Did the Father Really "Turn His Face Away"?

The father turned his face away from Jesus on the cross. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity high on Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez on this Good Friday. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

Would love to hear from you. Here's our phone number 833.core that's 1-833-843-2673 also post your question. One of our social media sites you can email us anytime if you got a question here's her email address its questions at core, Christianity.com April. I'm assuming you have a Good Friday service at your church and if so, what do what you do every year. Yeah, we do have a Good Friday service at our church when I really love these these services a lot of scripture reading will go through basically the meaning of the section of the Gospels leading up to the passion of Christ and then the crucifixion of Jesus, so Scripture readings and then typically Psalms or hymns that were singing in between each scripture reading so I tonight were to be singing. Psalm 22 the course that the new Jesus's words on the cross, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me. Taken from Psalm 22 were to be seen from Psalm 55 as well. Some of these some of these Psalms that have an association with the you know that the passion of Christ or that the things leading up to 18 of the betrayal and in everything there and so a lot of Bible and a lot of singing and so to get time you know it's interesting because Good Friday can be such sorrow sorrowful somber day and yet we have that amazing celebration on Sunday to look forward to and you often say on this program that we should be really celebrating Easter in our hearts all year long.

Yeah right. We we really should be humming. That's why we we worship on the first day of the week. On Sunday, every time you go to church you are proclaiming once again Jesus is victorious over death and I do know about you, brothers and sisters, but I know for myself. I need that message every single day, every single week.

I need to be reminded of the fact that that death has been conquered. Finally in sin has been dealt with my sin has been dealt with and so what I think for us. You know what a gift that God is given to us to to rejoice in that reality into celebrated every every day every week I meant your listing to core Christianity let's go to the phones. Susan is on the line from Bella Vista, Arkansas Susan what your question for pastor.

Israel hello Bill and Adria really appreciate your help.

I do not understand why the church doesn't recognize that Jesus was crucified on Thursday. Jesus said he would be three day three night in the heart of the earth, and his tomb was aboveground. He goes away you went down to Paradise to get the believers. There and take them to heaven Thursday or Friday was the highest Sabbath so you know the Bible says he was taken down because it was the salad was the highest Sabbath will Susan, thank you for that question whether there is you know there's some question about what day specifically the week didn't Jesus died on was he crucified on their some people say Wednesday. Some people say Thursdays. As you just said others will say Friday. I would think that the celebration of of Good Friday historically with with the church. Then there are different reasons. I really given for for each one his abuse. It will close on Friday. Can you really wasn't. Was it really three days three nights in us as Christ prophesied. Think of the prophecy of of Jonah and then people know some will say in response to that way. Started with the with the Jewish reckoning of a day any of the upper part of the day reckoned as a whole day so the Friday evening, Saturdays day to Sunday because he was still in the tomb, you know, for a portion of that day that that counts and so there are there are different ways of of looking at this. I don't think you you asked why doesn't the church address as I think I think that our focus needs to be on what was happening was being accomplished. When Jesus was on the cross. The focus doesn't need to be what day specifically was he crucified nothing. It's not important and I think that we look at the Gospels and and we try to determine that.

But the main focus needs to be what was actually being accomplished. When Jesus was hanging on the cross. Therefore, our sins, and that's where the New Testament wants to focus.

I think that's where the apostles wanted to focus and so that's why want to focus and you know what what Paul said in the book of Galatians chapter 3 verse 10 he gets us it. But what Jesus was accomplishing what you listen to this.

He says all rely on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written. Galatians 310 again cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to do them.

Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law for the righteous shall live by faith. But the law is not of faith.

Rather, the one who does them shall live by them.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree, so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. What was happening at the cross of Jesus was bearing our curse so that we might receive salvation forgiveness the gift of the Holy Spirit, by faith, so that we might be the children of Abraham by faith. And that's what we that's we need to focus the unit if if the in the past is getting up there, you know on non-Good Friday and has a 45 minute sermon in approving that Jesus died on this specific day. Not that day. I think that these missing people need to have Christ crucified, placarded before them, and they need to hear the message you are forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ. That's we cling to.

