God lives and works today.
Ever anew, He turns to us in His
love, stretching His arms out to us in
His Son, Jesus Christ.
But how do we respond to His love?
Two thousand years ago, when Jesus went His
way to the cross, the crowd shouted, Away
with Him!
We don't want Him to rule over us!
What are our words like?
This is the question we are confronted with
in today's meditation by Basilea Schlenk, called Jesus'
Answer.
Many men are prepared to lay down their
lives in war, because they know, my people
expect their country to be protected through sacrifice.
They know that their death will be valued.
But people didn't want to know that Jesus'
life was a sacrifice for the world.
The death of the Son of God was
not valued.
On the contrary, people wanted to get rid
of Jesus, because they decided that He was
not good enough for this earth.
They could no longer stand Him in His
holiness.
They didn't want Him to become their king,
and so they cried, Away with Him!
The brutality of the soldiers at the scourging
openly showed His people's rejection of Him.
Let's consider this well.
The scourging of our Lord Jesus is the
revolt of our hearts against God, our rebellion
against His will.
We know how our hearts can rebel when
things do not go the way we desire.
But we usually don't realize that this rebellion
is actually directed at Jesus.
It strikes Him just like the blows of
the whips at the scourging.
Behind our rebellion is the shout, Away with
Him!
We don't want this man to rule over
us.
If we mistrust God's love when He leads
us difficult ways or when He judges us,
we are falling into the sin of scourging
Him.
Therefore, we must turn from these ways if
we do not want to belong to those
who grieve and torment Jesus' heart.
The people shouted, Away with Him!
His blood be on us and our children.
They meant that they didn't mind if vengeance
came upon them.
But Jesus' answer was overwhelming.
Yes, He would let His blood come upon
them, but as the blood of forgiveness and
reconciliation, the blood that cleanses and makes us
holy.
Oh, amazing wonder of His love!
I thank You, Lord.
I thank You thousandfold.
Oh, victim pure, with love I You behold.
What an incredibly loving response from Jesus to
the hatred of men.
Now there is such power in His blood
that all who call upon it will receive
repentance and grace.
Love praises Christ's compassion, for seeing us in
His passion, whom He with love surrounds.
His good words are claiming, the joyful news
proclaiming that we are saved by grace alone.
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God bless you.