Father & Son Separated

Yesterday I was invited to Tim's house along with Simon & Jill for a bbq with Tim, his wife Sarah and two kids. Since Barbara had headed off to Wexford with Jacob I went on my own, no problem!

It was a great time of fellowship, fun, food and chilling out. But at one point we ended up in the play park behind Tim's house where his kids enjoyed the swings, slides and climbing frame etc...
While I was in the park, and as I watched Tim's son who is a little older than Jacob, and seeing another couple with their son of a similar age my emotions filled with longing to have Jacob in my arms, to push him on the swings and to see him enjoy himself.
My heart was bursting to have him there, I missed him so much!

I know it isn't much of a comparison, but last night as I thought about this, I thought of how God the Father must have felt while His only begotten Son was on the cross, and they were separated.
How must He have felt to see His Son, Jesus upon that cross and taking His wrath over our sin? How must He have felt to see His Son suffer so?

I cannot give any answers to this, I don't know!
But I know that it causes a pinning in my heart when Jacob is away for even a couple of days. But he's not suffering. Jesus did!

I know that if I were to see my only son nailed to a tree, crucified I'd be weeping, I'd be upon the ground pulling my hair out, just crying my eyes out and yelling uncontrollably! (Its bad enough when I see him fall and bump himself).

Just think about that for a moment, how would you feel if one of your children was suffer so?
And how does this point (as dim a pointer it may be) to how an infinite God, who's capacity for love is far above ours, must have felt at that moment.

and how that helps shape our understanding of John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."