Hopefully making theology simpler to understand! (2 Corinthians 1:12)

One of the funniest moments of the 2003 film “Elf” was Buddy the Elf seeing a feral raccoon, spreading out his arms, and asking, “Does someone need a hug?” (It did not go well.)

Something I like to tell people is that on January 9, 2000, Jesus hugged me in welcome to His Family. On July 26, 2000, I finally returned the hug.

It is nice to think about receiving a comforting hug when life feels overwhelming, things are generally crazy, or having just gone through a horrible situation.

It is also nice to look back through the Bible and see how God has been there for His people:

In the Exodus, God said He rescued Israel with a mighty hand and outstretched arm (Exodus 6:6; Deuteronomy 4:34, 5:15, 7:19; Psalm 136:12).

Within Israel and their Exile, God welcomes those who come to Him humbly and for His glory (1 Kings 8:41-43; 2 Chronicles 6:32-33; Ezekiel 20:34).

We can see how God has been taking care of His people, yes even under judgment at times.

What is the most comforting is that God came to us to take the punishment we deserve for disobedience. He promised to do this when He spoke with Abraham 4,000 years ago (Genesis 15), and there are so many places that it is laid out in the Hebrew Scriptures (such as Genesis 22, Psalm 22, and Daniel 9:26).

Good Friday is good, because we see the Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who saw all the sinfulness of this world, come to us in the midst of our fear, pain, and anxiety. The one who stretched out His arm with His might hands came to comfort us with those strong arms and hands.

So, on that terrible Friday 2,000 years ago, Jesus opened His arms for us. We are the feral raccoons, rooting around in garbage and attacking the God who loves us. He took the punishment we deserved, holding back God’s wrath for those of us who will believe.

Yet this same God who took on His own wrath, with those same strong, mighty, scarred arms, reaches out to us to hold us and comfort us.

When we look at the cross, we see God opening His arms to us.

Jesus on the cross took our pain, but it is God saying, “Who needs a hug? Because I am here.”