That's we cling to the cross of Christ, and so is not not to say that it's not not important. I think you think it's good for us to think about these things and to get the history down but I would say that's white but I am not focused on that and I think that's probably why others don't focus on in the church as well, so much, and soaked Susan God bless you and thank you for giving us a call.

Your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and want to assure an email we received from one of our listeners named John. He says one of my favorite hymns is how deep the father's love for us, but I recently heard that the line that says the father turned his face away is controversial to some.

I wonder if you have a view on that.

If you think that line is okay or if it's something we should avoid singing such an excellent question, and you know it's interesting about this is the way we sing what we sing communicates something little words that we sing and worship brothers and sisters is so important to just communicate what we believe in something failed to shape our beliefs so that if we seeing things that are theologically inaccurate or unhelpful. We begin to embrace and believe those things that the faith is oftentimes prayed into our hearts so we need to be careful with with the things that we sing in the things that we know we pray, and I think I think this is just a really important question for for that reason, then, with regard to this song in particular where where the song is how deep the father's love for us is the action when one of the hymnals that we use at the church that I pastor think there are ways to Italy.

If you believe that you know what what the song is saying this is in the father turned his face away for what you believe by that is that at the cross, God the father and God the son were in some sense separated that there is this this chasm within the life of the Trinity.

Now where the father hates the sun or something like that.

I've heard some pretty out outrageous things said by people said by even preachers that Jesus on the cross was hated night you know by by the father and there's a sort of chasm within the Trinity will that's a problem if if that's what people think, took place on the cross, I would.

I would say there there actually compromising the doctrine of the holy Trinity, for you know our doctrine of the atonement. What Christ did on the cross is important for us to understand it rightly made any doctrine of the atonement that that undermines the doctrine of the Trinity is not an accurate doctrine of of the atonement. And so we have to be really really careful with that but there is a sense and I just read from Galatians 3 that we can say Jesus Christ bore our curse. He did in reality fully and truly bore our curse was the curse of the curse of death.

The penalty of of the law, but that doesn't mean that that the father didn't love Jesus while he was on the cross and fed Jesus himself said in John chapter 16 he's talking to his disciple is warning them about how they can abandon him while he's on the cross is behold, the hour is coming.

Indeed, it has come when you will be scattered each to his own home and will leave me alone, yet I am not alone, for the father is with me. The reason that the father still with in that our of trial in our of crucifixion, the fathers of militant people as to what would Jesus mean by his statement. There hanging on the cross, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me. Quoting from Psalm 22 and there are number of ways that people in the history of the church of have understood this a bit, but ultimately it's Christ in our place bearing our penalty our curse. It's not that that the father and the son were separated being in need of the persons of the Trinity were no longer in communion or something like that. We have to reject that view, while maintaining the fact that Jesus is bearing our penalty on the cross for our sins for our justification and so that's that's might might take and appreciate this question and may God bless you. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez, we do receive voicemails here and try to review her voicemails at least once a day and if you have a question for us. You can call 24 hours a day and leave your message. Here's the number it's 833-843-2673. That's 833.

The core is a voicemail from one of our listeners named Holly at was regarding how the Bible is interpreted and it seems like there are a lot of contradictions are paradoxes within the Bible in so many different ways that people interpret things in the Bible like there's some absolute and there's also some areas weren't kind of blessed to individual items for themselves. So my question is how does the person interpret the things of the word of God without it being a relative type of thing like you now postmodern culture over everything is relative and it's just kind of like your experience. I just appreciate if you could shed some light on that. Thank you yeah deathly Holly that you're right.

I mean I think sometimes is the scene of the. The small group Bible study where the leader just escape you know how did that passage make you feel. And then everybody kind of shares, you know, one after the other will make me feel like this or I kinda think it's this. It just seems very subjective.

