The Indescribable

He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;
--Isaiah 53:9a-10b

          That we call this day "Good Friday" is likely the greatest understatement of all time.  But what are we to do?  Finding a way to adequately describe the gloriousness of the crucifixion is utterly beyond the realm of possibility.  Many a writer have been frustrated, having thought themselves highly skillful with words, only to approach the subject of God's redemption of humanity and find that their best efforts are hopelessly inept to do any justice to this great event.  The goodness of what Christ did for us on Calvary is infinite, and thus beyond description.
          The Psalmist just called what we call Good Friday "the Day."  As in "This is the Day that the Lord has made;  Let us rejoice, and be glad in it."  (We often quote that passage and apply it to each day, which is fine, because we should rejoice in every day God gives to us; but if you note the context of Psalm 118, you'll find that verse is referring to a specific day in human history:  the Day of the Messiah's atonement for our sins.  And while the crucifixion would come when the Messiah was rejected, it would ultimately be because it was God's sovereign plan all along.  It would be the day that the Lord had made, and a day for every man and woman of faith to rejoice in.)
          We can take indescribable joy in the results of Jesus' death on the cross, because it brings us eternal life, a relationship with God, and eventual deliverance from the sin nature.  But Isaiah tells us that we can also delight in Good Friday because God Himself has delighted in that blessed Day for all eternity.
          The book of Isaiah begins with the Lord expressing displeasure with the sacrifices of man.  Those sacrifices could not change a human heart.  They could not take a sinful person and turn him into a righteous one.  And in chapter 53, God shows us His solution to this dilemma.  There would be a sacrifice completely pleasing to Him.  A sacrifice that would not just cover our sins on the outside, but purge us from them on the inside.  A sacrifice that would restore us fully to the image and likeness of God we were created to reflect for His glory.  A sacrifice that would not just acquit the guilty, but truly make them innocent again.
          The only way to make us righteous, and to erase our sins, would be to let Jesus trade places with us for a day.  Despite the fact that He could do no violence and speak no deceit, He would take our sins as if they were His own.  He would absorb the punishment our sins earned, satisfying the justice of a Holy God.  Then, with that justice fully satisfied, He would rise from the grave, pardon us, clothe us in His righteousness, and give us the reward God can only bestow on the sinless.
          The Lord did take delight in this sacrifice.  "It pleased the Lord to bruise Him."  It pleased Him greatly.  This sacrifice, unlike the Isaiah 1 sacrifices that nauseated God, would be a sweet-smelling aroma in His nostrils.  Because He would have the best of both worlds as a result:  His infinite love and mercy could now be expressed for never-ending eternity, without compromising His perfection of holiness at all.  And, oh, what glory would be forever given His Name!
          Yes, it is indescribable.  It is beyond comprehension.   It is a plan beyond what the most imaginative and creative of human minds could ever fashion.  This Good Friday & Easter week, let your joy and awe at the glorious wonders of God's salvation overflow.  Love and worship Him with your whole heart and soul and mind and strength, and give Him matchless thanks for His "indescribable gift."