For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians1:19-20
Because He is 100% part of the God-Family (the Trinity) and because He is fully human and fully God, Jesus attained the most incredible achievement: Reconciliation.
Reconciliation.
It sounds so easy on a human level...
Two parties were divided and are now united with their differences sorted out. We find it relatively easy to bring two parties together and work through the issues that separated them.
Ok... It's not always easy, but it remains doable.
From the Truth and Reconciliation hearings in South Africa in the 1990's we know that it isn't always easy to bridge the gap between estranged people but we can make a start...
But it's still easier when you are dealing with human beings who do not require perfect solutions. We are willing to accept compromises that are not 100% sufficient.
But when reconciliation is with a Holy God, it becomes very difficult:
A Holy God cannot sweep offences under the carpet.
A Holy God cannot simply let wrongs go undealt with.
A Holy God cannot simply let "bygones be bygones."
When one of the parties in the reconciliation process is sin-guilty and the other party is sinless, there is a big and impassable chasm between the two.
Unless the Sinless One can pay the price for the sinful one.
With all the fullness of God in Him, Jesus lived fully as human without succumbing to the temptation of sin and then, with the weight of the sin of _all_ humanity on His shoulders, He went to the cross - building a bridge between sinless God and sinful humanity. He reconciled us to God.
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
