Self Isolation (6)

What a horrible scene! When a loved one is on their deathbed the family want to be close by, to hold hands, to say goodbye, to be there. In those final moments we know instinctively that how important presence is. But what if the loved one is in an isolation ward? Being present will put the family at risk of infection. Even if there were enough protective suits to go around such a suit is, in itself, an undesirable barrier. It is impossible to get as close as you would like to be. What a terrible situation!

The fact that Jesus is ‘Immanuel’, God with us, is good news but it is still not enough. This is only one side of the bridge - it doesn’t reach the other side of the chasm. God has come to us but how do we get back to God? Our selfish actions need to be forgiven and our selfish hearts need to be washed clean. The Bible teaches that Jesus accomplished this for us by dying in complete isolation - isolation from family and friends and society and isolation from God. He was executed by crucifixion, hung up to suffocate on a rough piece of wood:

This isolated Him from His friends who had run away in fear.

This isolated Him from his ethnic community, the Jews, because crucifixion was an unclean and cursed form of death. 

This isolated Him from Gentile society - He was executed with rebels guilty of treason.

This isolated Him from His family. His mother and a few other women were there watching but they could not do anything to alleviate His suffering or even give a comforting touch.

Worst than all, He experienced complete isolation from God. This is how Matthew described the scene:

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"”

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What horrendous isolation! Why was God’s beloved Son, God’s chosen Servant, crying out in such a God-forsaken state? He was experiencing a literal Hell, the complete withdrawal of God’s presence, the terror of an eternal isolation from God concentrated into a few short hours and poured out upon Jesus the God-man.

Jesus had never ‘self-isolated’ from God and He had never ‘self-isolated’ from people. He had no sin. He did not deserve to be isolated in this way. What He experienced on that ‘old rugged cross’ was, in fact, what we sinful, self-isolated human beings deserve. Jesus experienced this complete isolation from God as a substitute, sacrificing Himself for sinful people. God poured the poisonous mixture of sin’s guilt, shame, and pollution, into the cup of death and Jesus voluntarily drank it. He did this for you, if you will receive it from Him. 

God was pleased with the self-sacrifice Jesus made on behalf of self-isolating sinners. In fact He accepted it completely. Jesus died and was buried in a grave but His soul was immediately welcomed back into God’s presence (He told one of the thieves who was dying nearby “Today you will be with Me in Paradise”). Three days later God made a public demonstration of how pleased He was with all that Jesus had done: He raised Him back to life physically and then lifted Him - still in human flesh - to sit on Heaven’s Highest Throne. From there He exercises authority over all of Heaven and earth. Having experienced isolation from God in His sinless body Jesus now exercises His power and authority to over rule world events, bringing people back to God by forgiving and cleaning away sin, so as to undo our self-isolation from God. So, through the Bible, Jesus calls out to anyone who will listen.

“Come to Me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
(Come close to Me).

Take My yoke upon you 
(Bind yourself to Me) 
and learn from me 
(Listen to Me)

for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”

To come to Jesus is to come back to God.