We are not the ones who are giving meaning to the text of Scripture that the Scripture has meaning it's God's revelation is his speech to us, which is meant to shape us and transform us in and part of that is rightly understanding Scripture interpreting it well and using principles of interpretation.

Some times referred to as hermeneutics that will guide us in in unpacking the text in a way that's honoring to God not let me give you a couple of I think helpful guides. When thinking about approaching Scripture.

First, the only infallible interpreter of Scripture is the Scripture itself, meaning that view me as an individual. I don't have the infallible interpretation of the Bible, the Pope in Rome does not have the infallible interpretation of the Bible Scripture itself is it's only infallible interpreter and so Scripture helps to interpret Scripture that's really important, especially unit as you think about the flow of the story of God.

We sometimes call redemptive history know that as time progressed, and revelation unfolded. You know that the New Testament really helps us to understand a lot of the things that we saw in the Old Testament as well. And that gets to another. I think the second principle helpful guideline in its tenets that we want to let the clear passages of Scripture help guide us in understanding the less clear pack passages of Scripture not all Scripture is equally clear. I think we can we can affirm that you know there's there's a doctrine related to the Scriptures and we think about the attributes of scriptures will say that the Scriptures are clear. But sometimes referred to as the perspicuity of Scripture.

If you want a big fancy sounding word, but it just means that the Bible is clear and that doesn't mean that all scriptures are equally clear. It just means when it comes to the gospel but we need to know about God and his word to be saved to have a relationship with him and it's so clear that even a child can grasp it. Jesus's words and in Matthew 11, where he sprang to the fob and he said thank you, father, Lord of heaven and earth. You have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent. The sages, you know, the Pharisees describes and you have revealed them to the babes to the little children and so Scripture is clear and we want to let especially the clear parts of Scripture help us to interpret the less clear parts of Scripture maybe another one because such an important thing Christ has to be central to what Jesus said in John chapter 5 to the religious leaders you search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life.

These are the very Scriptures that testify of me for Luke 24, after his resurrection were Jesus is is meeting up with a couple disciples on the road to Emmaus and he opens the Scriptures to them so that they can see how basically the entire Old Testament is pointing to him any any principle of interpretation that is without Christ that doesn't have Jesus doesn't lead us to Christ, think is really problematic. I think Jesus himself said that. So there's this centrality to Christ, but we don't get there by just inserting Jesus into the Old Testament wherever we want. We get there by rightly understanding the context historical context, the historical background, and so a part of rightly interpreting Scripture's is digging in deep in understanding the background.

Understanding the history, understanding passages in their original context, and then and then recognizing what God is communicating to the people he was addressing therein to us today because Paul says in first Corinthians of the things were written, then what were or jotted down for our instruction, so that we might learn and grow. All Scripture. Paul told Timothy is inspired of the Holy Spirit and and given first for our instruction, for reproof, for building us up in godliness and so those are a few principles of Bible interpretation that I think would be helpful for you as you yourself approach the text of Scripture, God bless Holly your listener core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez Easter just a couple of days away. We have a wonderful book that really will help you celebrate Easter all year long. We want to tell you about that right now yeah the offer today is to be on that we lays book captivated beholding the beauty beholding the mystery of Jesus's death and resurrection. We were excited about this resource want to get it in your hands you can you can access it over core Christianity or ordered over it. Core, Christianity.com is yours for a donation of any amount in this is Bill saying, especially with with Easter here now right around the corner. This is helpful resources you meditate on what Jesus is accomplished for you in his death and his resurrection. A beautiful book. You can find out more by going to core Christianity.com/offers. Again, that's core Christianity.com/offers. Look for the book captivated. We do receive emails here at core, Christianity, and here's a really good one from listener named William and he says how do I build my faith. I'm a new Christian and I'm not sure what to do next. Yeah how do I build my faith okay. Excellent question brother in. Let me just say the first thing that just want to encourage you that you want to grow in your relationship with Christ in your walk with the Lord.

