Friday night, our little family trekked to our church for the Good Friday service. Our daughter hung out in the nursery (well, until the sleepiness took over and we were called back in to retrieve the poor girl, screaming and half-asleep) while hubby and I sat in the service.
Amazing. Beautiful. Heart-wrenching service.
Two readers went through excerpts from the Bible while scenes depicting each major event leading up to and including the crucifixion were illuminated on stage - using real stone-still people I might add. Gorgeously thought-provoking music between scenes and a dark, solemn, and quiet sanctuary provided the perfect environment to reflect on what Christ indeed endured for us. For me.
Every now and then I wrestle with certain "big" theological questions. One that I continually return to is, since God is sovereign and all-knowing - obviously knowing past, present and future, why did He bother with the whole Creation thing knowing that some of His creation would not choose Him and consequently be lost for eternity? Why create us at all knowing that some would spend eternity - albeit by their own free will - in hell?
I don't have an answer. But in the midst of the service on Friday, I gazed upon the depiction of Christ hanging on the cross. I heard the readers quoting verses from Mark 15 where soldiers are mocking Jesus, hitting him and asking him to prophesy who committed each offense. And my heart was filled with hurt and anger for Jesus knowing full well that he knew exactly who was hitting him. He created each of those hands. Knew how many hairs were on each head of the men that cast down insults. And yet he remained silent. For me.
And then the Spirit told me I was asking the wrong question. The new one that was given to me was, "Why would God, being sovereign and all-knowing - past, present and future, bother with the whole Creation thing knowing what it would cost Him?"
Our God breathed life into Adam and Eve, knowing their choice of disobedience was right around the corner. And He knew what that would mean for Him. For His Son. And He did it anyway.
That blows my mind.
And it sure is humbling to realize that while I know I don't have all the answers, I don't even have all the right questions.
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i've wondered the same thing.... seems like a big hassle, doesn't it?!
ReplyDeleteI have asked that question many times. Now that I have Reagan though I kind of have a new thought. Would I still have her knowing that one day she would turn aways from me? Because at the same time I would know all the good things she did and all the kind things she did for me too? So would I not want those times? I don't know and I might not even be making since it is just a thought I had.
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