March 2009

"Passion"

My song is love unknown,
My Savior's love to me,
Love to the loveless shown
That they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I that for my sake
My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

The season of Lent especially calls us to meditate upon the Passion of Christ.  "Passion" is an oft-used word that is applied to the suffering and death of our Lord.  Above are the words from the first verse of one of my favorite Lenten hymns.  For me, they capture the essence of Lent, and inspire a passion for the Passion of Christ.

As we think on the question asked by the hymn writer, we are driven to the cross and to the suffering and death of Christ.  And we ask, "Oh, who am I?"  We have nothing to offer, no good thing.  We come empty handed of any natural God-pleasing qualities.  We must conclude that we are loveless.

When our Lord takes frail flesh and dies we witness our Judgment Day.  We witness the judgment of condemnation for our sins great and small all in all.  "Jesus Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree" (I Peter 2:24).  And then we hear our Savior declare, "It is finished!"  The work of our salvation is complete.  Having been driven to the cross, we hear God's great "Nevertheless!"  "Nevertheless," He says, "you are lovely; even more, perfect and sinless, My children because of Jesus". Oh, who am I?  Someone worth dying for!  Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends" You are My friends. (John 15:13).

May we all be inspired to a passion for the Passion of our Savior this Lent as we worship, as we work, as we play, and as we live.

This is my Friend
In whose sweet praise,
I all my days could gladly spend!.

Pastor John

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