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Pastor's Blog April 16, 2019
"The Exciting and Scandalous Nature of the Gospel"
{Scroll over scripture reference to read the scripture or reference.
We are now almost upon the season of Easter, and I want to do something a little different in this reflection piece. I want to take some time to reflect on the implications of a statement Paul makes in Romans 8 about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In Romans 8:32, Paul says, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (NIV). The "he" in this verse is God the Father and the "Son" is obviously Jesus. What is interesting, however, is the verb Paul uses to describe the Father's actions with respect to the Son: "gave him up." The Greek word for "gave him up" has two meanings: "to hand on" (like passing on a family tradition or heirloom) and "to hand over" (like betraying a friend or a trust); in fact, when this word is translated as a noun, it can either mean "tradition" or "traitor/betrayer." One thing Paul is NOT saying in this passage is that the Father betrayed Jesus. But it is interesting that Paul uses this word (rather than others) to describe the Father's involvement in the meaning of Jesus' death.
Why does Paul use this term to describe the "handing over" action of God in giving the Son for us? It seems to be due to the nature of God's grace. In this verse, Paul ties together the Father's act of "giving Jesus up for us" and the Father's act of "giving us all things along with him." The Father gives Jesus up to death, according to Paul, so that he can give us the living Jesus - along with all other blessings that God desires to lavish upon us in Christ. Paul apparently wants us to understand that the only way God is able to give us all things along with Jesus, is if he first hands Jesus over to death on our behalf.
Have you ever thought about Easter in this way: that God wants us to receive a treasure-trove of gifts - his Son the most precious among them - but that he can only give us these gifts (along with the resurrected Christ) if he first purposely hands Jesus over to die?
This is the exciting and scandalous nature of the gospel! Jesus is handed over to death so that we can receive all things from God - and, somehow, Jesus' death results in us getting him alive again forever. This is wondrous, amazing love indeed, and it boggles the mind to grasp it (as it should)!
I hope this weekend affords you substantial time to reflect on how eager and willing the Father was to "give up" his Son, so that you could receive his Son and all his other blessings.
God Bless.
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
