A New Perspective

Recently I have been exposed to a new perspective of Jesus' crucifixion.

It never occurred to me that He was a victim of abuse!

To put it that way causes to me look at His crucifixion in a way I never imagined. 

Jesus' abuse was - at the least - physical and verbal; physical to the extreme.  

Many have experienced abuse and so know - to some extent - the emotions He experienced: incredible shame, depression, humiliation, feeling unworthy of any goodness, maybe even suicidal... 

On top of that He experienced every emotion resulting from every sin ever committed.  

That is something I could ever experience.  

Additionally, I could never experience the total separation from God that Jesus did.  

And on top of that, God - Jesus' Father - subjected Him to this torture.  

Jesus' Father was the One He looked to for love and guidance and hope that He would be taken from this non-perfect world back to His holy home.  

And this Father - in Jesus' greatest time of need - abandoned Him leaving Him completely unprotected from the merciless abuse. 

His Father left Him to this feeling of betrayal and abandonment.  

When Jesus felt the weight of every single sin, He experienced evil in His soul - something He had never experienced.

In spite of it, He asked God to forgive each and every one of the performers of those sins.  

Oh...my...God... how can it be...that You could and would possibly ever do this for me?!  

But ultimately it was for Your glory.  

Your Son, Jesus, understood that.  

And Your glory meant so much to Him that it gave Him hope enough to endure the abuse that He endured.