Yesterday, we featured a new kinetic typography video trailer for Embracing God as Father on our social channels.
This video was adapted from an excerpt from the book. Here is the full text of that excerpt from Embracing God as Father:
The cross is an utter anomaly, a complete reversal of everything expected. Jesus, the anticipated righteous branch under whose shade his people were to find shelter, the deliverer from the line of David, ?a shoot from the stump of Jesse? (Isa 11:1; cf. Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8?10; 6:12), was cut off and consumed by fire in a single day. On the cross the one righteous man was considered a criminal and crucified by so many unrighteous men. The truth was taken for a lie. The loving shepherd of the sheep killed. The bridegroom separated from his bride. The most-beloved Son, disinherited. The only-begotten Son, forsaken.
What was it for the Holy Spirit to be the Spirit of judgment and division, rather than the Spirit of unity between the Father and Son, to bring curses without measure to rest upon Christ?s head rather than the fullness of blessing? What was it for the just judge to become the judged? For the only one who lived by mercy to receive none? For the peace of the world to be treated as an object of warfare? He became for us a besieged fortress whose walls were smashed, a vineyard trampled by beasts, a pillaged city in smoking ruin. The light of the world went into the darkest place imaginable, a place concealed from the Father?s countenance, separated from the peace of his presence, a stranger to the covenant promises.
What pride when we dare think that we have this sorted out and filed away! Our theories can attempt to describe it, but they can?t touch it. We?ve absolutely no grounds for theological snobbery. For at the point where the Son was in the place of judgment, if ever the Father loved him and was pleased with him, it was then. If ever the Father?s loving kindness was being revealed, it was then. If ever the Father?s heart was full of love for us, it was then. Human reason simply can?t grasp the depth of the wonder or even the irony in all this. God explodes all our expectations and concepts in fulfillment of his promise: ?I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree? (Zech 3:9?10). While we cannot fathom God?s grace, let us not fail to worship him for it.
Abraham had to take Isaac, his most beloved son through whom God was to fulfill his promises, up Mount Moriah to offer him as a sacrifice. And yet God spared Isaac, staying Abraham?s hand from plunging a knife into the heart of his son. But God didn?t protect himself from the same dilemma. He couldn?t send a ram as a substitute, as he did for Isaac, because his Son is the lamb. ? We dare not think that because this sacrifice was predestined before the foundations of the world (1 Pet 1:19?20), it came easily to our Father?s heart or smoothly to his hand.
Embracing God as Father is currently available for pre-order from Logos Bible Software and will be available in print by the end of the month.
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