646
The Desire of Ages
All was oppressive gloom. It was not the dread of death that weighed
upon Him. It was not the pain and ignominy of the cross that caused
His inexpressible agony. Christ was the prince of sufferers; but His
suffering was from a sense of the malignity of sin, a knowledge that
[753]
through familiarity with evil, man had become blinded to its enormity.
Christ saw how deep is the hold of sin upon the human heart, how few
would be willing to break from its power. He knew that without help
from God, humanity must perish, and He saw multitudes perishing
within reach of abundant help.
Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of us
all. He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from the
condemnation of the law. The guilt of every descendant of Adam was
pressing upon His heart. The wrath of God against sin, the terrible
manifestation of His displeasure because of iniquity, filled the soul of
His Son with consternation. All His life Christ had been publishing to
a fallen world the good news of the Father’s mercy and pardoning love.
Salvation for the chief of sinners was His theme. But now with the
terrible weight of guilt He bears, He cannot see the Father’s reconciling
face. The withdrawal of the divine countenance from the Saviour in
this hour of supreme anguish pierced His heart with a sorrow that can
never be fully understood by man. So great was this agony that His
physical pain was hardly felt.
Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The
Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not
present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell
Him of the Father’s acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was
so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. Christ
felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer
plead for the guilty race. It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s
wrath upon Him as man’s substitute, that made the cup He drank so
bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.
With amazement angels witnessed the Saviour’s despairing agony.
The hosts of heaven veiled their faces from the fearful sight. Inanimate
nature expressed sympathy with its insulted and dying Author. The
sun refused to look upon the awful scene. Its full, bright rays were
illuminating the earth at midday, when suddenly it seemed to be blotted
out. Complete darkness, like a funeral pall, enveloped the cross.
“There was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.” There was