The Divine Exchange

I am deeply drawn again on Good Friday, not to a charming, handsome figure nor to a rich man envied by the world, but to that poor Nazarene with no comely appearance, despised and rejected, a man of sorrow and sufferings who walked on the dusty road of Jerusalem 2000 years ago. (Isa.53:2-3)

Many people suffer much in life. But I have never known a man who is so willing, so wholehearted and so purposeful in all his sufferings like Jesus Christ. His sufferings are the most meaningful sufferings in all eternity. The paradoxical unity and the true meaning of God’s love and justice are fully revealed and taught to mankind, not in classroom and textbooks, but in the historical record of the Suffering Servant.

On the night He was betrayed by His own disciple, His accusers had a hard time pinning one single wrong in Him although there were so many false witnesses and He did not even speak for His own defence. He had all the reason and ability to defend Himself, and He used none. The world had never witnessed a Man so pure yet so meek under the most unjust trial.

He was silent when it came to protecting His own life, but when asked to confess the truth, He did not delay but immediately confessed His calling, knowing full well that it would cost Him His life. He firmly confessed before the religious leaders, “I am the Son of God.” (Luke 22:70) and before the political leader, “I am the King of the Jews.” (Matt.27:11).

With fresh blood dripping, wounds and scars, torn flesh all over His body, thorns on His head, in hunger and thirst and tiredness after a whole night of torture and trials, in loneliness, He had to carry the heavy cross through long journey under the heat of the sun and the taunting of the mockers. In His physical exhaustion, He fell on the ground. But He got up again. He fell again. And He got up again. In His extreme pain, there was one thing in His mind and one strong passion in His heart. He was fully determined to make it to the Calvary. He must summon all His energy to reach Golgotha to be crucified there as the Sacrifice for sin. He wanted to taste all the sufferings written about Him in the Scriptures. He wanted to drink the full cup of wrath so that salvation for mankind could be accomplished. Because He loved wretched and undeserving sinners such as me.

On that day, the only perfect and righteous Man who ever walked on earth was punished as the worst criminal under the conspiracy of political, religious and judicial powers. And He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) Little did we know, beyond the darkest cloud of injustice where evil laughed in triumph, the Savior victoriously accomplished His eternal plan of redemption.

I should be cut off from God. But nailed to the cross, with a loud cry He took my place and suffered the separation from God which I deserved.

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45) The divine exchange had taken place. At that, He completed His mission, “It is finished.” And He gave up His spirit.

Two thousand years after His passion, I was born and I lived my own self-centered life with no regard to such historical event which is of the most significance relevance to my life. I was ignorant of my true condition and knew nothing of that Man who had loved me long before I was created and had died for me long before I was born. But He sought after me by convicting me of my need and sent His messengers to share with me about Him. I was told this story by those who had received His love and in turn, I have received Him. Gratefully, I joined the cloud of witnesses in the unbroken chain of history to tell of the same story that would be sung in all eternity.

The Lord is merciful and just, hence as certain as there are days of His mercy, there are days of judgement if we have not sought refuge in His mercy. Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him when He is near. (Isa.55:6)

Let us, on this Good Friday and Easter Sunday, meditate and thank the Lord for His priceless sacrifice. Let us be reminded again that we have a true hope for the future in this dark and fallen world only because He died for us and rose again.