Every page of Scripture is the story of God wanting a relationship with the people he created.  This is shocking.  Why would he bother?  He has the good and powerful angels to keep him company and do his will perfectly.  Most of all, he has the sweet, deep fellowship of Father, Son, and Spirit together forever.

Yet God yearned to welcome his humans into his happy fellowship of love, purity, and perfect unity.  But his humans weren’t loving,  pure, or unified.  In fact, they were guilty of violating everything that God is.  So how could they join him?  Fortunately, ever since our first parents disobeyed God’s clear command, he had a plan to bring us back to him.

After Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden, he taught them to give up a lamb to show they knew they did wrong and wanted his forgiveness. This ritual was repeated thousands of times over the generations following.  But it wasn’t the final resolution to the problem of human wrong-doing.  All along, God gave hints about his ultimate solution.  God gave glimpses of his loving plan to Job during his suffering. Job came to understand that Someone would bring God and man together. 

“My intercessor is my friend
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
on behalf of a man he pleads with God
    as one pleads for a friend.”  Job 16:20-21
“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
and he will stand upon the earth at last.
And after my body has decayed,
yet in my body I will see God!
I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought!” Job 19:25-27  

The founding fathers and mothers of the people group God chose to express himself to learned that God was as close to them as a prayer of faith.  He was always ready to listen and answer.  He desired to be their friend.

“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend…”  Isaiah 41:8
“And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.”  James 2:23

“The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.”  Psalm 25:14

“Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face, and God spoke to him—“  Hosea 12:4

 Later, he gave his people a blueprint for a special tent in front of which they could bring their lambs to sacrifice.  This place was set aside to represent God’s presence on earth with the nomadic people God had especially called to be close to him.

“Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”  Exodus 33:11  

When this group of people got a homeland of their own, God helped them make a beautiful building where they could gather to learn about God and worship him when they brought their lambs and gifts.  Although he was everywhere, he was there in a special way so the people could understand his closeness.  

“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant’s plea for mercy, Lord my God. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there’. . . Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.”  1 Kings 8:27-30

Even later God revealed details about his plan to send the Messiah who be the way to eternal friendship with God. This person would be the Son of King David, but he would also be the Son of God.  He would suffer horribly in order to pay for our wrongs.

“I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting.”  Isaiah 50:6

“he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
Just as there were many who were appalled at him—
    his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
    and his form marred beyond human likeness—
so he will sprinkle many nations.” Isaiah 52:13-15

“He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
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.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.”  Isaiah 53:3-6

They will strike Israel’s leader
    in the face with a rod.
A Ruler from Bethlehem
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
    whose origins are in the distant past,
    will come from you on my behalf.”  Micah 5:1-2

The prophets gave the people glimpses of what the Messiah would do to permanently wipe out man’s guilt.  But it was hard to grasp that God really planned to punish an innocent man on behalf of the guilty.  

The men who spent three years with Jesus weren’t able to comprehend that such a good man would have to die.  They overlooked the prophecies of suffering and only saw the prophecies of ultimate victory.  When Jesus tried to explain that he must die, he used Moses’ example.

“And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.”  [Lifted up on a pole to be crucified]. John 3:14
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  John 12:32

He told them plainly ahead of time exactly what was going to happen to him.  But they didn’t understand.

“Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them,  “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”  Matthew 20:17-19

This week we remember the high cost Jesus paid to bring us close to God.  Just as the prophets foretold, he was tortured.

“ The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace… and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.  And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”  Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.”  Mark 15:16-19

“They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.  After they had mocked him . . . they led him away to crucify him.”  Matthew 27:30

Even while dying, Jesus was ridiculed, but he prayed for his mockers.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  Luke 23:34

That prayer was answered by the Father.  He did and continues to forgive us because of Jesus.  No more repeatedly offering lambs.  God’s Lamb was sacrificed and we are now and forever friends of God.

“For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”  Romans 5:10-11