After Jesus lived on earth, in Acts 2:14-41, the Apostle Peter addressed a large crowd about who Jesus actually was. There was confusion among people about if Jesus was the Christ or not. While delivering a sound argument for the death, ressurection and ascension of Jesus, Peter says this:"This man [Jesus] was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." (v. 23; emphasis added).
What I always find fascinating is that Jesus was handed over to be killed according to God's purpose. In other words, God the father was responsible for the son's death. How heartless! This should sound ridiculous, seeing as the end of 1 John 4:9 says, "...God is love." How does God the Father killing God the Son seem loving at all?
I guess others have thought the same thing, because recently, a book entitled The Lost Message of Jesus has been put out by Zondervan asking the very same question. The author writes that the belief of God putting Jesus to death for the sins of the world is like "... a form of cosmic child abuse - a vengeful Father, punishing his Son for an offence he has not even committed" (p. 182).
Is the cross of Christ a contradiction to God's love? Is it all just "cosmic child abuse"?
Check out this video of Pastor Mark Driscoll answering this question. Feel free to queck out the rest of the church's website.