May God help us all to have that desire to long to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus and of course that's that's that's that that's what it's all about the question is how how do we do that well the way you asked the question that first made me think of what Paul says in Romans chapter 10 where he says it faith comes by hearing, and in particular, not just hearing anything but hearing the word of Christ is God uses his word to create faith in our hearts to build faith to sustain faith and so the first thing I would say to you is put yourself under the be influenced the impact of the word of God. How do you do that will mean reading it, studying it on your own. But also, and I think fundamentally in this is something you heard me say on the broadcast before being in a church where the word of God is faithfully proclaimed where where you can hear somebody stand up behind the pulpit and preach the word of God using those those you know principles of Bible interpretation that I talked about with the with the previous caller being faithful to the text so that you might hear God's speech to you to encourage you to build you up and so it's something that God does through his word and through other people. I think of you know Paul's words in first Corinthians 12 for he's talking about the fact that each of us in the body of Christ have different gifting's and you don't build yourself up in isolation on your own effect you can't because you're just one part of the body were not were not capable with the gifts that God has given us to do that kind of in an isolation. That's with the language of first grade. In chapter 12 as God gives us these gifts within the body of Christ for the edification of the whole body that is other people and their gifts that God is given to them building you up in your own faith and and were working together as this family of faith to build each other up. We need one another.

That's Paul's big point there in first Corinthians 12 and so being under the ministry of the word growing in that and being in community being with others who are brothers and sisters in Christ to God will use in your life to encourage you and build you up and who you will be able to encourage and build up with the gifts that God has given to you and so that those of the ways I would say that the primary ways that I would. I would encourage you to really be invested in in in growing in the word and growing in community gapless great advice for a new believer. Thanks for that Israel. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez.

Let's go to a voicemail from one of our listeners in St. Louis, this is Arthur believers in Christ and believe in the triune God be debating with those with with hostility that don't agree with that doctrine was the ministers response and how would you handle that question should we be debating possibly causing confusion with unbelievers all in with two of believers. The doctrine of the Trinity is just that at the at the center of the Christian faith were talking about who God is. Some of the earliest controversies in the Christian church debates that were had centered around the doctrine of the Trinity and the person of Christ, the God man, the incarnation is the stuff that did. I think we need to stand up for and take seriously now, is it helpful or healthy to get into extended debates and conversations with those who reject those doctrines.

I'm thinking in particular an element of that conversation with Mormons with Jehovah's Witnesses. I think there comes a point where we are talking to an Indian individual and you realize that this isn't going anywhere.

This isn't this isn't fruitful and really this individual is actually not interested in the truth or in changing their their mind there.

You know, clinging to what they believe to the false doctrine that they believe in so II think maybe initially if it were talking about those kinds of conversations it's it's a okay man, and we can as believers, I think contend for the faith and call people to repentance and say let's search the Scriptures and point them to passages that teach these doctrines like the doctrine of the Trinity, but if it persists in a in a way that just built. This isn't going anywhere. In this individual accepting.

I brought up 10 passages and yet another answer for one or she has and it had an answer for when she's not interested in really searching the Scriptures or letting the Scriptures form her beliefs.

She's been basically indoctrinated or even brainwashed to believe things that are contrary to Scripture and is unwilling to yield. I've seen that become unhelpful and an unhealthy fight think you need to know when to end the conversation as well but but also generally speaking just within the church is over not talking about you know core Christian doctrines we want to be careful to avoid those those sort of foolish disputes and meant to be careful for those on the outside were trying to cause division is what we read and in places like Romans chapter 16 verse 17. I appeal to brothers to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrines that you have been taught avoid them.

Avoid those people live if they visit somebody who's it was just taking you away from time where you could be worshiping the Lord serving the people around you.

Caring for your family and don't waste your time with that and so may God give you wisdom is. As you navigate those questions and God bless thank you for giving us a call. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together