Whether God the Father Delivered Up Christ to the Passion?
Objection 1: It would seem that God the Father did not deliver up
Christ to the Passion. For it is a wicked and cruel act to hand over
an innocent man to torment and death. But, as it is written (Deut.
32:4): "God is faithful, and without any iniquity." Therefore He did
not hand over the innocent Christ to His Passion and death.
Obj. 2: Further, it is not likely that a man be given over to death
by himself and by another also. But Christ gave Himself up for us, as
it is written (Isa. 53:12): "He hath delivered His soul unto death."
Consequently it does not appear that God the Father delivered Him up.
Obj. 3: Further, Judas is held to be guilty because he betrayed
Christ to the Jews, according to John 6:71: "One of you is a devil,"
alluding to Judas, who was to betray Him. The Jews are likewise
reviled for delivering Him up to Pilate; as we read in John 18:35:
"Thy own nation, and the chief priests have delivered Thee up to me."
Moreover, as is related in John 19:16: Pilate "delivered Him to them
to be crucified"; and according to 2 Cor. 6:14: there is no
"participation of justice with injustice." It seems, therefore, that
God the Father did not deliver up Christ to His Passion.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Rom. 8:32): "God hath not spared
His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all."
_I answer that,_ As observed above (A. 2), Christ suffered
voluntarily out of obedience to the Father. Hence in three respects
God the Father did deliver up Christ to the Passion. In the first
way, because by His eternal will He preordained Christ's Passion for
the deliverance of the human race, according to the words of Isaias
(53:6): "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquities of us all"; and
again (Isa. 53:10): "The Lord was pleased to bruise Him in
infirmity." Secondly, inasmuch as, by the infusion of charity, He
inspired Him with the will to suffer for us; hence we read in the
same passage: "He was offered because it was His own will" (Isa.
53:7). Thirdly, by not shielding Him from the Passion, but abandoning
Him to His persecutors: thus we read (Matt. 27:46) that Christ, while
hanging upon the cross, cried out: "My God, My God, why hast Thou
forsaken Me?" because, to wit, He left Him to the power of His
persecutors, as Augustine says (Ep. cxl).
Reply Obj. 1: It is indeed a wicked and cruel act to hand over an
innocent man to torment and to death against his will. Yet God the
Father did not so deliver up Christ, but inspired Him with the will
to suffer for us. God's "severity" (cf. Rom. 11:22) is thereby shown,
for He would not remit sin without penalty: and the Apostle indicates
this when (Rom. 8:32) he says: "God spared not even His own Son."
Likewise His "goodness" (Rom. 11:22) shines forth, since by no
penalty endured could man pay Him enough satisfaction: and the
Apostle denotes this when he says: "He delivered Him up for us all":
and, again (Rom. 3:25): "Whom"--that is to say, Christ--God "hath
proposed to be a propitiation through faith in His blood."
Reply Obj. 2: Christ as God delivered Himself up to death by the same
will and action as that by which the Father delivered Him up; but as
man He gave Himself up by a will inspired of the Father. Consequently
there is no contrariety in the Father delivering Him up and in Christ
delivering Himself up.
Reply Obj. 3: The same act, for good or evil, is judged differently,
accordingly as it proceeds from a different source. The Father
delivered up Christ, and Christ surrendered Himself, from charity,
and consequently we give praise to both: but Judas betrayed Christ
from greed, the Jews from envy, and Pilate from worldly fear, for he
stood in fear of Caesar; and these accordingly are held guilty.
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