The Love Wherewith He Loved us.
Ξ August 19th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Christian Living |
This is just a thought. Not a revolutionary thought, but a thought by way of a question. It isn’t meant to teach anyone anything, but rather it does, I think, shed some light on Jesus and His ministry. Something that maybe gets overlooked because it seems insignificant. Or maybe because it’s not the way people think about it.
When we think of Christ’s sacrifice, we think of the blood He shed on the cross at Calvary. And rightly so. For without the cross, His work was all a charade. As He said in one of His final prayers to the Father:
Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
John 12:27-28
His whole life was working up to this one point of ultimate sacrifice. He felt the weight of the burden and here - more directly in Gethsemane - seems to desire not to have to go through it. And while the physical pain associated with this submission would be great, much greater, I think, was the weight of the world upon Him such that He would eventually cry “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?!?”. Being human and mortal, we seem to focus in on the physical pain associated with the sacrifice but do we not sometimes fail to recognize the greater agony of the loneliness Christ bore? And in recognizing that, do we not have to admit of a certain spiritual aspect to Christ’s sacrifice - and even His whole life and ministry? For, if He is and was God manifest in the flesh, dying itself doesn’t present the same prospect it does to us. If I am wrong in my thinking, I am willing to change, but I can’t help but think that death and resurrection (in and of itself, that is) is no big thing for the Lord. That is, He raised men to life and being the creator of it, the sacrifice of dying and rising again (once again, I speak of it simply as the death and resurrection itself - the act or miracle of resurrection) was only a part of the miracle. After all, Elijah showed us that even in his day death was no match for God. So there was something deeper than just dying and being resurrected. Jesus had to be the perfect sacrifice.
This is where I wonder (or it could well just be me - in which case you are all reading this thinking “Isn’t that obvious?”. If so, please bear with me.) why the singular emphasis on Christ’s death and resurrection exists as the only real understanding of His sacrifice. Once again, I want to emphasize that I realize that it is central. Once again, I want to make clear that it is the blood of Christ that cleanses from sin. Of this I have no doubt and raise no questions. But the idea of sacrifice seems, to me, to be trivialized somewhat - I won’t say cheapened for fear of making the wrong impression - when it is confined to this one moment in time.
Do we forget that this same Jesus spent 30 years in hidden “training”, learning obedience by the things He suffered and being subject to earthly masters just as you and I are and were? For Him to be a spotless lamb, this submission surely wasn’t just a leisurely stroll through a generation, waiting for the time that He should be given the go-ahead. No, the sacrifice had to start here. If He was a spotless lamb, His entire history had to be spotless. No blemish. Nothing of any repute. Here He is, knowing He is to be about His Father’s business and, at age 12, showing that He can contend with the religious leaders of the day. So maybe He spent His first 30 years learning the scriptures and exercising Himself by discussion with the elders. Not so :
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?
Luke 4:16-22
If Jesus were showing Himself to be great in ministry before His baptism, we would not expect in any way the comment in that passage. There was no indication to the masses of who this Jesus was. He grew up in obscurity knowing that He had something to do - some great work that would be glorious, terrible and costly - but for 30 years He was subject to earthly masters who were, if the truth be told, His inferior.
So when the time comes for Him to be revealed, He has already learned perfectly the restraint of the flesh and with the Spirit of God upon Him without reserve, He is empowered and directed to begin 3 plus years of single-minded teaching, preaching and healing. Now, the sacrifice is not being under earthly masters, but it is withstanding the temptations of Satan to overthrow His ministry and the challenge of the Pharisees and Sadducees who would not listen to Him. We may think He simply knew what He was up against (and He certainly did) and we may even read His responses to the religious elite with little thought sometimes so that we think He wasn’t trying to reach them, just overthrow their doctrine. But even in the face of aggressive rejection of His teaching, Jesus still reached out to the hardest of sinners. He didn’t hold the truth back, but He wasn’t adversarial to the Pharisees to win a battle. He really did want them to see and hear - even though He may have known they wouldn’t:
If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
John 5:31-40
It’s really amazing that He should suffer this. Hebrews recognizes this:
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Hebrews 12:3-4
This speaks of an entire life of striving and not only doing the work of God that He was sent to do, but resisting temptation and resisting all such temptation even unto blood! The sacrifice was His entire life!
So when we fast forward to the Garden of Gethsemane, how can we fail to realize the overwhelming sacrifice that occurs there?
And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.
And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22:39-44
How can we fail to realize that the sacrifice of the cross was still something that, potentially, Jesus could avoid? He saw it and all the last remaining resources of Satan were waging against His fleshly man. Anything to prevent Jesus from doing that which He would have to do to fulfill the Father’s will. But, as Jesus had already said, Satan came and found nothing in Him. No foothold. No region that He could access. Nothing of the flesh to gain an advantage. So it was that the victory here won was huge. So great was the war at this point that Jesus sweat drops of blood. The sacrifice on the cross was, in a spiritual sense, accomplished here. One final laying down of His own will to do the will of the Father. Once that was accomplished, the cross (painful and difficult though it was) merely had to be walked out. It was here, in the garden, that the victory really found its place in the heavenlies to be seen in the earthlies.
