2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Let’s continue our examination of Handel’s “Messiah” to see the crucial Biblical messages around which it was written. In recalling the events of Christ’s last week on earth and his crucifixion, we are allowed to see the huge contrast between the hatred of unbelieving people and the love of our heavenly Father. God’s purpose in this is to convince us that turning from sin and accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives is the only choice that makes sense. As I have been saying right along, I also believe that it benefits us to have a real understanding of the extent of the love that God has for us through looking more closely into what both the Father and the Son had to sacrifice so that salvation could be made available to us. That makes us value this world-altering event even more.
The cruelty and injustice of Christ’s last week on earth is revealed in IS 53: 8. “He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die, and no one cared about His fate. He was put to death for the sins of our people.” One of the Bible studies that I took in the past analyzed the time frame of the interviews with Annas (Caiaphas’ father-in-law), Caiaphas (the High Priest), the teachers of the law, chief priests, and elders of the Council, Pilate, and Herod. The Jewish rule about not touching a corpse on the Sabbath (especially the Passover) prompted all of them to carry this series of interviews out quickly enough to give them time to crucify Christ and bury His body before the beginning of the Sabbath. Justice was out the window! The sentence was already decided before these interviews were ever carried out. Otherwise there would have never been the rush of these events that actually happened. In the same way that Satan views God as a threat, the Jews who labored in their sinfulness viewed Christ as a threat, one they wanted eliminated. While I’m not a believer that justice is always meted out in our modern courts, imagine how long this many interviews would have taken in today’s system. Not one of those responsible for carrying out Christ’s sentence had a clue that he was being used to carry out God’s will.
The Father’s system of gradual revelation of truths, that which is based on His decision as to when the time is right for them to be seen, is exemplified in LK 18: 31- 34. “Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, ‘Listen! We are going to Jerusalem where everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of Him, insult Him, and spit on Him. They will whip Him and kill him, but three days later He will rise to life.’ But the disciples did not understand any of these things; the meaning of the words was hidden from them, and they did not know what Jesus was talking about.” This situation points out the isolation that the Father felt it was necessary for His Son to endure to carry out His will. This isolation in the face of human cruelty is all the more poignant when it is put together with that temporary period of isolation that Christ had to endure from the Father Himself. It is that isolation that was in my opinion the most painful part of Christ’s ordeal. The extent of cruelty and evil that mankind without faith is capable of is really exposed. These are the mental pictures that carry the tenor soloist into singing the #31 recitative, “He Was Cut Off From The Land Of The Living.” The words he sings are: “He was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgression of thy people was He stricken.”
At this point, this magnificent work (the “Messiah”) turns to a view of the extent of God’s love for His Son, hinting at the promise of His love extended to us when we are saved by faith in Christ. PS 16: 9-10, which is later cited in AC 2:31 by Peter in his Pentecost day speech, is the basis for the next section. “And so I am thankful and glad, and I feel completely secure, because You protect Me from the power of death, and the one You love You will not abandon to the world of the dead.” Again, David’s inherent faith in God in the face of his suffering foreshadows that of Christ toward the Father. This is the message of the #32 air for tenor, “But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul In Hell.” The words sung are: “But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell, nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.” How clearly this is a promise of the assertion of RO 8: 1 and 28! These bear repeating here. (1) “There is no condemnation now for those who live in union with Christ Jesus.” (28) “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, those whom He has called to His purpose.” Please join me in this prayer:
PRAYER: O Lord, You lead us to an examination of the extent of injustice and cruelty of which mankind is capable. You let us have a view of the suffering and isolation that Your Son had to endure. Then, we are given a picture of the enormous love that You have for us. These events and attitudes revealed hint at the promise of the gift of salvation, a gift for which Christ’s blood shed on the cross prepares the way. All of this is done so that we can see the great contrast between the suffering and isolation that sin brings and what You have to offer us through our repentance and faith in Him. You deserve for us to truly appreciate this undeserved merit You offer us in return for our faithful obedience. We dedicate ourselves to lifting up our lives to Your glory. In Christ’s name, amen.
I hope you feel the warm glow of the Father’s loving embrace today and always. That alone is sufficient reason for us to hold firmly to our faith and to surround our lives with the powerful truth of His teachings. It is also reason for us to spend our lives in helping others to come to faith, living the Gospel and spreading it accurately. There is nothing more precious than the love the Lord has for us. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn