|
ALL BECAUSE OF US
“AND BEING FOUND IN FASHION AS A MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, AND BECAME OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH, EVEN THE DEATH OF THE STAKE” (Phil 2:8).
All the way from the bosom of the Father to the womb of a virgin. Out of the heavenly palaces to a world of woe. From the pinnacle of glory to a lowly Bethlehem barn. "....Even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God” (Psalm 90:2). Jesus Christ became a man to take away the sins of the world so that man may become God. “He came unto His own but His own received Him not”(John 1:11). The ultimate Judge of Righteousness who allowed Himself to be judged by the unrighteous. All because of us!
An itinerant prophet, a traveling preacher, a homeless stranger in the world His hands had made. Then He went a little farther--He walked that dark and dreadful last mile of His human life, agonizing all the way, tracing every steps, measuring every length and breath of the ups and downs of the dark alley, from “....the common Hall where the whole band of soldiers stripped Him and put on Him a scarlet robe, platted a crown of thorns, put it upon His head with a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews" (Matthew 27:27-29).
“And they spit upon Him, and took the reed and smote Him on the head. And after that they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from Him, and put His own raiment on Him....." (Matthew 27:30-31). And when they were come to the place, which is called calvary, there they crucified Him .....”(Luke 23:33), until He came to the last giant step of them all and said, “.....It is finished. . .” (John 19:30).
Few really understand the significance of the ultimate sacrifice He had done for the whole of humanity and still fewer remember the Memorial Day when the event of the ages took place--the 14th day of the 1st month, Abib. Yet, our Savior Himself commands true Christians to commemorate His sacrifice every year. Year after year! “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations: ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever” (Exodus 12:14).
The apostle Paul writing to the Church of God in Corinth said: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me. In the same manner He also took the cup after supper saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes" (1 Corinthians 11: 23-26).
The Passover is a yearly reminder of the awesome sacrifice God the Father and the Son have made so that we may have access to the throne of grace after an honest and sincere repentance. It is significantly important that we fully grasp the tremendous meaning behind the unthinkable decision they made of offering the life of a God that man may live. That is why Paul said we should “.....know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.....” (Ephesians 3:19).
Gleaned from Jesus selfless example, we see the kind of attitude and action we should strive for and “look not only for our own interest but also for the interest of others” (Phil 2:4). In the same message to the Philippians Paul also tells us in verses 5-8, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."[stake].
Take those last six words and you have the anatomy of a crime - the darkest, foulest, most monstrous crime ever committed on this sin-cursed planet earth. The world is His--His by right of creation, His by right of conquest, and now His right by payment for the sins of the world. Not for one moment did He surrender planet earth to the enemy. Here is the most powerful, the richest being in the whole universe, very God whose mighty power brought forth into existence everything in the universe yet allowed Himself to be spit upon, laughed at, ridiculed, tortured and then hung on a stake to suffer to the very end a penalty reserved only for hardened criminals. He died a shameful humiliating death
ALL BECAUSE OF US “MANKIND”!!!
As the Eternal God of the Old and New Testament, a lot have been written about Him that detailed exactly what would happen hundreds if not thousands of years later. Chapters 52 and 53 of Isaiah are among the inspired writings in the Old Testament that clearly illustrate the unspeakable cruelness of man to inflict pain towards his fellow man.
Here are some excerpts enough to rock one's nerves to the bones the moment we realize the magnitude of God's love for us - willing to suffer and go that far, all in the name of love. “His visage was marred more than any man” (Isaiah 52:14). “He is despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). “He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities” (Vs 5). “He was led as a lamb to the slaughter” (Vs 7). “He was cut off from the land of the living” (Vs 8). “He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors” (Vs 12).
Paul, urged all Christians to fix our eyes on Jesus, “.....the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the stake, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
“My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountains and hills and forget their own resting place. And I will bring Israel again to his own habitation......” (Jer 50:6,19).
We readily forget God and wander away, easily carried away by the pleasant words of ravening wolves. Yet, He pursues us where ever we go - through unfamiliar terrains, steep hills and high rocky mountains. Even through the thickening darkness and shivering coldness of the night. We never heard any complain as He labored through hostile grounds. As a loving and caring shepherd to His flock, even in search of one lost sheep never did He considered the time, the energy and sufferings He had to endure. His crucifixion amply demonstrated His love towards us much more abundantly and beyond measure. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Taking part in the Passover celebration, allows us, in a sense to participate and internalize the incredible meaning of this crucial event. Every human being, especially the called out, the chosen and the faithful who know the extent of God's unconditional love for us should strive to do His will and give Him the honor, the deepest reverence, the glory and respect both the Father and the Son so rightly deserve.
“You shall Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might”(Deu 6:5). This is the greatest commandment Love by all means, is not only the most important fruit of God's Holy Spirit but it is also the sweetest and the most beautiful singular word in any language. Take away love and you take away God in your life because "God is love" and the apostle of love twice said so in I John 4:8 and 16.
As we observe the Passover this year, let's focus our minds on what Christ and the Father have done for us. Let's ask ourselves, could there be any love greater than when Christ willingly laid down His life for us? “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Could any love be greater than when the Father gave His only Son that the world might be saved? “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Throughout the year, let's try to love the Father and His Son, our elder brother, with the same passion with which they first loved us. If we do, then, we are now on our way to accomplish the grandest of all promises - the eventual fulfillment of our awesome destiny. For what promise could be greater than to be within the inner circle of the God family?
Romeo Samudio
|