South End |
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Rich
in Grace There
have been some impressive examples of self-sacrifice. For instance, Jordan Rice
was thirteen and unable to swim when his family became trapped in a car by flood
waters. When crews arrived and tried to rescue Jordan, he told them to help his
younger brother first. Jordan’s brother was saved just before a wall of water
swept Jordan and his mother away. Arland
Williams was a passenger on Air Florida Flight 90, which crashed into freezing
waters in the middle of a snowstorm. When a rescue helicopter arrived and threw
him a life line, he immediately gave it to another passenger. When the
helicopter came back, Arland did the same thing again and again. When the
helicopter returned a final time, Arland was dead. He had used his last ounce of
energy to save a stranger. Four
chaplains who were aboard a troop transport ship that was hit by a submarine’s
torpedo quickly rallied together and began handing out life jackets and
directing people to safety. When the life jackets ran out, they selflessly gave
away their own. Then the four men linked arms and sang as the ship sank. Even
dogs have left some impressive examples of self-sacrifice. When a drunken man
fell asleep on a train track in Kazakhstan, his four-legged-friend pushed,
pulled, and nudged him off the tracks just as a train struck and killed the dog.
These
examples and many others, like a soldier jumping on a grenade to save fellow
troops or a boyfriend taking a bullet for his girlfriend, are all admirable and
praiseworthy. However, no story of self-sacrifice in the history of the world is
more impressive than that of Jesus Christ. It was planned longer, rings louder,
and looms larger than all of the others. In fact, His sacrifice was so great
that few people, even Christians, really appreciate its many facets.
The
Supreme Sacrifice The
sacrifice of Christ did not begin on the cross, or in the garden, or in the
manger. It began in heaven when He laid aside His glory and consented to come to
earth. He left the abode of God for the abode of man and exchanged exaltation
for humiliation, magnitude for servitude, a radiant crown for a rugged cross,
and a hallowed throne for hollowed tomb. And it was all for us! Paul
put it this way in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For
you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for
your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” Isn’t
that a wonderful thought? Christ was rich and then became poor so we could
become rich. But what exactly does that mean? Perhaps we have a divine
commentary in Philippians 2:6-8: “Who,
though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be
grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in
the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Notice
that Christ “was in the form of God” and had “equality with God.” It is
in this sense that He was rich. He shared in all the glory and majesty of
Godhood (John 17:5) before coming to earth. Then we see that Christ “made
himself nothing,” “took the form of a servant,” “was born in the
likeness of men,” and “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of
death on a cross.” It is in this sense that He became poor. And why did He do
it? So that we might become rich spiritually (Ephesians 1:3)! Paul refers to this great sacrifice as “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” in the Corinthians text. That is because it was undeserved kindness on His part. He acted freely and favorably toward unworthy inferiors. He didn’t have to become poor for us, He chose to do it. He chose to walk the dusty streets of earth so we could walk the golden streets of heaven. He chose to wear a crown of thorns on His head so we could wear a crown of righteousness on our head. He chose to die physically so we could live spiritually. His grace is our gain! DisGRACED The
culmination of the Lord’s great sacrifice was, of course, the cross. He
suffered the most brutal and torturous form of execution in the Roman Empire. In
fact, it was so severe that Roman citizens were exempt from it. Only the most
degraded offenders, like insurrectionists and slaves, were subjects of
crucifixion. Before looking at the cross, however, let’s first consider the
horrific punishment that preceded it — scourging. Below is an excerpt from the
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: “It consisted of a handle, to which several cords or leather thongs were affixed, which were weighted with jagged pieces of bone or metal, to make the blow more painful and effective…The victim was tied to a post (Acts 22 25) and the blows were applied to the back and loins, sometimes even, in the wanton cruelty of the executioner, to the face and the bowels. In the tense position of the body, the effect can easily be imagined. So hideous was the punishment that the victim usually fainted and not rarely died under it.” Eusebius adds to this graphic image in his writings: “For
they say that the bystanders were struck with amazement when they saw them
lacerated with scourges even to the innermost veins and arteries, so that the
hidden inward parts of the body, both their bowels and their members, were
exposed to view.” Then
Christ faced the nails. He was taken outside the city and crucified for all to
see. His hands and feet were pierced (Psalm 22:16). Below is another excerpt
from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: “The
suffering of death by crucifixion was intense, esp. in hot climates. Severe
local inflammation, coupled with an insignificant bleeding of the jagged wounds,
produced traumatic fever, which was aggravated by the exposure to the heat of
the sun, the strained position of the body and insufferable thirst. The wounds
swelled about the rough nails and the torn and lacerated tendons and nerves
caused excruciating agony. The arteries of the head and stomach were surcharged
with blood and a terrific throbbing headache ensued. The mind was confused and
filled with anxiety and dread foreboding. The victim of crucifixion literally
died a thousand deaths. Tetanus not rarely supervened and the rigors of the
attending convulsions would tear at the wounds and add to the burden of pain,
till at last the bodily forces were exhausted and the victim sank into
unconsciousness and death.” Conclusion |