Saturday, April 11, 2009

My Savior & My God,...is still dead

Because we all know what happened on Sunday (Jesus' glorious resurrection) we tend to forget what happened that Saturday. Well, we really don't know because the Bible doesn't tell us anything that happened (except that it was their Sabbath so they rested). All we really know is that the body of Jesus was still in the grave.

But put yourself back in that time, put yourself in the apostle's shoes (err,...sandals). Imagine what the apostles thought that day. They had just seen their Savior die a horribly, bloody, humiliating death. This was the one they believed would bring the Kingdom,...this was the one they left everything for to follow, and He was dead.

As we read the Biblical narrative let's not forget that real people experienced this. Real people saw Christ die and had real emotions. They didn't have the benefit of just reading the next chapter to see that Christ would rise again (though they should of understood this because Christ said He would.)

Here are two hymns that are good to reflect on the death of Christ (the lyrics may not perfectly match the below video and I only put my favorite lines):

O come and mourn with me awhile;
And tarry here the cross beside;
O come, together let us mourn;
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.

Have we no tears to shed for Him,
While soldiers scoff and foes deride?
Ah! look how patiently He hangs;
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.

O break, O break, hard heart of mine!
Thy weak self-love and guilty pride
His Pilate and His Judas were:
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.

A broken heart, a fount of tears,
Ask, and they will not be denied;
A broken heart love’s cradle is:
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.

O love of God! O sin of man!
In this dread act Your strength is tried;
And victory remains with love;
For Thou our Lord, art crucified!



Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.


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