So This Is God?

(Matthew chapter 22 verses 45 to 56)

So this is God? This dying man; his hands made helpless, his body distorted, face almost unrecognisable. This is God?Fear and jealousy led the religious leaders to demand his death. Politics and expediency led the representative of the occupying army to agree to his death. Is it not a familiar story? To understand the dying God, look around you. Is not humanity also crucified? The suffering of the hungry, the daily fear of the oppressed, the desperation of the powerless. Every day the beauty and promise of humanity is destroyed by forces that we cannot control. This twisted writhing mass of fear, grief and agony, this is humanity. That dying man on the cross; his name is Emmanuel and it means God With Us. God the Three-In-One left the realms of Godhead and came to earth to identify with the suffering mass of humanity. Now Emmanuel, God-With-Us, is dying. God-the-Father does not intervene. Struggling to breath, Jesus calls out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? He had previously said that if he wished he could call on his Father and his Father would send seven legions of angels to rescue him. He does not call. He does not ask to be rescued. Like humans he asks questions of God, and like many humans the questions do not indicate a lack of faith in God. Like the faithful of all three monotheistic faiths he cries out 'Why?' but still trusts.
There is only one God, The venerable Muhammad knew this. He is not three gods but one God made known to us in three person activity.Jesus came from God-the-Father, divesting himself of the power and authority of heaven and sharing the birth and life of humans. Now God-the-Son is dead, and before the day is over God-the-Son is buried. Roman soldiers guard the tomb to prevent anyone stealing the body. Two women sit by the tomb. The earthquake and darkness have already happened, they happened while Jesus was dying. Now the night looks like any other night. God-the-Father waits.