4/12/22
The Lord suffered on the cross not to pay some penalty demanded by an angry Father God, but as the final test by which He overcame hell and made His Human Divine, in this way bringing His Divine Love to the human race. In His final words on the Cross, we see that Divine Love at work. For all who look upon My cross and suffer still with shame and loss. Again today as long ago, “Forgive them for they do not know.” (Luke 23:34-35) “In people's struggles or temptations the Lord carries out an individual redemption, just as He did a total redemption when He was in the world.” (True Christianity 599) In His Words of forgiveness, we see the desire of the Divine Love to forgive (that is, to remove evil desires from) every human being.
Behold your mother! See your son! All those who love Me everyone. (John 19:26, 27) His mother Mary represented the church, and John was to goodness coming from charity. (Married Love 119, Mark 3:35) Part of the Lord’s redemption was establishing His Church by leading people to love one another.
When sin brings sorrow and dismay, “I’ll be with you in Heaven today.” (Luke 23:39-43) The Lord could bring to heaven the criminal on the cross because that man confessed his guilt and turned to the Lord, not to escape punishment, but to be received into His kingdom. When we feel dismay at our evils it is a sign that we can be saved. (Secrets of Heaven 5470) When hell attacks remorselessly—”God why have you abandoned Me?” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, Psalm 22:1) In times of temptation when hells attack us, we think the Lord is absent, but He is then closer than we can possibly believe. (Secrets of Heaven 840, 2334, 2338, 1820; True Christianity 126.2) “I thirst”—to share my cup with you, in heavenly realms to drink it new. (John 19:28, Luke 22:17-19, Mark 14:24-26) “Because He came into the world to save mankind that He said, "I thirst," which means that from Divine love He willed and desired the salvation of the human race.” (Apocalypse Explained 386:30)
Now “it is finished.” All is done—Divine and Human joined in one. (John 19:30) By the last of His trials, which was the passion of the cross, ... He united His Human to His Divine which was in Him from conception. (Apocalypse Revealed 222, Secrets of Heaven 2921.6)
And yielding to Love’s command, “I put My Spirit in Your hand.” (Luke 23:46) “He united, in His Human, Divine truth with Divine goodness, or Divine wisdom with Divine love; and so, with and in His glorified Human, He returned into His Divine in which He was from eternity.” (True Christianity 3)