Blog For Free!
Archives
Home
2007 February
2007 January
2006 November
2006 October
2006 September
2006 August
2006 July
2006 June
2006 May
2006 April
2006 March
2006 February
2006 January
2005 December
2005 November
2005 October
2005 September
2005 August
2005 July
2005 June
2005 May
2005 April
2005 March
2005 February
2005 January
2004 April
2004 March
2004 February
My Links
read the book
dovetailmyth
monergism
the classics
tBlog
My Profile
Send tMail
My tFriends
My Images
Sponsored
Blog
|
| The Cross as Violent Love - Part II |
| 02.25.04 (5:11 pm) [edit] |
[u]Love.[/u]
One cannot look at the death of Jesus and not be moved. But to each man a question is posed: why did he have to die? Was it necessary? Why did the Son of God, with all the power of the universe ready at his fingertips, go through with it if it was unnecessary? The simple and clear answer is that it was vitally necessary. That it was necessary shows us that it was a distinct part of God's plan and purpose as relates to mankind, in effect revealing, as Isaiah had related, that indeed the Father had purposed this very event, cruel and violent as it was, to be the means of mankind’s redemption. Without Christ's death on the cross, there would be no salvation. Without Christ’s death on the cross there would be no loving relationship between God and man. Without Christ’s death on the cross and subsequent resurrection there would be no hope of a future spent in the presence of our Creator.
This singular violent act of love defines both the righteous and just judgment of God against sin while simultaneously displaying his unfathomable desire for a relationship with his sinful creation. It is a violent love that is difficult for our minds to understand. Some struggle against the idea and develop elaborate theories to sustain illegitimate views of self-righteousness by works, or of universal redemption. Sadly however, both of these ideas devoid the cross of it's meaning. Both of them nullify the very purpose of the cross as the only means of redemption. With either belief the cross ultimately becomes unnecessary. How enduringly miserable is the man who has as an understanding of God a cross foregone.
The cross is essential to the Christian faith. Jesus' violent death there made love possible.
I pray we all consider the cost.
|
|
|
| |
| The Cross as Violent Love |
| 02.25.04 (4:54 pm) [edit] |
As the furor over [u]The Passion Of The Christ[/u] heats up with its nationwide release in theatres I felt moved to reflect on the events surrounding Jesus' death. The next several installments serve that purpose.
[u]Violence.[/u]
Jesus Christ was subjected to unbelievable torture on the cross.
Each drop of bloody sweat that fell as he prayed to the Father in the garden displayed his awareness of the Father’s hand and purpose in his impending death and how very necessary it was.
Each false accusation announced during the faux trial fell harsh upon the ears of Israel’s promised Messiah as he listened without defending himself so that the prophecies would be fulfilled.
Each flesh-tearing lash of the pottery-jagged whip unveiled the wrenching cries of the Son of God as he allowed his anguish to continue by refusing to call the legion of angels waiting to descend and rescue him.
Each step he took on the road to the crucifixion site was an agonizing reminder of the burden he carried on his back and on his heart such that he fell under the weight of it.
Each nail driven hard through his wrists and ankles fastened the Holy One to a tree that held him high above the crowd just as he had foretold in his words “if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me.”
Each mocking taunt hurled at him while he struggled for breath revealed the nature of man's sinfulness and need for the Savior to die.
Each time he spoke, pushing his body weight up on the nail in his ankles and pulling from the nails in his wrists, his words carried loud and clear over the crowd gathered, conveying compassion to an angry mob bent on his prolonged torment and ultimate humiliating death.
Each man hanging beside him being justly punished for their crimes revealed the wrongful nature of his punishment and displayed the veracity of his claims.
Each moment that passed drained his life from him and reflected his willingness to pour himself out for others.
Isaiah 53 tells us the whole story and its purpose several hundred years before it ever happened.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.
[i]More to come...[/i]
|
|
|
| |
| Favorite Music. |
| 02.24.04 (9:41 pm) [edit] |
10. Pink Floyd ~ The Wall speaks for itself. With innovation of sound and the concert experience there's no one quite like them.
9. The Normals ~ Who? Believe it. A band you've probably never heard of is better than most of the ones you know.
8. Coldplay ~ Distinctive and without compare.
7. The Church ~ Brit-pop-alternative at it's best. They weathered the 80's and are still putting out better music than almost anyone else that's been around as long.
5. Tie ~ Johnny Cash and Bruce Cockburn ~ Either one of these guys could sit down with just a guitar and mesmerize me for hours on end.
4. Jars Of Clay ~ I know I may catch it for this but honestly I believe these guys are one of the most talented and interesting bands around.
3. Radiohead ~ More talented and more interesting than Jars.
2. The 77's ~ Who? Yes, that's right. Like The Beach Boys only more recent, without any drugs and with better lyrics.
1. U2 ~ Without question the greatest band of all time. Yes, even better than the beattle thing. I can't live with or without them.
There you have it. Take your shots but when U2 is on the mainstage in heaven I will wink and tell you I told you so.
|
|
|
| |
| We live in a world of... |
| 02.24.04 (4:02 pm) [edit] |
Scratch that. We don’t live in a world. We [i]exist[/i] in the world but we don’t [i]live[/i] in the world. The world is where we work and buy stuff. That’s not [i]living[/i]. We [i]live[/i] in our hearts and minds. We [i]live[/i] in our characteristics and perceptions. Most importantly we [i]live[/i] in our relationships. How we relate to things is [i]who we are[/i].
Care to take this another step? Every human [i]lives[/i] in relationship to three things.
~ God
~ Humanity
~ The Earth
Whether you believe in God or not; whether you think he is many or one; whether you think he is far off or close by; the one thing no one can deny is that we exist with a God-consciousness. No one is foreign to the notion of God.
Whether you like people or not; whether you know many or few; whether you are open or not; the one thing each person must face about themselves is that they do not exist in a vacuum. Like it or not we live in relationship to other people.
Whether you love it or could care less; whether you protect it or destroy it; whether you are alive or dead (if you are dead please stop reading this) the one thing everyone has in common is this thing we are walking around on or buried in. Until gravity takes a vacation or we colonize Mars, the greater majority of us will be together here.
So what? What’s the point? What does this have to do with anything?
[i]Stay tuned…[/i]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
