The King of all came to earth. And he was crucified. What could be stranger? What could be more surprising? And for we who believe...what could be more beautiful? In this season we sing of the beauties of Christmas - the midnight clear, the radiant beams, the child asleep on the hay. But even more beautiful is a scene that is gory, gross, and graphic. This crucifixion is beauty for the Christian because it is our salvation.
In both readings today we see people forsaken. In Psalm 74 we see Jerusalem and the temple destroyed, and the true believers devastated for the nations great wickedness. The cry goes out for God, the King of all, not to forsake, but to save. That prayer is answered in our Matthew 27 reading, as the King himself comes to suffer similar devastation in his own body, forsaken by the Father, to produce our salvation. We read God's Word:
Read Psalm 74
Read Matthew 27
Examine Yourself:
Turn from sin. Lust, greed, pride, coveting, stealing, hate, grudges, murder, disrespect, betrayal, idolatry, adultery, immorality - what sins hang onto you today? Confess them. Give them to Christ. See, he dies for them, for all of them. Believe the Good News: forgiveness is yours!
Pray:
O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns, Thine only crown.
O sacred Head, what glory,
What bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered
Was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
'Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor,
And grant to me Thy grace.
What language shall I borrow
To thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever!
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never,
Outlive my love for Thee.
(LSB 450:1, 3, 5)
Study with me tomorrow,
Pastor Jon
Soli Deo Gloria!
No comments:
Post a Comment