"For he hath made him
to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him." (2 Cor 5:21)
The
Collect
Seventh
Sunday after Trinity
|
L
|
ORD
of all
power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Graft in our
hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all
goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Amen.
Has
ever a convicted man gone to the gallows in innocence? Certainly, the judiciary
of earthly government has erred more than once for, unlike God, they are not
infallible. There is a story of such miscarriage of justice that occurred about
thirty minutes from where I now sit writing in Newton, Alabama. William Sketoe,
a Methodist minister from Spain and who had moved with his father to Alabama,
was brutally hanged by a local Home Guard of the Confederates who wrongly
believed he had deserted the Army of Northern Virginia. Sketoe had, in fact,
hired a substitute to take his place (a legal practice) in the ranks while he
returned home to care for a sick wife and eight children. He was summarily
hanged on December 3, 1864 without a shred of evidence to convict him. Asked if
he had last words, the minister asked to pray and, instead of praying for his
own soul, prayed for his executioners. This enraged Captain Breare, an
Englishman, who spooked the horse to run leaving Sektoe to die at the end of
the rope. His relatives still live in the area and a city marker commemorates
the man's unlawful hanging. It is said that every men involved in the hanging
died "mysterious deaths." The substitute for Sketoe rendered little
help in giving him life, but the substitute we have in the Lord Jesus Christ
will give more than mortal life – He gives life eternal!
One of the requirements of a legal substitute of the governments of the world
is that the substitute be acceptable under the terms of the law. Christ fully
met that requirement for us. "God sent forth His Son, made of a
woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law."
(Gal. 4: 4, 5) "He took on Him the seed of Abraham."
(Heb. 2:16) Another point regarding a lawful substitute is that the substitute
must not be subject to the duty which the one for whom he substitutes is bound.
Not only did Rome grant Him a substitutionary role (knowing Him to be innocent
according to the declaration of Pontius Pilate) but He was also deemed a worthy
substitute by the Father in Heaven. (see Gal 4:4-5 above). Once the substitute
has been accepted by the government (i.e. of heaven or earth) then the
beneficiary is free to go in liberty. As far as the governing power is
concerned, we are now dead to the terms of the law for the substitute has paid
for our guilt. "Brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the
body of Christ." (Rom. 7:4)
To
quote the words of the Rev. Robert L. Dabney: In God's kingdom, we
are not only subject to duty for life, but already guilty of rebellion and
desertion. "All we like sheep have gone astray." Isa. liii.6.
"Every mouth is stopped, and all the world become guilty before God."
Rom. iii.19. And the penalty is eternal death! "The wages of sin is
death." Rom. vi.23. The court has already set, the sentence is passed, and
mercy alone stays the execution for a time. "He that believeth not is
condemned already." John iii.18. Now, could a criminal under a human
government hope, in this case to find a substitute? He must take the criminal's
place for his whole term of service, to bear his toils, dangers and sicknesses,
and at the end he must die for his crimes. Could money buy such a sacrifice?
Could love persuade to it? But this is what Christ undertook for us.
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us." Gal. iii.13.
"And
the death He died for us had the bitterness of spiritual as well as bodily
death. Oh wondrous love! Christ "commendeth His love toward us, in that
while we were yet sinners He died for us." Sinner, will you not henceforth
say, "The love of God constraineth me?" 2 Cor. v.14. And this
suggests: If you were a soldier and had not deserted the colours of your
country, an accepted substitute would free you from all service and punishment.
You are guilty of desertion toward God, and are also bound to pay a service to
which sin utterly disables you through your own folly and fault. From these
obligations Christ frees you, but it is only to bind you to His service more
firmly by love. Now you should follow the Captain of your salvation with all
your might, longing to follow Him better, not from fear of being shot for
desertion (that danger is gone if Christ died for us), nor from fear of losing
emoluments (they are already earned for us by our Substitute, and paid in
advance to true believers), but because He asks us to follow Him. And now, if
we love Him, we would die for Him were it necessary, because He died for us. If
we do not love Him, it is proof that He never became our Substitute. "Now
are ye My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." John xv.14.
(end quote)
Do you
know, reader, that Rev Dabney was wrong on one point: a hardened criminal did,
indeed, find a substitute under Rome to die for him. Perhaps we are repulsed at
reading the account of the hardened criminal and murderer, Barabbas, who was
the most violent man in the custody of the Roman prison at Caesarea. He
deserved to die for his bloody sins. But he had also been caught and captured
red-handed. What would you do with this man? Frankly, the reader (and so the
writer) who reads (and writes) these lines is that very same Barabbas!
We are unworthy and fall very short of His glory: For all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a
propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the
remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God (Romans
3:23-25) We are no less caught in the "very act" than that poor and
fearful woman taken in adultery. (John 8:1-11)
Now
at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And
there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made
insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And
the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto
them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the
King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for
envy. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release
Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye
then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they
cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath
he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. (Mark
15:6-14) Poor, compromising Pontius Pilate. Would he not make a dandy national
politician today – able to allow injustice by appearing to oppose it?
Little
did the madding crowd know that they called for their own release and
redemption in calling for the release of Barabbas! Christ did, indeed, die a
substitutionary death for Barabbas, and Barabbas represents legions of sinners
who benefitted from that substitution if they have believed, received, and
persevered. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ
died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet
peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God
commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. (Romans 5:6-8) How full of love and comfort are these two
verses. I am so glad that they were written, aren't you? Mr. and Mrs. Barabbas
have been released from the bondage of sin by that same blood that paid for
their murderous ancestor (Barabbas) if they have believed.
Knowing
that we DESERVE death, how grateful and full of joy should we be that another,
who was worthy in that He was without sin, has agreed to pay the wages of our
sin. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23) We may hang our
hope and comfort upon this one verse if upon no other, friend. We must remember
that a gift is not actually a gift until the intended recipient has received
it. A young man may purchase a gem at great cost for his intended bride but, if
the gift is refused, there is no wedding. Our God is a God of Covenant. He is
also a Gentleman! (Jesus es el Senor). He forces Himself upon no one, but for
those who receive Him to abide in their hearts, He will respond with love
beyond measure. Have you accepted the Ring? Have you received the gift of the
Substitute and Redeemer?
