From the Father’s Viewpoint

Vicious men have a strategy. They believe they can better get us to deny the faith by threatening to torture one of our loved ones in our presence. We probably would rather face such things ourselves than be “responsible” for a loved one’s agony.

Something of that point applies to Christ’s crucifixion. The Son was willing to show his love for us by enduring the cross as the way of “laying down his own life for his friends” (John 15:13). Beyond that, the Father was responsible for his Son’s going through that horrible experience. Even beyond that, he had the Son go through it while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).

This meal refreshes our awareness of the Son’s and the Father’s concern for us, our friendship with him now and our destiny with them when our life here concludes.