Can we hear what someone is saying when they are not talking? Can we hear what God is saying, when He is being silent?
I have often said that there are two main messages of the cross of Yeshua. One is oral; the other is written.
The oral message is the forgiveness of sins. Yeshua cried out on the cross, "Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing" – Luke 23:34. With these words, and by making atonement through His death, Yeshua forever made an offer to mankind of salvation by grace.
The written message has to do with the kingdom: "This is Yeshua, King of the Jews" – Matthew 27:37. This was written on the sign over His head while He was hanging on the cross. It was written in three languages. It is a statement of authority, identity, kingship, government, coronation.
And yet, there is more. His spoken words on the cross only took some seconds, maybe a minute. But he was hanging there for 6 hours. There is another language; what we could call "body language." It is doing acts of love, sacrifice, service, support – when words cannot be spoken.
How can you tell someone you love them, when they are not willing to hear? How can you tell someone they are doing something wrong, when they are not willing to listen?
How much is God speaking to us and we do not have ears to hear? – Revelation 2:7. Is there something so good that we do not have enough trust to receive it? Is there something so bad that we do not have enough faith to endure it?
God is our Father. He loves us. We are His children. We have sinned against Him through rebellion and rejection – Isaiah 1:2, Malachi 1:6. We have hurt Him. Either we do not know it or we do not care.
Yeshua, as the Son, came to show us the love of the Father – John 3:16. What did we do? We, as a human race, crucified Him. What did He do? He allowed Himself to be crucified --silent. He stretched out His hands. He suffered.
On the cross, Yeshua suffered in silence to show us how much God loves us, when we weren't willing to listen. This is the ultimate act of love. It is sacrificial love. It is the willingness to suffer in silence at the hands of someone you love.
It is the "silent message" of the cross. Can we hear it? Can we walk in it ourselves for those we love, when they cannot hear? Can we hear it from someone else who loves us, and we are not aware of it?
The soldier pierced Yeshua's heart while He hung there – John 19:34. One day we will look on the One whom we have pierced and understand even partially what we have done, and what He has done for us – Zechariah 12:10. Our hearts will be pierced together with His.
Yeshua stretched out His hands and said nothing. Can we hear the Father speaking?
