It is Lord's Day, as I write, today. I've just finished reading Luke 22. This is where Jesus has His last supper and Passover Meal earth side, with His disciples in the upper room. He institutes what we now term, "The Lord's Supper" or "Holy Communion", or to some "the Breaking of Bread". Judas Iscariot goes out to bring a contingent of Jewish leaders and temple guards to arrest Jesus; betraying Jesus to them with a kiss and the grim lure of thirty shekels of silver coins.
We know what happened then, Jesus suffering: the torment of whipping; the crown of thorns jammed into his skull; mocked and scorned; being spit upon, all culminating in crucifixion. The shame of hanging up there for one and all to see the excruciating agony etched into His loving, forgiving face.
Then the separation between Father and Son--like an ultimate betrayal, because of our sin--the sin of mankind, due to The Fall so long ago in the Garden of Eden. Physical suffering combined with the spiritual.
As an hymn writer once penned,
"See Him, stricken, smitten and afflicted,
See him dying on the tree,
God, by man rejected,
Tis, my soul, for thee."
What an impact then to flip to Psalm 119:153 (NIV) and straight away read,
"Look on my suffering and deliverance..."
This was the pleading of the "author unknown" psalmist.
"Look on my suffering..."
he cried out to God.
"...and deliver me..."
Did not Jesus pray similarly in the Garden of Gethsemane?
"Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours, be done." (Luke 22:42 NIV)
Think of yourself at the foot of the cross, gazing up at Jesus; hearing His cry from above, "Eli, Eli lama sabacthani?" Translated to,
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me" (Mark15:34 NIV)?
This was unrelenting suffering. Yet, Jesus, persevered and went through it all, for me, for you, for the "whosoever will" (John 3;16) who would accept this gift of salvation. He bore this awful load so He could deliver us, as the psalmist wanted God to do for him. Of course, we don't know what suffering that psalmist was undergoing but the significance is there. It was deep and real.
Jesus did all that for us so He could be our Deliverer, Defender, Redeemer; our Preserver of life and Friend and Savior (through His death and resurrection and our acceptance of His gift of salvation from which we receive everlasting life and this is according to His promise).
"Salvation is far from the wicked," (Psalm 119:155),
declared the psalmist but even when the wicked come to their senses, are repentant and decide to seek out our Heavenly Father's decrees, our LORD's,
"compassion is great" (vs 156)
and He will rescue the soul upon request.
Thank-You, Father God, in all of this we can boast; none will ever be confounded if, by faith, they come to You.
Even on the cross, Jesus "rescued" one of the two malefactors who had been crucified on either side of Him. One, repentant, asked Jesus to remember Him when Jesus had come into His Kingdom. Jesus assured him that, that day he'd be with Him in paradise (Luke 23;43 NIV). Such is the grace of our loving Lord.
The other faithless criminal hurled insults at Jesus, even though they were in the same boat, so to speak.
Psalm 119:158 NIV sums it up,
"I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey Your word".
The faithless looked up upon Jesus with loathing and mockery yet Jesus' compassion and redemption would have been equally given if he and the others had repented. Their lives too, would have been preserved. All this in "accordance to God's word, laws and love and promise" (vs 154, 156, 159).
We can rely on God, that the salvation He bought and brought for us through His Son Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection on the third day, is true because,
"...all (His) words are true; all (His) righteous laws are eternal" (vs 160).
Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name. We come to You in reverence and awe at the work Your hands have wrought for us through the suffering Your Son Jesus endured for us on the cross of shame, woe and salvation.
We 'looked' upon Him and His suffering and found our Deliverer. We looked upon Him and found our Preserver of life. We looked upon Him and found our Redeemer and Savior; Lord of great compassion, the One who keeps His promises out of the great depths of love He had for His human creatures. We looked upon that suffering that rescued us out of the claws and jaws of Your enemy Satan--from that kingdom of darkness to Your kingdom of God and Light. Thank-You, Jesus, Savior.
We can rely on Your words, laws, decrees, statutes and promises and therefore we can also obey these Your righteous laws which are eternal.
Father God, as we partake of the bread and drink of the cup of wine, that Jesus instituted for us to do as often as we can, that awful night of betrayal and arrest, which led to His suffering, death and resurrection, we give our wholehearted thanks from a heart full and humbly trembling with gratitude. We didn't deserve all of that but are so very thankful for Your compassion and overwhelming love. These compelled You to send Jesus and made Him willing to suffer and die for us; for me; this Man, the Son of God, Your one and only Son.
It is a time when a simple "Thank-You" does not seem enough. However, Father, You know the heart and are satisfied with our acceptance of Your wonderful Gift You purchased for us with Your costly grace. This is the thanks You want. This gives You pleasure and us joy.
May we show our gratitude in praise, thanksgiving, devoted service and in the remembrance of our Savior in His death and resurrection through "The Breaking of Bread", as often as we can. We have looked upon Jesus' suffering and are free from the bondage of sin and death.
In Jesus name we praise and pray and remember.
~ERC September 2020~
Based on Psalm 119:153-160 (Resh)
Coupled with Luke 22 and Mark 15 (NIV).
Sing meaningfully, "Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted" along with Fernando Ortega
No comments:
Post a Comment