pay for my sins.

He knew that only One could ever redeem me.

He knew that the only hope we have to be reconciled to our Heavenly Father would be through a perfect, sinless sacrifice.

He knew that He was the only One who could save us!

Now I understand!

The WHAT that held Jesus to the cross is also the WHY that He went to the cross.

LOVE!!

Its love!

He loves us!

He loves you!

He even loves me!

How many kings step down from their thrones?                                                                    How many lords have abandoned their homes?                                                                     How many greats have become the least for me?                                                                        And how many gods have poured out their hearts                                                                     To romance a world that is torn all apart                                                                                  How many fathers gave up their sons for me? (Downhere – How Many Kings)

All for you!

All for me!

Only because of His love for us all!

On Palm Sunday we had the opportunity to enjoy wonderful services at our church – Woodbine Church in Pace, FL. We had people of all ages as a part of the service. We had our preschool group Sing and Shout about Jesus. Our elementary age group shared in two songs using sign language and motions to tell the story of the songs. Our middle school group did a remarkable shadow drama of the song Redeemed that touched everyone who saw it. Our Worship Team and Palm Sunday Choir were the lead worshippers through music as they sang songs that told the story of the sacrifice of Jesus for everyone.

Following the service I had the opportunity to go out to eat with some of my family. I am sure the rest of the people who attended the services did pretty much the same thing – came to church, enjoyed the service, ate some lunch and then enjoyed the rest of the beautiful day here in the Florida Panhandle doing whatever they wanted to do. Some people enjoyed the day without a worry in the world. Others were dealing with work or stress or family issues or finances or all the other things people deal with in life. Whether they were carefree or burdened I think it is safe to say that all those who were in church with us on Sunday were not afraid that something would happen to them on Palm Sunday – either at church or somewhere else. I am sure that almost all, if not all, the people felt pretty confident that they would go home at some point during the day and eventually go to bed and get up and start a brand new week of work or school or whatever on Monday. However, that would not be true for some Christ Followers who attended Palm Sunday services.

As we were worshipping in Pace, FL, on Palm Sunday, there were other Christ Followers who were being killed. It happened in Egypt, just outside of Cairo. While we sang songs and listened to children they heard bombs and people screaming and crying. Forty-three people will never experience another Palm Sunday. And that number can go up because there are others who were injured in this horrific and senseless attack.

People want to know why. Why did this happen? Why would someone do something like this to people whose only “crime” was worshipping a different God than the murdering terrorist thought they should be worshipping? What had those men, women and children done to those who sought to kill and maim them?  NOTHING!  They had done nothing!

I could give you another answer to these questions. I will tell you before you read it that my answers are not popular but they are the truth. I know because people have disagreed with me before when I have tried to explain these senseless acts of violence. But what I will share with you is not opinion but truth. And real truth is not swayed by opinion. A wise person once said, “You are welcome to your own opinion but you are not welcome to your own facts.” While opinions can be swayed by facts facts can never be swayed by opinions.   Facts are truth and real truth doesn’t change.

Here are the facts. The ones who did the killing were being obedient to their religion. ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombings of the Christ Followers in their churches during worship on Palm Sunday. The reason they did that is because their religion teaches them to kill those who do not follow their religion. Their religion specifically tells them to kill the Christ Followers and the Jews and anyone else who rejects their religion. That is not hearsay or opinion but facts. Their holy book is very explicit in telling them to kill nonbelievers of their religion. Their holy book even gives some instructions on how to kill unbelievers.

Granted not all followers of the religion associated with ISIS are murderers and terrorists and I am very thankful for that. There are people who follow the same religion as ISIS who are peaceful and who are good people. The facts about these peaceful people are that they are not devoutly following the true teachings of their religion. I have read their holy book and I have studied their religion and the facts bear out that the peaceful people are the anomaly and not ISIS. Some people don’t like that statement. I have been told I am wrong and ISIS and the people like them are the anomaly. However, the facts don’t bear that out.

Some have even said that the God that Christ Followers follow and the god that ISIS follows is the same god. If that is so then I wish someone would explain to me why the god of ISIS tells them to kill people and the God of Christ Followers tells them to love people. Nowhere in their holy book is the god ISIS follows ever described as loving or expressing love in any way. The God of Christ Followers is defined in the Bible as Love. No reasoning, logical person could every really believe they are the same god. Two things that both claim to be true about the same thing but that are totally opposite cannot both be true. The God of Christ Followers and the god of ISIS both claim to be the only god but they are totally opposite. Only one can be true.

Another part of this tragedy is that the god followed by ISIS will not get blamed for the attacks nor will their religion get blamed for commanding them to kill people. The terrorists will be blamed but their god will get a pass. People are too worried about being called some kind of “phobic” or “racist” if they merely tell the truth.   So they will buy into the lie being repeated about the religion followed by ISIS and their religion and their god will escape most scrutiny.

Unfortunately, the God of Christ Followers will get the blame for what happened in Egypt and even for all the bad stuff that goes on in the world. Why didn’t He stop the bombs? Why did He allow those people to die?

Honestly, there is not a real simple way to answer those questions. I could never answer them to the satisfaction of everyone asking those questions. I do know that we live in a fallen world and that sometimes people are the victims of other peoples’ actions. Sometimes innocent people get hurt. It is not because God wants them to. It is because of sin in this world. Lets face it – some people are just mean and evil and they hurt other people. Just because we are Christ Followers does not make us exempt from pain and suffering.

