4/8/12- Easter!

47- 4/8- Easter- He is risen!

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Q. 28- How is Christ exalted?

A. Christ is exalted by rising on the third day; in ascending into heaven; sitting on the right hand of God the Father, and coming to judge the world in glory at the last day. 

Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,  “‘The Lord said to my Lord:  “Sit at my right hand, (Acts 2:33-34)

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:3)

Thoughts: One of the frequent sayings of the early church that is recorded both in James and 1 Peter is, “humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.”  Christ Himself is the greatest example of someone who humbled Himself, and yet was exalted for His humility.  His rising from the dead shows us the power of God to lift up the humble, and to give life and hope when there is none.  His ascension sealed His resurrection as much as His burial sealed His death.  The ascension of Christ means that He is at work for all of us- at the throne.  The One who came, lived, and died for us is the One who is at a position of power and even talking to the Father, interceding on our behalf.  His ultimate glory will be revealed at the end of history when “every eye will see Him.”  Perhaps we could also add the phrase, “every knee will bow” before Him at the judgment too. Christ’s exaltation affirms His teaching of love and humility and shows all of us that faith and trust in God is not overlooked by Him.  He is to be praised for He is worthy- solo dei Gloria!

Prayer: Alleluia!  You are worthy, O Lord. You are exalted to your rightful place.  Help me to fix my eyes on you the author and perfector of my faith.  Give me grace to long for your appearing.  Come Lord Jesus!

4/6/12- The Humiliation of Christ- in his burial

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Q. 50. Wherein consisted Christ's humiliation after his death?
A. Christ's humiliation after his death consisted in his being buried, and continuing in the state of the dead, and under the power of death till the third day; which hath been otherwise expressed in these words, He descended into hell.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3,4)

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:4)

Thoughts: The Apostles’ Creed that we frequently affirm says, “He was crucified, dead and buried.”  The burial of Christ was a part of His humiliation.  In Roman Catholic circles pictures (and even in early Reformation circles- as Rembrandt) of the pieta of Christ were an important part of Lent.  The burial of Christ assures us that he was really dead and was decaying.  For those persecuting Him, it was a delightful event that helped them to sleep.  He was sealed and guarded- as if death itself were not seal enough.  The shorter catechism sees burial as a part of the hell Christ went through for us.  Burial is one of the saddest moments in all cultures.  It was evident in Christ’s burial in the women weeping at the tomb. He did not just die for our sakes, He was buried for us- which was a certification of his death, a double sealing of his humility.

Prayer: May we not overlook your suffering for us this Lent, O lord.  Thank you for facing the cross and enduring its shame, and the public humility of your burial.

(Michelangelo’s Pieta- in St. Peter’s Church in the Vatican)

First century tombs in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem- where Jesus was buried. 

Traditionally, the tombs owned by Joseph of Arimathea. 

4/6/12 The Humility of Christ's Death

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Q. 49. How did Christ humble himself in his death?
A. Christ humbled himself in his death, in that having been betrayed by Judas, forsaken by his disciples, scorned and rejected by the world, condemned by Pilate, and tormented by his persecutors; having also conflicted with the terrors of death, and the powers of darkness, felt and bore the weight of God's wrath, he laid down his life an offering for sin, enduring the painful, shameful, and cursed death of the cross.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:8)

and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Col. 1:20)

Thoughts: Christ wept in Gethsemane as he foresaw His humiliation and pain.  The catechism, while mentioning it, does not emphasize the physical pain of Christ as much as the spiritual pain of being left alone, mocked and persecuted, terrorized by his enemies and the “powers of darkness”, and feeling separated from God and forsaken by Him.  Yet the catechism reminds us that Christ gave His life freely enduring the physical pain as well as the shame and curse.

Prayer: I will cling to your cross, Lord.  Your humility is my hope.  Help me to crucify my selfishness and give myself fully to you. 

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

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

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.
(Isaac Watts)

(Tintoretto 1565- emphasizes the chaos, mocking, persecution of the cross)

4/5/12- Humility of the Cross

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Q. 27- How did Christ humble himself?
A. Christ humbled himself by being born as a person and born to a poor family; by being made subject to the law;  by suffering through the miseries of this life; the wrath of God; and the curse of death on the cross; and by being buried and by allowing himself to die.

