Trusting in the Love and the Mystery of the Cross of Jesus!

When I taught Bible Classes at St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer, Alaska, I sometimes referenced two books. One of those books is entitled “Hard Sayings of the Bible,” the other “Hard Sayings of Jesus.” You see, even though I am a seminary trained pastor, there are times that I do not understand what I read. There are times I do not understand what God is doing.

I share these dilemmas which God’s children face because of some questions raised by my daily devotions on Tuesday, March 18. While reading in Ezekiel 24, I came across a hard saying which I had forgotten. If you read Ezekiel 24:15-27, you will see that God tells Ezekiel that He will take Ezekiel’s wife. Then Ezekiel’s wife dies. I confess I do not understand. God’s message to the Israelites is that Ezekiel’s grief over the death of His wife mirrors our Creator’s grief that Israel has left Him through their idolatry. The Israelites are to understand the depth and impact of their apostacy. Nevertheless, I have lots of questions about the Lord’s method of communication. This is one of those hard sayings which I referenced above.

Then, later Tuesday morning, I attended a meeting of Lutheran pastors at a church in Ocala, Florida. We meet regularly to worship, to study, and to encourage one another. The book we are currently studying, “Apologetics for the 21st Century” by Louis Markos, also looked at some Christian beliefs which cause questions for people in the world around us. In brief the questions we discussed were “Why is there pain?” and “How can a person believe in the miracles of Scripture?” As we read the Bible we do receive the beginning of answers to these questions. Yet, many questions also remain unanswered.

We should not be surprised that we do not understand all the mysteries of God. In Isaiah 55 the Lord teaches His people, “8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-10) Since the Lord is God, since He is the all-powerful, all-wise Creator, we should not be surprised that His ways and thoughts are higher than our own.

St. Paul also writes about the depths of the mystery of God’s wisdom in Romans 11. These words may also help when considering hard sayings in God’s Word. “33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’ 35 ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36) Yes there are hard sayings in Scripture. God’s ways are ‘unsearchable’ and ‘inscrutable.’ But after all, HE is God! We are not!!

During Lent we intentionally focus on the greatest mystery of our Lord and His ways. That mystery is the cross of Jesus! God inspired Paul to write of this great mystery. “22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-24) The fact that Jesus, the holy Son of God, would die the death of a criminal on an instrument of torture, was difficult for the people of Paul’s time to understand. It is hard for us to grasp!

Christians live in a world which doubts God, because people don’t understand Him. As Children of God, we have questions too. But we also have faith in the wisdom and the love of God. He created this world, and those who live in it. In spite of our rebellion, in spite of our pride and our lack of love for one another, in spite of our sin, the great mystery is that our Lord still loves us and calls us back to Himself. The great mystery is that God loves us so much He sent His Son who knowingly went to the cross to save God’s lost children.

The cross of Jesus is the greatest mystery concerning our Lord. I do not totally understand the mysteries of God, nor can I totally comprehend the depth of God’s love shown to sinners like me in the cross of Jesus. However, even if I don’t also understand my Lord, I do believe in Jesus and I trust His death on the cross. And, I trust His resurrection from the grave.

So, when we wonder about our Lord, when we wonder about His love for us, God’s answer is that Jesus went to the cross for sinners like you and me. That is a mystery!