It would be so wonderful if God would simply promise to us that we would never go through difficult times.   But we do go through great and terrible difficulties all of the time, and God constantly warns us of these dangers and difficulties in His Bible. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 4:12 – “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”

Its not like we didn’t know these times were coming. We were warned. But why? I am not God and chances are that I cannot give you an answer that will completely satisfy your curiosity. However, I would like to share with you that we can understand some things.

In my research, I have read some material written by Lee Strobel. I wanted to share with you some of what I found in his material that has helped me with the “Why” question and hopefully it will help you too.

5 Points For Understanding Suffering:

1. God is not the creator of evil and suffering.

Genesis 1:31 teaches us that everything God made was good. Then where did evil come from? God created us with free will so we could love Him. Real love entails the ability to love and not to love.

Lee writes, “We abuse our freedom by rejecting God’s love and walking away from Him. And that resulted in the introduction of evil into our lives and into the world.”

2. Though suffering is not good, God can use it to accomplish good.

Romans 8:28 says – And we know that in all things (not some things) God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Lee writes:   “Notice that it doesn’t say that God causes the evil and suffering, just that He will cause some kind of good to emerge. And it doesn’t say we will see immediately or even in this life how God has brought good out of the bad circumstances – just that it will happen for those of us who love Him.”

3. The day is coming when suffering will cease and God will judge evil.

Some would ask then if God has the power to vanquish evil then why doesn’t He do it  Lee writes: “Just because He hasn’t done it yet doesn’t mean He won’t do it. The Bible says the day will come when sickness and pain will be eradicated and people will be held accountable for the evil they’ve committed. Justice will be served.”

2 Peter 3:9 says – The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

In other words, God hasn’t vanquished evil yet because He’s waiting to first reach some of us!

4. Our suffering will pale in comparison to what God has in store for His followers.

Romans 8:18 says, – I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

That is not to deny the pain in our lives. But after 5,782,347,291 days of pure bliss in Heaven we will look back and realize that these difficult and hard days aren’t worth comparing to an eternity of blessings and joy with God in Heaven.

5. We decide whether to turn bitter or turn to God for peace and courage.

I believe in free will. I believe that people choose whether or not they want to be nice and good or mean and evil. God has given them a way to escape their evil and sinfulness. That way is through Jesus Christ. God has made a way through Jesus for all people to be in a relationship with a God who truly loves them.  Also, people are free to deny Him and reject Him. It would not be true love if God did not give them the choice to love Him or not. If a person does not have a choice to love then it is not real love.

For example, I am glad that my wife chose to love me and chose to marry me. If she did not have a choice then I would never know if she married me because she loves me or because she had no other alternative. I believe that she chose to love me and that she believes that I was the best alternative for a husband and that she truly wanted a relationship with me. Just me. Any other explanation would not be love. Marrying me because she had no choice in the matter would make our marriage very shallow and definitely unfulfilling for both of us.

We do have a choice in Who we believe in. I choose to believe in the One who teaches us to love on another.   He is the One who makes the most sense. I choose to believe in the One who promises to never leave or forsake us. I choose to believe in the One who has told me multiple times in His Word and by His actions that He loves me. I choose to believe in the One who wants me, yes even me, to spend eternity with Him. I choose to believe in the One who loved me first. Yes, love is a choice. God chose to love me and He gives me the opportunity to choose to love Him back.

We all make the choice of whether to run away from God or run to Him in our time of suffering. Don’t miss this.  It was through the suffering of Christ on the cross that Jesus conquered the world for us.

Lee writes: “God’s ultimate answer to our suffering isn’t an explanation; it’s His incarnation.   He isn’t some distant, detached, disinterested deity; He entered our world and personally experienced our pain. Jesus is there in the lowest places of our lives.”

Philosopher Peter Kreft said: “Are we broken? He was broken, like bread for us. Are we despised? He was despised and rejected of men.  Do we cry out that we can’t take anymore?   He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Did someone betray us? He was sold out. Are our most tender relationships broken? He too loved and was rejected.”

Jesus is so much closer than your best friend.   Because if you’ve put your trust in Him, then He is in you. Because of that, your sufferings are His sufferings; your sorrow is His sorrow. When tragedy strikes and when suffering comes, when you are wrestling with pain and when you make the choice to run into His arms, here’s what you are going to find: PEACE to deal with the present, COURAGE to deal with your future, and the INCREDIBLE PROMISE of eternal life in Heaven.

Jesus said in John 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

To paraphrase – Jesus has done all the hard work and we get to share in the victory!  He did that because He loves us!  He loves me!  Now that is a Savior I can truly believe in!

 

I want to welcome you to a brand new adventure for me.  Honestly, I never thought that being a blogger would ever be in my future.  But I have put this off as long as I could and I have decided to jump in with both feet.

The reason I wanted to create this blog is that I believe that life is too short to make things complicated.  I want to use this blog as a place where I can share a unique view of a variety of subjects and do so in such a way that is informative, thought provoking and hopefully entertaining and easy to understand.

My goal is to share my views on any and all subjects that I feel led to write about.  Nothing is off limits.  Sometimes the stories may be funny, sometimes serious, and sometimes controversial.  Sometimes I will share about current events and sometimes it will be from something that happened a long time ago and everything in between.  However, I plan on always being honest and upfront.   My goal is not to start arguments or purposely be “in your face” but I will not pull any punches on what I feel led to write about.

Occasionally there may be some posts from special guests but when that happens I will be sure to give full credit to my guest bloggers.

I am a husband, father, grandfather, father-in-love, friend, Christ Follower and pastor.  All of these describe a very vital part of who I am.  Because of that what I write will come from my perspective of all these parts of my life.

Now that you know a little about me and why I have started this blog I look forward to sharing with you and hearing from you.  Let the adventure begin!