The Scream of the Damned

I just finished listening to a sermon on the atoning death of Christ that CJ Mahaney gave at the Resolved Conference 2008, and all I can say is “Wow!” Mahaney gives such an impassioned and powerful proclamation as to what Christ’s death accomplished. The following is an extended quote from the sermon, but I would highly, strongly, emphatically, persistently recommend that you download the sermon here for free and listen to it yourself.

When Jesus cried out “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?!” Mahaney says in quoting RC Sproul that this scream was the scream of the damned FOR US!! (Gal.3:13, Is. 53, 2 Cor. 5:21) Here is what he says:

“This scream should not be His scream. He is holy, He is sinless, and yet in this moment, He screams what Dr. Sproul describes as ‘the scream of the damned, the most agonizing protest ever uttered on this planet, it burst forth in the moment of unparalleled pain … and Dr. Sproul adds, ‘for us!’ Oh, don’t just contemplate this scream or overhear this scream -- recognize that this scream was for sinners like you and me … I deserve, because of my sin, to experience eternal punishment for my sin, weeping and gnashing of teeth, the scream as described here, as I encounter the justified wrath of God against my sin. This scream should be MY eternal scream!

“He takes upon Himself my sin, the wrath I deserve for and against my sin. He screams the scream of the damned for me so that – so that I might sing instead!!

He screams, and by God’s grace and because of His sacrifice on the cross for my sins, and because of this scream, I get to sing! … He screams, and we get to sing! He screams the scream of the damned and I get to sing “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive glory and honor and power!” He screams, and because of His scream, I am freed from the divine punishment I deserve eternally for my sin, and instead, because of His scream, I am assured of forgiveness of sin. I am assured that I will never be forsaken by the Father. And I am assured that by God’s grace I will see the face of the Father, and by God’s grace … I will be singing throughout eternity … and if you have turned from your sins and trusted in the Savior, that is the gift provided for you as well! You should have known this scream … But instead he took upon himself the wrath that we deserved. He screamed the scream of the damned for us so that we might sing of His grace throughout all eternity.”

All I can say is “Oh, the depth of the riches and(AL) wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.!” (Ro. 11:33-36)