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Lk. 9:58)

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. (Isa. 53:3)

Thoughts: Christ humbled himself.  In becoming a human; in being born into a carpenter's home instead of a palace; in not having his own place to live; in obeying the laws that He had made and given; by suffering the problems of life (heartache, rejection, tiredness, hunger, thirst, etc.); dying a humiliating and unjust, torturing death, and burial as a humiliating seal to his death.  One of Christ's last free acts was to wash the feet of the disciples. The point he gave was "now that I your teacher and Lord have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet" (Jn. 13:14).  His point was not to wash feet, but to serve one another- being willing to humble ourselves before others in service. Jesus said if anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily (Lk. 9:23).  We live in a world that encourages us to see ourselves as the consumer and God as our servant.  It is a perspective change to see ourselves not only as God's servant, but also (for God's glory) the servant of others. G.K. Chesterton said, "The cross cannot be defeated for it is defeat."  But it was in humiliating defeat that victory was won for Christ.  When we humble ourselves before God and others we win as well. 

Prayer: Give me grace, O Lord, to humble myself before you, O Lord.  

4/4/12 The Hidden Sacrament

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Q. 48. How did Christ humble himself in his life?
A. Christ humbled himself in his life, by subjecting himself to the law, which he perfectly fulfilled; and by conflicting with the indignities of the world, temptations of Satan, and infirmities in his flesh, whether common to the nature of man, or particularly accompanying that his low condition.

If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. (John 13)

Thoughts: John 13 describes the hidden sacrament.  It was done by Christ, commanded by Christ.  Yet the sacrament was not to wash feet, but to humble ourselves in service.  Service is a visible sign of God’s invisible love.  This Lent we are called not to be served, but to serve.  This is a good preparation for Maundy Thursday.

Prayer: May we understand your humility and your love for us, O Lord.  May we seek to serve others as you have served us.

4/3/12- Humility of Christ in His Incarnation

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Q. 47. How did Christ humble himself in his conception and birth?
A. Christ humbled himself in his conception and birth, in that, being from all eternity the Son of God, in the bosom of the Father, he was pleased in the fullness of time to become the son of man, made of a woman of low estate, and to be born of her; with divers circumstances of more than ordinary abasement.

But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. (Mark 10:43-44)

Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped; rather he emptied himself, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness... and being found as a man, he humbled himself. (Philippians 2)

Thoughts: Jesus left the grandest place for one of the poorest, less-healthy places.  From a throne to a stable-cave is quite a contrast. He was made like us in every respect (Heb. 2:17).  But it is clear to us that God is humbling himself out of love for us.  He is the rescuer who leaves his comfort in order to peril himself for our rescue.  So we should have the same mind- and humble ourselves.  We should seek to serve rather than be served-- to give of ourselves instead of asking how Christ or others might give to us. 

Prayer:  Lord, show me opportunities to serve for your glory, remembering your service and humility.  

4/2/12- Humility of Christ

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Q. 46. What was the estate of Christ's humiliation?
A. The estate of Christ's humiliation was that low condition, wherein he for our sakes, emptying himself of his glory, took upon him the form of a servant, in his conception and birth, life, death, and after his death, until his resurrection.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing  by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:6-8)

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (Galatians 4:4)

Thoughts: “Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown when thou camest to earth for me.  But in Bethlehem’s home there was found no room for thy holy nativity.  O come to my heart, Lord Jesus!  There is room in my heart for Thee!”  (Emily E. Elliot).  Christ came to His own, and His own received Him not.  Christ accommodated and descended to us, leaving so much, but we clung to our small power, our small popularity, and our small thinking, and did not welcome Him. Christ was humble in his birth, his life, and his death and burial.  Christ elicits humility from those who wish to follow in His way.  Holy week, in many ways was about his emptying Himself fully- giving Himself fully for us as a sacrifice- out of love for us.  Jesus said, "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mk. 10:45; Mt. 20:28).  He came to serve.  When he washed his disciples feet he said, "Not that I your master and Lord have washed your feet, should you not wash the feet of others?"  Christ service calls us to humbly serve- to deny ourselves daily and take up our cross and follow Him. 

Prayer: May I always welcome you, Lord.  Thank you for coming down for me!

(Adoration of the Shepherds de Grebber 1650s)