What Is God Like?
Matthew 21:1-11, Luke 22:54-62, Luke 19:28-44,
Legend has it that during Marco Polo’s celebrated trip to the Orient, he was taken before the great and fearsome ruler, Genghis Khan. Now what was Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant and adventurer, supposed to do before this mighty pagan conqueror? One false move could cost him his life. He decided to tell the story of Jesus as it is recorded in the gospels. It is said that when Marco Polo related the events of Holy Week, and described Jesus’ betrayal, his trial, his scourging and crucifixion, Genghis Khan became more and more agitated, more engrossed in the story, and more tense. When Marco Polo pronounced the words, “Then Jesus bowed his head and yielded up his spirit,” Genghis Khan could no longer contain himself. He interrupted, bellowing, “What did the Christian’s God do then? Did he send thousands of angels from heaven to smite and destroy those who killed his Son?”
What did the Christian’s God do then? He watched his beloved Son die, that’s what the Christian’s God did then. For that was the way Jesus chose to ascend the throne of his kingdom and to establish his Lordship for all time. Not at all the way we would expect God to demonstrate his might and power, but that’s the way it was and that is how we know what our God is like.
When His Son died, He tore the curtain of the temple in two. No longer would we need to go through another to be in the presence of our God His son was now our advocate forever. He opened the temple, He opened the heavens, and He gave us Jesus.
Prayer: O Creator God, thank you for the inexpressible gift of your Son. We pray this in His name, Jesus the Christ, Amen.
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