Thoughts: more than can be numbered

Have you ever wondered how Christ endured crucifixion? What was going on in His head? He didn't say much, but He must have been thinking something.

As we learnt from studying torment, the process of touchstoning is:

The Presence of the Lamb and the holy angels is designed to,
Force a decision either for the living God and the Lamb, or for the substitute. This is a,
Revelation of the truth about the heart (character, thoughts) of the people being touchstoned. As well as a,
Revelation of the truth about the merciful and long-suffering character of the Lamb.

The cross of Christ, the touchstoning of the Lamb, reveals the truth about the Jewish leaders, the Romans, the disciples, Luke 2:34-35

KJV ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; ³⁵ (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. WEB ³⁴ and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. ³⁵ Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
but especially about the character of the Lamb Himself and of His Father Romans 5:8

KJV ⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. WEB ⁸ But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
, love for sinners.

The Messiah reveals the self-sacrificing love of Isaiah 53:4-5

KJV ⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. WEB ⁴ Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.
. He reveals the all-consuming desire for atonement, becoming one with His people from all nations of John 2:17

KJV ¹⁷ And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. WEB ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”
and Mark 11:17

KJV ¹⁷ And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. WEB ¹⁷ He taught, saying to them, “Isn’t it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations? ’
.

On the cross Christ saw this success and was satisfied Isaiah 53:10-12

KJV ¹⁰ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. ¹¹ He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. ¹² Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. WEB ¹⁰ Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days and Yahweh’s pleasure will prosper in his hand. ¹¹ After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities. ¹² Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
.

What exactly did Christ "see" on the cross?

The Future

Going on from the verses above we can see what Christ saw a future for His people,

Growth in population and situation, Isaiah 54:1-2

KJV ¹ Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. ² Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

WEB ¹ “Sing, barren, you who didn’t give birth; break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who didn’t travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says Yahweh. ² “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; don’t spare: lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.

A shame-free, redemptive relationship with the Lord Isaiah 54:4-5

KJV ⁴ Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. ⁵ For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

WEB ⁴ “Don’t be afraid, for you will not be ashamed. Don’t be confounded, for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your youth. You will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more. ⁵ For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth.

An eternal, loving, compassionate covenant of peace, Isaiah 54:10

KJV ¹⁰ For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

WEB ¹⁰ For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving kindness will not depart from you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed,” says Yahweh who has mercy on you.

All are educated, prosperous, and unthreatened, established on the foundation of righteousness, Isaiah 54:13-14

KJV ¹³ And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. ¹⁴ In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

WEB ¹³ All your children will be taught by Yahweh; and your children’s peace will be great. ¹⁴ You will be established in righteousness. You will be far from oppression, for you will not be afraid, and far from terror, for it shall not come near you.

A present LORD, waiting for us, who freely forgives because His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and His words are promises that accomplish God's pleasure, Isaiah 55:6-11

KJV ⁶ Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. ⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. ⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. ¹⁰ For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: ¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

WEB ⁶ Seek Yahweh while he may be found. Call on him while he is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him, to our God, for he will freely pardon. ⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Yahweh. ⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. ¹⁰ For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it grow and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; ¹¹ so is my word that goes out of my mouth: it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do.

This last verse is closely tied to the cross. When Jesus cries out finally that "It is finished!", He uses a word related to "accomplish". What He had planned and promised, was made certain by the cross.

So Christ thought about the happy future of His people as He was on the cross. This reminds of two verses that use the same word for "thoughts and "plans", Jeremiah 29:11

KJV ¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. WEB ¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
and Psalm 40:5

KJV ⁵ Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. WEB ⁵ Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be counted.
. Continual, uncountable thoughts and plans for us.

The Past

Psalm 77:2

KJV ² In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. WEB ² In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord. My hand was stretched out in the night, and didn’t get tired. My soul refused to be comforted.
sets the scene that "day of trouble" - that day when God seemed far away as His Son hung on the cross, Psalm 77:7-9

KJV ⁷ Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? ⁸ Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? ⁹ Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah. WEB ⁷ “Will the Lord reject us forever? Will he be favorable no more? ⁸ Has his loving kindness vanished forever? Does his promise fail for generations? ⁹ Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion?” Selah.
- Jesus recalls the works of God in the past history of His people, Psalm 77:11-12

KJV ¹¹ I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. ¹² I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. WEB ¹¹ I will remember Yah’s deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old. ¹² I will also meditate on all your work, and consider your doings.

On that dark Friday afternoon, our Redeemer hung on the cross physically, but in His mind He recovered sacred history. Then, by faith, He anticipated ever greater works of God into the future.

With groanings beyond words, Romans 8:26

KJV ²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. WEB ²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered.
, thoughts more than can be told, Psalm 40:5

KJV ⁵ Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. WEB ⁵ Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be counted.
, Christ planned the future. By faith He saw the redeemed, He heard us singing as He and Moses led the singing of the most wonderful song Revelation 15:3-4

KJV ³ And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. ⁴ Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. WEB ³ They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the Almighty! Righteous and true are your ways, you King of the nations. ⁴ Who wouldn’t fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are holy. For all the nations will come and worship before you. For your righteous acts have been revealed.”
.

And these thoughts were enough. "Jesus..; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross... Hebrews 12:2

KJV ² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. WEB ² looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
.

Joy on the cross?

Seeing you, reader, in His future is enough. Planning the "greater works" you would achieve with His aid in this dark world John 14:12

KJV ¹² Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. WEB ¹² Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father.
, finally seeing you singing in glory, brought Him such joy.

Then, and now, and forever His thoughts of you are more than can be numbered.