Alleluia! What a Saviour!

I don't do pain. Even the thought of it makes me shudder uncomfortably. The other day, Lyns was removing blackheads from my nose - the things she does in love! - by squeezing them. I can tell you, it was mighty painful! Lots and lots of them, and it was sore!

I remember one other time when I had an unfortunate accident with a knife when I lived up in County Tyrone. I was trying to cut up a pineapple (getting the five a day of fruit and vegetables), when the knife slipped and lopped a chunk off my thumb. The blood came, but I was able to hold the wee bit on (it was still hanging), and it stayed. but the pain was bad for the first while!

Pain and me don't go. What I have told you are just minor wee things - I don't know what would happen if I was in real pain. Or more so, I don't know what would happen if I was to suffer for someone else.

It got me thinking about a song by the band Petra, called If I had to die for someone. Here are the words to think about:

I wear my seatbelt in the car, I buckle up for safety
I run for cover from the storm, I wear a band aid on my knee
I look both ways when crossing and I flee any danger I can see
And if I try each day to save my life in every way I can
How could I understand the way
You died for me

'Cause I don't know if I could even if I think I would
If I had to die for someone
If I had to die for someone else
How could I ever give my life to set the guilty free
When I cannot imagine
If I had to die for someone else like me
Someone else like me

I keep away from falling rocks and I don't play with matches
I lock the door I don't know why
It seems to me I'm much too old to wear a scarf out in the cold
But I want to live until I die
I guess I love my life a little more than I should love it
And if I had to I don't know if I could
Lay it down

'Cause I don't know if I could even if I think I would
If I had to die for someone
If I had to die for someone else
How could I ever give my life to set the guilty free
When I cannot imagine
If I had to die for someone else like me
Someone else like me

And I am glad that You are not at all like me
'Cause You laid down Your life and did it willingly
It still amazes me to know
It's me that You were thinking of
No One else could have a greater love


All praise be to Jesus, who was came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He did not shirk from the burden to be carried, or the pains to be endured to save his elect. In the Garden, he sweat drop of blood in his anguish, yet determined to follow the plan and purpose of his Father.

For me it was in the garden
He prayed: “Not My will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

As the title of this posting suggests, I've also been thinking about the hymn 'Man of Sorrows'. One of the verses speaks of what Jesus endured for us:

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned he stood,
Sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Truly we can say again, Hallelujah, what a Saviour! I am so glad that Jesus was not like me, or like the guy in the Petra song. He didn't hold back from the suffering that was needed to rescue us. He embraced the pain, trusting the Father's purpose, and rose triumphantly from death, never more to die.

All this is seen in Hebrews 12:1-2:

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

What a theme for 2008 - running with endurance, looking to Jesus, who is the glorious and wonderful Saviour.

Lord God, grant me your grace to cast off the things that hold me back, and to run wholly for you, looking to Jesus, my Saviour in this new year. Thank you that he endured the shame and pain of the cross so that I can be free, and that he has completely won my salvation. Empower me to glorify you in all that I do. Amen.