I was thinking about this verse this morning. At the point when Jesus died, in human terms, He was utterly weak. He was completely powerless. He was mocked, beaten, whipped, stripped naked, hung to a cross with nails through His hands and feet. His whole being must have been in agony. The level of humiliation must have been extreme. He had to stand there labelled as a sinner and a fraud, when He was in fact God. He was doing the most beautiful thing ever and it wasn't recognised by those around Him; yet He still endured, silently and patiently. His body was brought to the pinnacle of weakness, the point where weakness is so great that death occurs. And i imagine that mentally it must have been complete agony too. His own words bare testimony to this; it says in Mark 15:34 that "Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' which means, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?' "
He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God's power. It is truly amazing, that Jesus still lives. And is clearly nothing to do with human strength. He was rendered completely powerless, led like a lamb to the slaughter, saying nothing in His own defence, He was crucified, His Father turned His face away...... YET HE NOW LIVES. I know i have a tendancy to write similar posts about how amazing it is that things that are dead can come alive in God, but the reason for this is because it truly is an incredible miracle that never ceases to restore my hope and astound me. Jesus died. Then was raised back to life.
The reason i was thinking about this today was because i like the fact that after mentioning that Jesus died in weakness and lives by God's power, it then goes on to clarify our situation and says that we too are weak, yet by God's power we will live. I honestly think this gives such hope to every situation, because once again it proclaims the truth that weak things, or dead things, can be transformed, not because of anything in them, but simply because of God's power. Maybe i love this so much, because i know how utterly weak i am, how utterly powerless i am, and i sometimes wonder if change is ever possible, if situations are beyond hope. When i think of who i am, then change isn't possible. But when i think of who God is, then i remember again that change is always possible. And for this i am incredibly thankful.
2 comments:
Wonderful post, Becky! You can never share that message too often, because it has to sink in.
I am reminded of 1 Peter 2:2: "Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord." We are completely helpless and are only to "long" for the life that God imparts. The more helpless, the more we are able to receive.
Thanks Anette... i think you're right... And i guess, the more empty we are, then the more room there is for Him...
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