16 Then
delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and
led him away. 17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place
called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: 18 Where
they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in
the midst. 19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross.
And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This
title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was
nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. (John
19:16-20)
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.
When we
consider the sacrifice of missionary Christians many of whom gave their lives
for God and His outcast ones we must consider if we have half a heart for such
sacrifice; but when we consider that sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
perfectly innocent who died for the perfectly unrighteous, we are filled with
tremendous wonder. The question that every Christian must come to embrace is
the WHY? We can only know the WHY?
when we come to see our own depravity and wickedness reflected in God¯s Word.
His Word is a mirror to point to the perfect righteousness of God, and the
deplorable wickedness in our own hearts. When we realize that we are
irreparably lost, it is only then that we can be eternally saved. As we have
pointed out before, a heart that is not broken (as was the hearts of the
Pharisees) cannot be fixed by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. It is only
through admission that we are NOTHING and He is ALL
that we can become like unto Him and receive that Mind that was in the Lord
Jesus Christ. The old self must die and become as nothing so that the new man
can be reborn in us.
God is
all-wealthy and owns our hearts as well as our hairs. It is good to recall an
event in the life of Alexander the Great: An indigent philosopher at the court
of Alexander The Great sought relief at the hand of the sovereign ruler.
Alexander gave an order to his treasurer to give any sum the philosopher should
ask. When the treasurer returned, the philosopher immediately demanded ten
thousand pounds. The treasurer was demurred at the extravagant amount; but
Alexander replied, “Let the money be instantly paid. I am delighted with
this philosopher’s way of thinking. He has done me a singular honor. By
the largeness of his request, he shows the high idea he has conceived of my
wealth and munificence God is honored in like manner.”
Heed
the words of the Apostle Paul: And lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the
flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above
measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from
me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for
thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore
will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I
strong. (2 Cor 12:7-10) We all have our thorns and our grievous
weaknesses. It is Christ who overcomes those in His perfect power to deliver
from all such afflictions. His power is made even more evident when contrasted
with our mortal weakness. Christ is all-powerful while we are weak as water.
Have you considered that Olympic athletes have failed many more times in their
sport than a lackluster athlete? Why is this so? Because it is through failing
and persistent effort in trying again until the maneuver is perfected that the
Olympian eventually proves his colors as a world-class athlete. Our
trials and struggles as Christians only serve to strengthen our lax muscles of
faith.
Without
struggle and sacrifice, there is no worthy reward without the Cross of
suffering and deprivation, there is no Crown of Glory. Christ bore His cross to
seal His Redemption of Believers. He came by miracle of Virgin Birth. He lived
a sinless life. He worked miracles in healing the sick, restoring sight to the
blind, and raising the dead from stone tombs of darkness. Yet, in the end, the
cross that He had ALWAYS borne for us was literally thrust upon His able
shoulders. He never hesitated nor questioned the injustice, but bore that
burden of OUR sins all the way to Golgotha. 16 Then
delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and
led him away. 17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a
place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew
Golgotha 18 Where they crucified him, and two other with
him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. Christ died in the
midst of sinners whom He had come to save and, yet, was buried in the Tomb of
the wealthy, for He owns the cattle of a thousand hells.
19 And
Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was,
JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title
then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to
the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin
The entire life of Christ during His earthly walk was a sacrifice. Who would
desire to leave the glories and riches of Heaven to live in the slums of
this world? But Christ did come and live among us the perfectly just among the
perfectly unjust. He tolerated our ignorance and our lascivious living. He
views us in ways that no one else does. He looks not upon the outward
appearance but the heart. When He looks at our persons, He does not see us for
what we presently are, but as what we may become, by faith, when we come to
Him.
You
will observe the title placed above the head of Christ on the Cross. It was
placed there by unwitting hands, but the Title is true! If it fails, it fails
by falling short of the whole title of Christ. He is King of Kings, Lord of
Lords, Redeemer, Savior, and Prince of Peace (among many other titles). What
title shall appear above your head at the end? Will you even have a cross upon
which to affix a title? Without a cross, there shall be no crown. As Jesus
says: If any man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will
save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the
same shall save it. (Luke 9:23-24) Do we intent to follow
Christ? If so, what is the prerequisite for that following? We must DENY
those petty desires of our fleshly hearts, TAKE UP our crosses
(and that DAILY) and FOLLOW Him. For those who lay down their
lives before the throne of Grace and say: ¡°Take my all, Lord. My all
belongs to you, and I acknowledge the Owner. It is not my tenth of increase,
nor my tenth of time and devotion, but MY ALL that I now offer unto thee.¡±
What reward shall await such professors of faith? They may declare with Paul
the immortal truth: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:
and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (2 Tim
4:8)
It
might be of some profit to calculate what KIND of crown you will bear beyond
the veil. Will it be of gold, of silver, of wood, or, perchance, of rabbit fur?
The lyrics of an old song may give pause for thought:
Will
There be any Stars in My Crown
I am thinking today of that
beautiful land
I shall reach when the sun goeth
down;
When thru wonderful grace by my
Savior I stand,
Will there be any stars in my crown?
(chorus)
Will there be any stars, any
stars in my crown
When at evenin' the sun goeth
down
When I wake with the blest, in those mansions of rest,
Will there be any stars in my
crown
?
In the strength of the Lord
let me labor and pray,
Let me watch as a winner of
souls;
That bright stars may be mine in
the glorious day,
When His praise like the sea
billow rolls
(chorus)
O what joy it will be when His
face I behold,
Living gems at His feet to lay
down;
It would sweeten my bliss in
the city of gold,
Should there be any stars in my
crown
If your stars are of ancient souls, or little children, what matter in a Heaven
of timeless and eternal design. The little child may be the very brightest star
of all for it burns with the fuel of love. Are their stars that you can
presently claim there?
