God’s “DELIGHT” in Jesus at his Baptism never departed from him, not even at the Cross.

God did forsake Jesus, His ever-beloved, ever–favored, ever-wrath-free Son…but in the ways  that Psalm 22 further elaborated prophetically.

“Let Him [Jehovah] rescue him [Jesus], since He delights in him” 22:8. YET GOD DELAYED!  God avowed His delight in Jesus at his immersion by John and there is no reason to suppose this favorable attitude was ever altered for any reason, even as he bore the curse of the Mosaic Torah.  IN FACT, GOD’S GRACIOUSNESS MUST HAVE SUSTAINED HIM THROUGH THIS DEEPEST OF ALL DISTRESSES THAT TRIED HIM (AT THE EVIL HAND OF THE TRIER, SATAN), EVEN AS HIS FATHER’S AFFIRMING WORDS AT HIS IMMERSION, “{THIS IS / YOU ARE} MY SON, THE BELOVED, IN {WHOM / YOU} I DELIGHT” (Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22) SUSTAINED HIM THROUGHOUT ALL HIS INAUGURAL TRIALS (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13).  HIS RETURNING “IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT” (Luke 4:14) WAS BUT A SHADOW OF WHAT WAS TO COME WHEN HE WAS VICTORIOUS AT ENDURING THE CROSS TO THE “IT IS FINISHED!” LINE of John 19:30.  FOR THEN CAME PENTECOST!  [11/11/07]

It certainly didn’t do us any good for Jesus to experience “our” illnesses and pains (Isaiah 53:3-4) “AS OUR SUBSTITUTE” if that meant to imply, “so we don’t have to,” because obviously  WE DO  HAVE TO ANYWAY!

YET THE VERY SAME LANGUAGE IS USED IN SCRIPTURE CONCERNING “OUR” TRANSGRESSIONS, DEPRAVITIES, AND SINS!  So why do many theologians imagine that these passages are “substitutionary” either, any more than the first set?  This implication is not logical, but nor is the situation a “mystery”!

Jesus, God’s “Servant” and anointed Messiah, EXPERIENCED ALL THE BACKLASH OF SIN AND SICKNESS THAT DEATH HAD INJECTED INTO MANKIND AFTER SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD THROUGH ADAM AND BROUGHT WITH IT THAT DEATH SENTENCE, i.e., BEING BANNED FROM THE TREE OF LIFE.  MESSIAH BORE AND WAS BURDENED WITH THEM IN COMPLETE INNOCENCE.  IN EXCHANGE FOR SUFFERING THIS VOLUNTARY HUMILIATION ALONG WITH US IN OUR MISERABLE PLIGHT, IN COMPASSIONATE SOLIDARITY, HE WAS ABLE, i.e., EMPOWERED AND AUTHORIZED TO MEDIATE HIS CONSEQUENT AWARD FROM GOD TO HIS FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS.  [11/11/07]

As long as we remain in Jesus, the Messiah, there is no wrath of God against us, precisely because there is no wrath against him! Moreover, THERE NEVER WAS NOR CAN BE!  NOR, INDEED, NEED THERE BE.  FOR JESUS BECAME A PROTECTIVE SHELTER NOT BECAUSE HE “ABSORBED” OR “BOUGHT OFF” OR “SATISFIED” OR “APPEASED” OR “PACIFIED” OR “PLACATED” OR “MOLLIFIED” OR “PROPITIATED” GOD’S WRATH IN THE LEAST, BUT PRECISELY BECAUSE HE WAS PERFECTLY IMPERVIOUS TO ANY SUCH OUTPOURING, FOR HE HAD NO SIN, AND THE WICKED ONE HAD “NOTHING IN” HIM FOR WRATH TO TARGET!  THAT’S OBVIOUSLY WHY JESUS MADE THE PERFECT PROTECTIVE SHIELDING FOR MORTAL, SINFUL HUMAN BEINGS.

HOWEVER, WHEN THE VICIOUS FURY OF SATAN ASSAULTED JESUS, ESPECIALLY AT THE END, HE ALLOWED THE GREAT ADVERSARY TO TAKE HIM ALL THE WAY DOWN, FOR THIS WAS AN INDISPENSABLE PART OF THE PLAN TO TAKE DOWN THE DEVIL’S KINGDOM, IN TURN.  ONLY THE MAGNITUDE OF SUCH AN ENORMITY WOULD UNLEASH THE COSMIC CATAPULT OF RECTIFYING, RESTORATIVE JUSTICE TO SMASH A PATH THROUGH DEATH AND MAKE AGELONG LIFE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL WHO TRUST.  [11/11/07]