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“If you think about it, life wasn’t fair to Jesus either.”

A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Hope in the Dark: Believing God Is Good When Life Is Not (p. 50). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

That for sure is the truth.

Craig says, “He was perfect in every way. Jesus loved the unlovable. Healed the hurting. Cared for the outcasts. Touched the untouchables. If we look at his story from God’s vantage point, Jesus could make the same argument we make: life isn’t fair.

“It wasn’t fair that Jesus had to be whipped, mocked, and beaten. It wasn’t fair that Roman guards drove stakes through his wrists and heels, hanging him mercilessly on an instrument of torture and shame. It wasn’t fair that they spat on him. Called him names. And laughed when he struggled to breathe. And it wasn’t fair that Jesus—the sinless Lamb of God—became the sacrifice for filthy, vile sinners like me.

“So when you hurt, when you question, when you burst out in righteous confusion or anger, you may find comfort that God understands: life is not fair.

Later Craig says, “Philip Yancey, one of my favorite authors on this topic, in his book Where Is God When It Hurts? explains God’s motivation in making such a sacrifice: ‘To some, the image of a pale body glimmering on a dark night whispers of defeat. What good is a God who does not control his Son’s suffering? But another sound can be heard: the shout of a God crying out to human beings, ‘“I LOVE YOU.”’ Love was compressed for all history in that lonely figure on the cross, who said that he could call down angels at any moment on a rescue mission, but chose not to—because of us. At Calvary, God accepted his own unbreakable terms of justice. Any discussion of how pain and suffering fit into God’s scheme ultimately leads back to the cross.’

“When people ask why bad things happen to good people, we need to realize that the worst thing happened only once. And Jesus volunteered for it.”

Yes, life has been unfair to us many times and it was also unfair to Jesus.  But I’m glad he didn't run away but volunteered for it.  And it's a great comfort to know that God understands that life isn't fair, isn't it?


Yes, yes!
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