Torn apart.

God tore himself apart for us. Literally.

If you are a parent, you can only imagine what it would be like to lose one of your children prematurely. If you have lost a child, you know the pain (spiritual, mental and physical) of losing a child. To have your child literally torn away from this world, where you exist. Someone who you comforted, fed, directed, helped, encouraged, cuddled with, hugged, shared 'I love you' with and really became connected to. It's a closeness that is hard to explain and express. 

As a Christian, I believe in a Triune God. Three in one. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All God. All One. Now this is vital if we believe that God showed His love for us through giving his only Son for us. You have to try and imagine the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. It's impossible to truly understand it fully but we can to a degree. They have been so close for all eternity. There is no beginning to the relationship and there is no end. They share everything a parent and child share, but times that by a billion gazillion. And remembering we are fashioned from God, God is not fashioned on us. So with this in mind, I want to share this; 

When Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” it was Jesus displaying the fact that the Father had torn Himself away from Jesus because of our sin, transgressions and iniquities. It was all poured out on to Jesus on the cross. The Father literally tore himself away from Jesus. Spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. Psalm 31 may express some of what Jesus felt at the time. 

"My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body! For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. I am a reproach among all my enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and am repulsive to my acquaintances; those who see me outside flee from me. I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel...." (Psalm 31:10-12) and it goes on. 

I chose this scripture for a reason. "Into your hand I commit my spirit;" is also in this psalm. It's the last thing Jesus said. He got it from this Psalm. This Psalm is full of trust in God even when the most terrible is happening. My own belief is, this Psalm personally prepared Jesus for the cross. It was the last bit of faith from God's word expressed at the completion of the separation from The Father. 

God loved us so much, that He chose to save us by tearing Himself apart for us. He says, 'This is how much I love you'. God who is not a created being, perfect in every way, literally tears apart the perfect relationship knowing that the pain he will experience will be greater than any pain a parent losing their own child would experience and He did it anyway. 

If anyone tries to say to you, "why does God allow all of this suffering?", remember that God decided to tear himself apart for us, a creation, when He had every right to simply wipe us out. He allowed this suffering knowing the suffering he would have to endure (the Father and the Son) to heal us and save us. That's love. That's amazing love for us. Once you believe this and receive this love, oh boy, you experience life, real life and a love that can surpass any pain that we can experience now.  

"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed....... By oppression and judgement he was taken away. " Isaiah 53: 5-8