Friday, March 30, 2018

Wounds We Cannot See



    The intricacies of Christ's death and resurrection are something that I am certain I will study all my life and never tire of. The saying goes, "the devil is in the details" but I wholeheartedly and vehemently attest that *God* is in the details. He can speak more meaning into a single sentence than I will ever utter in my entire life.

   This Easter I have been contemplating the wounds of the Savior. He was beaten without mercy, tortured by whips and thorns, He was pierced by nails and swords. He endured hideous physical pain and that swamps me with grief because I know He was pierced for my transgressions.

   And that would have been too much. Those wrenching, life-stealing bodily wounds would have been more than I deserved. But He went a step further. The worst torture He endured was something we could not see.

"About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,ema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)" Matthew 27:46 NIV

The Father turned away from His only Son.

"But your iniquities have separated    you from your God;your sins have hidden His face from you,    so that He will not hear." Isaiah 59:2 NIV

He was there because of us.

“He Himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 NIV

When He was bearing the weight of ALL of our sins, His Father had to hide His face. The Son was separated from the Father. That was the greatest wound of all. We could never be with God because of our sin. That was the punishment that Jesus bore on the cross. The perfect Son, who is One with the Father, and our sin tore that bond asunder.

 Peter was quoting this passage from Isaiah:

"Surely He took up our pain    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressionsHe was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was on Him,    and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray,    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on Him    the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6 NIV (emphasis mine)

   The wound that we could not see is the one that caused our Christ the greatest grief. That was the cup He begged to pass from Him. He knew that separation from God was the absolute worst punishment imaginable. And He took that upon Himself so that we could be freed.

   He gave Himself to save us so that we would never have to bear that unfathomable pain. That anguish, that horror, didn't show on His skin but it was etched on His heart.

He took that on Himself because He loved us.

He bore that for me. For you.

He took that so that we could say:


"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us,who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written:“For your sake we face death all day long;    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:31-39 NIV (emphasis mine)

  Nothing can separate us. He took that separation on Himself so that we will never have to endure it once we are in Him. He was wounded with the greatest wound, the wound we could not see, so that we could be healed.

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

-Stuart Townend


HE IS RISEN! By His wounds we are healed... Thank You, Jesus.

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