Growing Pains

March 21, 2010

Growing Pains  "You have enlarged me in my distress..."  Psalm 4:1

Our Lord’s Passion was a time of trouble such as has never been known by any other member of the human race. 

“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.” John 12:27

The Lenten season is a time to remember that our forgiveness was brought forth with great pain and suffering by our Lord Jesus. “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” Hebrews 5:8  Dietrich Bonhoeffer rightly wrote in his classic book, The Cost of Discipleship: “God’s grace is free, but it is not cheap. When Christ calls a man, He bids him, ‘Come and Die.’” Appreciation for Bonhoeffer’s words grows when we realize he was martyred for his faith in 1945 as he stood against the inhumanity of Hitler’s Third Reich. Others remained quiet, Bonhoeffer spoke and stood and died. During Lenten season we realize that Jesus willingly chose to enter the struggle for the redemption of humanity, “No one takes My life from Me. I lay it down of my own initiative.” John 10:18  Our salvation was not a matter of fate, it was a choice of love. 

How about going this week to www.covenantlife.net  and press the Easter Preparation key and worship to the song, “My Savior Lives”? Yes, He lives today and we live in Him; but the price of this life was His suffering and death. He lives, but He was slain. For all humanity. For love. We worship Him because He gave Himself for us. His sufferings brought our joy. He brought healing and restoration to our lives through His brokenness and pain.  He is the Lord over death because He tasted death for us. Hallelujah. Only Jesus is worthy. Forever.