A year ago, when my son took a college course on Greek mythology, he frequently shared what he learned. He was fascinated by deities like Cronus, who devoured his own children out of fear they might overthrow him, and by Apollo, whose predatory behavior was celebrated in ancient stories. As a pastoral counselor, I couldn’t help but observe that nearly every Greek god he mentioned would qualify for mental health intervention.

Clinically speaking, Narcissus was not the only deity demonstrating narcissistic personality disorder, and Eris displayed classic signs of borderline personality disorder. Theologically speaking, I felt (and still feel) profoundly grateful that the God of Scripture is nothing like the volatile gods of mythology. He is steady, faithful, and unchanging. He is a God who loves His people enough to sacrifice Himself on the cross.

Jerry Bridges captures this truth by stating: “If we want proof of God’s love for us, then we must look first at the Cross where God offered up His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Calvary is proof of God’s love for us.” Thomas Aquinas expounds on this thought by stating that Christ’s death was the “most fitting” means of redemption because it made visible the invisible virtues of God: justice, humility, and love intertwined.

In the Roman world, crucifixion was a brutal punishment reserved for the lowest of criminals. That early Christians worshiped a crucified Messiah was scandalous (1 Corinthians 1:23). Yet it’s in this scandal that the gospel’s power is revealed. Christianity is unique among world religions in this regard: it is the only faith in which God Himself becomes the sacrifice to save His creation. False religions require humans to climb their way to God by themselves. The cross reveals a God who comes down to us, bearing the cost Himself. The cross is, in the end, a love letter written in blood: a message to every soul that grace is stronger than sin, and that God’s mercy is everlasting. 

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Bridges, Jerry. Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts. NavPress, 1988, p. 138.