“We are suffering under the weapons of mass DISTRACTIONS” (unknown)
Do I sing lies before Almighty God when I sing Amazing Grace? Or how about when I sing –
I stand amazed in the Presence of Jesus the Nazarene
And wonder how He could love me ---
Have I ever been lost in wonder? Have I ever been truly, deeply, life-changingly amazed by amazing grace? I know so well and have known so long that salvation was God’s plan from before the foundation of the world. Has my very security in familiar Truth become so familiar that wonder and amazement are conspicuous only by their absence?
Jesus was amazed (Mark 14:33) He began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy. The Amplified Bible puts it this way: He began to be struck with terror and amazement and deeply troubled and depressed. Jesus goes on to say (Mark 14:34) that overwhelming grief was almost killing Him.
What was it exactly that caused Him such anguish? Was it the betrayal, denial, desertion, mocking, scourging, crown of thorns, hammer, nails, the Cross? No, none of these. He had not asked God to let any of ‘these’ pass if possible. What then? The CUP! Father if it be possible let THIS CUP pass, but the Father answered that it was His will for Jesus to drink THAT CUP and drain it to its very dregs, drain it dry. The magnitude of the cost He paid compared to my unutterable unworthiness should fill me with amazement.
All the sin of the world from the past beginning of mankind to the future end of sinning mankind was laid upon Jesus. So what was in THE CUP? I try to get my mind around this and I know I cannot find adequate words. I try to picture the holy triune Godhead from the beginning of no beginning. Perfect in love, holiness, wisdom, harmony, purity and sovereign power. What fellowship and joy they shared is beyond knowing. Now the second Person of the Trinity, Who is now the MAN Christ Jesus, is torn away from that loving embrace and must drink the full CUP. Let me think about sin for a few minutes and my reaction. I get very angry when I think of children sold into the sex trade so some can make huge profits by catering to Satan-filled lust and perversion. I get very angry when a particular country experiences a time of famine but their government ignores the destitute and sells the relief supplies to another country. I could go on and on, there are more horrific sins than I could name but you get the picture.
Now – if I compare my anger with the anger of a holy God, I begin to see what is in the CUP. I try to put myself in the scene and be (Luke 22:43-44) there with Jesus. All of holy outrage, all of perverted Justice, all of Divine wrath, all of Almighty Vengeance – - against every murder, rape, lie, robbery, greed, idolatry and everything else – was to be poured out on Jesus as He was abandoned and cursed. Jesus – the holy spotless Lamb of God was filled with agonizing amazement as He saw the terrible depth in THAT CUP. I can understand God’s anger against exploitation, killing, cruelty etc. but I need to remember that we are judged according to the light/knowledge we have and I have the whole Bible.
If I can walk away from Gethsemane and not be lost in wonder, not be filled with deep continual amazement, not be prostrate with overwhelming gratitude before God’s AMAZING GRACE, would my sin not be worst of all? (read those two verses again Luke 22:43-44). I am asking and trusting the Holy Spirit to enable me to grasp the awful cost paid at Gethsemane and Calvary and I know my amazement will deepen.
Such amazement will make it impossible for me to wrongly judge another person. Such amazement will make it impossible for me not to forgive no matter what – make it impossible for me to even dare not to forgive.
All of my rich inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:18) becomes much more real and precious the more I am amazed at God’s AMAZING GRACE.
The CUP Jesus received for Himself was filled with the Divine fury of outraged Holiness. The CUP He prepared for me (John 6:53) was filled with the Life-giving Blood of the Everlasting Covenant.
“From my smitten heart with tears two wonders I confess
The wonder of Thy matchless love and my unworthiness”
There is a hymn chorus that really resonated with me and sings frequently in my head.
We have this moment to hold in our hand
To touch when it sifts through our fingers like sand,
Yesterday is gone and to-morrow may never come
But we have this moment to-day.
What is a moment – almost nothing – 60 seconds – gone in a flash. Actually, I think it is much more than that.
Time is a currency I can spend in any way I choose. When it is gone, I can never retrieve it but the choices I spend it on will continue to pay dividends. I need to spend every moment I have on earth as if it was my last. One day – one moment – it will be my last moment and only God knows when. I need to value each moment as an opportunity to please the Lord Jesus and not myself. I am AMAZED to discover how much joy there can be in a single moment spent to please Jesus. When I have spent my very last moment - - will I be thankful for what I have spent it on?
Nearer still nearer, close to Thy heart,
Draw me, my Saviour, so precious Thou art.
What hinders us from spending our time currency wisely? I heard a sentence on Christian Radio but did not catch the name of whoever coined it. I know it applies to many Christians.
“we are suffering under the weapons of mass DISTRACTIONS”
instead of abiding in (Isaiah 26:3-4) Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusts in Thee.
Every moment spent on pleasing the Lord is a specious treasure which pays dividends to make all future moments even richer.
(Another Chorus)
I’ll worship only at the feet of Jesus,
His CUP alone my holy grail,
There’ll be no other gods before me,
Just Jesus only will never fail.
Mercy triumphs over Justice because of Grace and amazingly – all of this because of
GOD’S AMAZING GRACE