Insight from our Singing - part 13

"See the Destined Day Arise"

See the destined day arise!  See a willing sacrifice.
Jesus, to redeem our loss, hangs upon the shameful cross.
Jesus who buy you could bear wrath so great and justice fair
Every pang and bitter throe finishing your life of woe.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Lamb of God for sinners slain

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Jesus Christ we praise your name. 

In our Sunday School class we have been talking about how important Jesus truly was.  He was essential to our salvation as only He could bear the wrath of God and act as a substitute for my sin.  Only He could satisfy the righteous requirements of the law and stand for me.  This song reminds us that not only was He the only one, but that He was willing to do this.

Think of it.  The holy, righteous, just, perfect Son of God chose willingly to come to earth to die for me.  He chose to allow those around Him to slap and mock Him as He faced a trial with a judge that He himself has to remind would have no power aside from that which is given him by none other than God himself.  He endured false accusations.  He was beaten.  He was mocked.  He was whipped to the point of death and all of this before He was forced to carry His own cross down the road toward Calvary. 

He laid there and was nailed to wood as a willing sacrifice.  I do not think that we think about this nearly enough.  In fact, most of us have an image of Jesus that either fails in one or two directions.  Sometimes our image of Christ is too manly.  We focus on the tossing out of the money changers at the temple and we think that Jesus was  a man's man.  Part of this is valid, but Jesus was also meek, and gentle, and a lamb led to the slaughter.  He chose not to fight when He could have.  Chose to endure rather than execute judgment.  But likewise we sometimes think of Jesus meek and mild and forget that He allowed people to beat Him.  When He told His disciples to turn the other cheek, He himself showed them how to live in that manner.  Even in the garden when Peter tried to stand and fight for Him, He scolds Peter and heals the ear of the servant. 

Jesus had to be a willing sacrifice.  He did not go down fighting because He knew what He was really doing.  And in the very moment that the whole world thought Jesus had lost, it was precisely at that point in time that Jesus concludes, "It is finished."  And in those words reveals the victory.  Our debt was paid because Jesus finished His own life of woe. 

May we with the hymnist truly say, "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Lamb of God for sinners slain."  And may we strive to live in the power of the Spirit for the glory of the one who was our willing sacrifice.