(I did a short article on Christ’s Agony in Gethsemane at http://mylifeministries.org/blogs/niks_notes/archives/12)
Many have watched such films as Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ and been overwhelmed by the visual depictions of Christ’s suffering at the hands of the Romans. But the visual medium exalts the visual and so, in doing, it reduces the internal by its very nature. By wanting a visual depiction of these things, we open ourselves up to miss the true significance of the cross. For if it were the actual physical suffering and the actual blood of Christ which saved and cleansed, we would have to rely on physical manifestation of the actual physical blood being made real in this realm to be purged of sin. But that, as we know, is NOT the case. Yet millions have been overcome by the graphic depictions of torture of the Lord. It was awful, but are we so carnal that we think the actual physical receipt of physical blood is going to save us? We are then one step removed - a small step - from partaking of a wafer and wine that has to be turned in to the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ for us to be partakers with Him! And by doing this, do we not crucify the Lord all over again? Oh, but if we only understood and treasured the REAL sacrifice of Christ unto death - the full cost and payment that was made - we would count such things that the physical eye sees as empty. Devoid of any real, lasting value. Not the sufferings of Christ themselves, but the suffering (singular) of Christ to submit ALL to the Father in spite of His humanity rising up against it. The sacrifice of His 33 years in perfect service being subject to masters and learning obedience by the things He suffered.
But there is one more aspect to His suffering and sacrifice that I think is overlooked. Not ignored, just missed - the significance of which is immense. I have written on it before and I will write on it briefly again. The sacrifice of the Lord of All to give up what He had with His Father and become fashioned like one of us. While without sin, yet He bore ALL that we have to bear so that we might see the light. That we might see the Way and know how and where to walk. And it leads to One place - the cross. The scene that is so powerful is that of the Lamb that was slain before the foundations of the earth - FOR YOU AND ME! - that same slain Lamb receiving honor and praise and glory and power. The only one worthy in heaven to open the scroll. This same Lamb to whom the greatest of saints will prostrate themselves in utter worship crying “Holy! Holy! Holy!” and of whom it is shouted “All Hail!” and at whose feet saints will cast their own crowns! Unto Him that Loved us and Washed us from our sins in His own blood! How can we fail to be overcome by the immensity of the sacrifice such a One made? How can we glibly call Jesus a “friend” when we barely have a clue as to what He has done and what great price He paid and what He gave up in the heavenlies to be reviled by men! The very men He came to save! And that same Jesus is to be crowned above all (save the Father) and given a name above ALL names that at His name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! How in the world, in heaven, in the universe…how can we reduce His sacrifice to a single death - a death that many men have shared - when the sacrifice was SO much more! How can we have the pride to call Him a friend when we don’t obey Him every minute of every day? He said that those who are His friends do what He commands (John 15:14). Yet we don’t like the implication of a command - we say because it smacks of legalism. Baloney! It’s because we don’t want anyone to command us! We have become so accustomed to Jesus just being another regular guy (but still God) that He is so familiar and so folksy and there is no majesty left! We esteem Him as our best buddy and pal to hang out with. Don’t get me wrong, He is merciful and compassionate and ready to receive all those who are meek and broken and come to Him in humility, but that is NOT what is presented. What is presented is someone we can be ourselves with. Do we know what we are in ourselves? How can we come to Him as ourselves and not be totally broken and repentant and brought to our knees as one who is not worthy to be in His presence? How? If we think Jesus is just “one of the guys” - but a perfect guy - then it is no wonder. His majesty has been tarnished and we have set up ANOTHER JESUS! We do NOT know Jesus of Nazareth, we know someone else. One of the guys doesn’t command demons with a single phrase to be gone. One of the guys does not speak peace with the result that all the elements instantly still. One of the guys does not heal disease instantly and perfectly and without pomp and circumstance. Only Jesus of Nazareth does that. The great power and authority He had (and still has today!) was kept in a human vessel. One of weakness but one that was submitted to the Father to do HIS will. HE is worthy. Not us. If we start to exalt what we can do or who we are or what we are, we are NOT looking at Jesus. He ALONE is worthy. And the Love wherewith He loved us….it has become a trite phrase to say “Jesus loves you” or “For God so loved the world”. Do we really understand that? Do we recognize that love that surpasses understanding? If we aren’t constantly amazed and humbled and literally brought to our knees by that love then we don’t consider it and take it for granted. Jesus love in simply dying for sinners is a partial truth. It is true, but the price of the blood - if we only knew and recognized it we would not do what many do and count the blood of the covenant as something less than it is. We would be blown away if we found a multi-million dollar diamond, but that is worth less than dirt in comparison with the cost and value of the blood of Jesus Christ - the lamb that was slain. Such love we cannot grasp, but when we realize it, we cannot stand. When we recognize it, we are ashamed at all that we think to add to His work and see all our perceived troubles as trivial and eternally insignificant. We tremble at such love. Not in terror, but because it at once magnifies the glory of the King and amplifies the extent to which He went to secure our pardon. It makes our version of love to be a tattered coat. Oh…I don’t believe the church today realizes the sacrifice of the cross and all that entailed (from Alpha to Omega). If it did, it would abandon its humanism and preach Christ ONLY. It would leave it’s self-satisfied, Laodicean attitude on the ground and exchange it for sackcloth and ashes. It wouldn’t seek the lost, but preach the Seeker. It wouldn’t devise ways of building its numbers but only increase the praise and exaltation of Jesus Christ. And when such love is truly communicated to the heart, giving one’s very life and blood is too small a RESPONSE to a Glorious Saviour for all He as done for and in that life. But it is all that we have. And all that we have and will ever have is rightfully due Him.
The sacrifice of Christ is too great to do justice in words - it must be revealed in the heart just how great Christ’s sacrifice and love was and is. It certainly is far greater than just the wounds that His physical body bore and far more than just the submission to earthly masters and even greater than the sacrifice of a physical death. It is all those things and more. It is all that He gave up and WHY and FOR WHOM He gave them up. But if one has no need of a Savior…perish the thought.
