"Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land." (Matthew 27:45)
It was a, "darkness," which had ruled since the Garden. It was in the appearing of Jesus, "Through the tender mercy of our God,..the Dayspring from on high has visited us...." As our Lord Jesus says, I am come a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness."
It was a day much like today, any day, any year, anywhere.
"Well might the sun in darkness hide
and shut its glories in
When Christ, the Might Maker, died,
For man the creature's sin." (Isaac Watts)
There is a documentary coming out about a former mega-church pastor, "Heretic," which is nothing more than a new take on the foolishness I heard from many (not all) in my seminary days. There is always some egotist who thinks that after 20 centuries he has the accurate, best take on Christianity--- fools all. The refrain still rings throughout the Universe
"At the Cross, at the Cross,..the burden of my heart rolled away."
I don't know what is going on behind the neophytes always trying to show the world a better way, but the Cross tells us all how God Himself supremely demonstrated Agape. "God loved the world this way: He gave His only Son." (John 3:16) There is no "so much" about God's love. Agape is Agape, Eternal, without beginning or ending, as the song writer said, "....how measureless and strong."
This day, though rarely perhaps ever on the day, has always meant so much to me, even as a child. Perhaps it was Jesus' mercy and grace which was speaking to me, a part of the without-Him-lost humanity. What Jesus accomplished on "That Day," was for all humanity, "having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it, [His Cross]."
It was a, "darkness," which had ruled since the Garden. It was in the appearing of Jesus, "Through the tender mercy of our God,..the Dayspring from on high has visited us...." As our Lord Jesus says, I am come a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness."
It was a day much like today, any day, any year, anywhere.
"Well might the sun in darkness hide
and shut its glories in
When Christ, the Might Maker, died,
For man the creature's sin." (Isaac Watts)
There is a documentary coming out about a former mega-church pastor, "Heretic," which is nothing more than a new take on the foolishness I heard from many (not all) in my seminary days. There is always some egotist who thinks that after 20 centuries he has the accurate, best take on Christianity--- fools all. The refrain still rings throughout the Universe
"At the Cross, at the Cross,..the burden of my heart rolled away."
I don't know what is going on behind the neophytes always trying to show the world a better way, but the Cross tells us all how God Himself supremely demonstrated Agape. "God loved the world this way: He gave His only Son." (John 3:16) There is no "so much" about God's love. Agape is Agape, Eternal, without beginning or ending, as the song writer said, "....how measureless and strong."
This day, though rarely perhaps ever on the day, has always meant so much to me, even as a child. Perhaps it was Jesus' mercy and grace which was speaking to me, a part of the without-Him-lost humanity. What Jesus accomplished on "That Day," was for all humanity, "having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it, [His Cross]."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I so thank You that in, "the Blood of His Cross," the Blood of Jesus, I am, "....triumphing over them...." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
