For the rebellious…for the prideful…for the greedy…for the sluggard…
For the one who cursed him…for the slave to sin, the law and to the devil…
For the spiritually blind…
For the spiritually dead…
For the damned…
It was for these that Christ willingly poured out his blood.
It was for these, while they were yet sinners, that Christ died for (Romans 5:8).
What manner of love and mercy is this, that the Son of God would leave the throne of God to suffer and die to atone for the sins of the rebels of God?
What manner of love and mercy is this, this Son of God who hung on a sinner’s cross to purchase redemption for those who would scorn him?
What manner of love and mercy is this, that the Son of God, who knew no sin, would become sin so the unrighteous could become righteous?
How can we attempt to fathom the depths of Christ’s love for us?
One way is to acknowledge how little we deserve it. Despite our sin and rebellion, as we read in John 10:17-19, Christ willingly laid his life down for us in willful submission to the Father. How much does one have to love another to simply suffer inconvenience, trouble or discomfort for them, let alone suffer man’s most cruel punishment, followed by the complete wrath and forsaking of the heavenly Father? In this sense, because the wrath of the Father toward sin is infinite, the depth of Christ’s love for us is also infinite, unmeasurable.
Another way to consider the depth of Christ’s love is this very line we sing today: the blood that was willingly poured. Christ chose to love us. He wasn’t forced to do so, nor was he wooed to this love by anything in us. There was a great liberty in his love. There was joy set before him, as seen in Hebrews 12 and wonderfully unpacked by Matthew Henry:
“What it was that supported the human soul of Christ under these unparalleled sufferings; and that was the joy that was set before him. He had something in view under all his sufferings, which was pleasant to him; he rejoiced to see that by his sufferings he should make satisfaction to the injured justice of God and give security to his honour and government, that he should make peace between God and man, that he should seal the covenant of grace and be the Mediator of it, that he should open a way of salvation to the chief of sinners, and that he should effectually save all those whom the Father had given him, and himself be the first-born among many brethren.” – Matthew Henry
Christ willingly loved the undeserving.
Last, we acknowledge the depths of Christ’s great love by what this love cost him.
Christ willingly condescended and laid aside his royal, heavenly privileges to live as a man in every sense, in a fallen and falling world, under the law meant for sinners, yet he was without sin.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, he perfectly and joyfully obeyed the law of God. He was blameless, full of grace, love and truth.
Despite his perfection and blamelessness, he took the lash and scourge. His hands and feet were pierced. His precious blood was poured out. For us.
He gave his life away, tearing the veil that symbolized the gap between God and us. His death purchased our reconciliation, our pardon, our adoption and our inheritance. Our bringing in to the family of God.
The King died, so the slaves could live.
But the King overcame the power of death. As we read in Revelation 19, He wears the crowns of glory this very day.
So we ask for the Holy Spirit of God to help us rightfully crown Christ as King while we sing, yes, but also in the sacred spaces of our everyday lives.
We ask for his help to submit to his rule and reign. To obey him by walking in righteousness and truth. To love him and love others as he would. To lift him up as holy and preeminent. To tell the world that we belong to this King, and crown him Lord of all.
To surrender our heart, mind and strength to the service of this merciful, wonderful, majestic King today and for eternity, for he alone is worthy.
Coram Deo,
Troy, GFHG
“…may [we] be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard…”
Colossians 1:15-23
