WEDNESDAY February 19th
Triumphant
Since I prepared these devotions, I have been to Durham Cathedral to listen to Handel’s Messiah, and I think that there is something unique about this great musical work as it takes us through the prophecies concerning the One who was to come, then to his birth and passion and finally to the climax with these words taken from Revelation chapter 5:
‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honour, glory, and pow’r be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.’
It then finishes with the magnificent ‘Amen’ chorus.
And this is a good place for me to be concluding (two more devotions to go) this theme that I have taken us through of ‘Jesus the very thought of thee with sweetness fills my breast’.
HE IS TRIUMPHANT! Yes, we remind ourselves that his name will be called Jesus, for he will save his people from their sin, and in fulfilment to the prophet Isaiah, and in accord to the will of God the Father we read,
‘He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.’
He suffered and died on our behalf, but thank God the story continues, after dying and being buried he rose again triumphant! As we read in Colossians 2:15,
‘He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.’
He is exalted; he has been given the name which is above every other name. He is Lord to the glory of God, and we look forward to the day that because of his triumph we too will be raised to life that is imperishable, and immortal, the time when the saying that is written will come to pass, ‘“Death is swallowed up in victory”, “O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ 1 Corinthians 15:56-57