Feb
25
Written by:
Bob Flynn
2/25/2009 9:05 AM
At that moment heaven was opened. (Matthew 3:16b) New International Readers Version)
How often do my eyes hurry by such profound words in Scripture without pondering their significance. When traveling to and from the office each day, I pass signs along the way that say, "now open." But only once in history did heaven open! The glory of the goodness of Almighty God shown down from the heavens to one particular spot in the universe and surrounded its chief benefactor, "the only begotten Son." How is it that the Earth could withstand such an event without crumbling. The same heavenly hosts must have been still singing "holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty" as they did when Isaiah announce that he was a man of unclean lips. How amazing that we would be able to see, these two thousand years hence, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit would be mentioned in this same verse. Can we ever understand the concept of God come down to Earth as a man for the purpose of giving Himself as a sacrifice for the sin of those whom He created? What kind of love is this that transcends such obstacles of time, space and our despicable fallen estate to offer redemption to all who would believe? A love that stoops low to lift up that which was lost and elevate it to heights unknown! Grace seems so pitiful a word and language so inept to describe such endless love.
Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?]
Refrain
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine—
And bathed in its own blood—
While the firm mark of wrath divine,
His Soul in anguish stood.
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. (Isaac Watts)