Last night at Bible study I was greatly moved at the thought of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, who “…made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant…” (Phil 2:7, ESV [show] [7]but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (ESV)
).
We talked about the different ways a person can become a slave: by birth, by debt, and by being conquered. I mentioned that for us, it’s kind of like being born not only to Irish parents (thus being born into Irish-ness by biological association), but also being born in Ireland (thus being born into the very domain and kingdom of Ireland). (I wish I’d chosen Nazi Germany or something, but you get the idea…I hope.) Not only that, we love expressing our Irishness and we love living in Ireland, serving the “king” of Ireland. All a metaphor, of course, for being born biologically sinful, and in the domain of sin geographically. We can’t escape it: we’re born into it, and we’re born full of it, and we’re born loving it.
I thought about the magnitude of my sins — of omission, and comission. I thought about the wretchedness of my low affections and wandering heart, how by my unguarded words I can wound both loved ones and strangers, how I justify wrong behaviors with some doctrinal stance and try to convince my conscience to shut up for a while. Treason. All of it high treason, and deserving of eternity of filled-to-the-brim with suffering and damnation. You may think I’m overstating the case of sin in my life–those of you who have a loud conscience know otherwise–only you know the depths of your own depravity. Think of it! Think of not only the depth of your sin, but the intensity of it! Consider with that the frequency of it! The repetition of it! The justification of it! And now look out across the enormous stadium of the number of the redeemed in all the world, throughout all of history…think of it! Is it not overwhelming? Is it not utterly horrific? And in the face of all this, think with me now about Isaiah 53 [show]
Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
[2]For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
[3]He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
[4]Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
[5]But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
[6]All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned--every one--to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
[7]He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
[8]By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
[9]And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
[10]Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
[11]Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
[12]Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors., how Christ has borne away all of it, and not just for me, but for every single person whom He’s called to Himself. The sheer weight, the crushing heaviness of this burden, the absolute torment, of that punishment we may never ever fully grasp.
Yet this God, this Christ, took it all upon himself, suffered the most excruciating (pun intended) death imaginable to man, actually died in our place to save us from both the inward power and the outward domain of sin from which we had no hope of escape or recovery…and shortly after conquering the grave for us, he meets up with his disciples and serves them a breakfast banquet of freshly caught-and-cooked fish and warm bread. He did not demand worship, he offered to “sup” with his beloved. It is almost unthinkable, the majesty, the humility, the love of this all-powerful and wholly self-sufficient Christ!
I am so blind and deaf to the simplicity of God’s overcoming and conquering love for his church sometimes. I am thankful for his Word that reminds me that he came not to be served…as though he needed anything…but to serve. Oh, how He loves us! He — the King! — laid down his most precious life, his honor, his fame, his all–that we might be with Him where He is.
It is almost too wonderful, this story into which we’ve been born. Could there be a better reality? Could there be a more glorious God? Could he have gone to any greater lengths to save us and communicate his love and his very self to us? It is impossible.
“He is good, and he does good.” I’m glad today that I, once a slave to sin from without and within, have been redeemed. Bought with the most precious of all prices, saved, set free, released, burst out of prison, ripped out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. This morning, I am thankful for the blood and the love of Christ Jesus, my Lord, my Saviour, my King, and my Treasure.
“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.” (Psalm 139:6 [show] [6]Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.)
gmail.com
