See, My Servant will prosper; He will be highly exalted....
My Servant grew up in the LORD'S presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance, nothing to attract us to Him. He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way when He went by.
My Servant grew up in the LORD'S presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance, nothing to attract us to Him. He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way when He went by.
He was despised, and we did not care.
Yet it was our weakness He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God for His own sins! But He was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!
Isaiah 52:13, 53:2-5 NLT (pronouns referring to Christ I capitalized for respect)
*
It was a blessing to be able to worship with God's people on Good Friday.
Pastor preached on Christ's words on the cross just before He gave up his life: "It is finished!"
He completed the work His Father sent Him to do! Perfectly! Out of love for His Father & His lost sheep!
This is the greatest moment of His Passion, of His life thus far.
And this should be our focus, not His physical suffering - great as it was.
It offends God when we try to re-enact His Son's suffering - as if we could even fathom it, let alone correctly portray it! (aside from the command not to make images of Him)
And Scripture is sufficient. God ordained preaching as the main means of grace.
Pastor preached on Christ's words on the cross just before He gave up his life: "It is finished!"
He completed the work His Father sent Him to do! Perfectly! Out of love for His Father & His lost sheep!
This is the greatest moment of His Passion, of His life thus far.
And this should be our focus, not His physical suffering - great as it was.
It offends God when we try to re-enact His Son's suffering - as if we could even fathom it, let alone correctly portray it! (aside from the command not to make images of Him)
And Scripture is sufficient. God ordained preaching as the main means of grace.
However, I find that after hearing the wonderous story so often, it doesn't always move me as it should.
Thankfully, God also ordained singing and I think that is one of the best ways to involve our senses and emotions -singing it or listening to the gospels set to great, soul-stirring music - as in Handel's Messiah - "He was Despised, Rejected"..., or the great Passion Oratorios by J.S. Bach... These are beautiful, rich, Scripture-based, God-honouring musical recountings of the Gospel Passion story which stirs up our affections for Him. I'd recommend it! - don't forget to have tissues handy esp'ly if you're watching it... (Thanks R&S for lending your St.John Passion DVD - excellent!)
Thankfully, God also ordained singing and I think that is one of the best ways to involve our senses and emotions -singing it or listening to the gospels set to great, soul-stirring music - as in Handel's Messiah - "He was Despised, Rejected"..., or the great Passion Oratorios by J.S. Bach... These are beautiful, rich, Scripture-based, God-honouring musical recountings of the Gospel Passion story which stirs up our affections for Him. I'd recommend it! - don't forget to have tissues handy esp'ly if you're watching it... (Thanks R&S for lending your St.John Passion DVD - excellent!)
So glad it didn't end there! Sunday's coming!
No comments:
Post a Comment