Friday, April 2, 2010

I am undone...

Isaiah 52:13-15

"See, my servant (Jesus) will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at Him - His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness - so will He sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For what they were told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand."

Isaiah 53

"He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed...and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth..For He was cut off form the land of the living; for the transgression of my people He was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it was the Lord's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and He will hear their iniquities. Therefore, I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."


So tonight I thought about Jesus undergoing the "suffering of His soul" and I am now undone. Scenes from the Passion of the Christ gripped my heart and I wept. I wept because a man who knew no sin became sin on MY behalf, so that I could become the righteousness of God. Jesus bore the wrath of God instead of me; me who totally deserves to be stricken and smitten by God because I am the worst of sinners and I have fallen short of the glory of God. Before His flesh was ripped open, before a crown of thorns was placed on His head, before the nails were driven into His hands and feet, before blood dripped from every inch of His body, before He was lifted high on a cross to endure THE most painful and excruciating death known to man, Jesus thought of me. Jesus withstood all of that...for me....and for you. I am undone. A good heaviness overwhelmed me and my heart rate rose as images of the perfect light of the world was silent before His torturers. And what for? He desperately wants to be with me and He desperately wants me to be with Him and His Father. I am undone.

From the fall of man in the Garden of Eden we see the story of God's redemption being played out. There has to be sacrifice and shedding of blood for forgiveness. But, no more bulls and no more lambs...Jesus' ultimate and perfect sacrifice tore down the veils and made a way for me to enter the Holy Place. He did it once and for all and will not do it again. I am undone. He suffered and died...for me...and for you.

Before the truly despicable and horrendous acts were done to Him, Jesus said to His Father, "I am Your servant, my heart is ready...not my will, but Your will be done." Wow, His heart was ready. His heart is for you Beloved! His desire is to be married to you; forever betrothed to you! I am undone.

Hebrews 12:2

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

I find it one of the most difficult things to comprehend; that there was joy in Jesus' heart as He endured so much pain and so much suffering. The joy was in Him paying the way for our eternal pleasures, which are at His right hand. His joy was in the justification of us all who would believe. His joy was an eternal marriage. His joy was me. His joy was you.

So let us remember Him; let us remember the cross. The cross is where we find everything we will ever need or want...love, joy, peace, comfort, freedom, deliverance, healing, our very life. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus and on the cross. I want to be found hidden behind that rugged cross.

I am undone.

Grace and peace.