Psalm 32:11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
We had fun on Easter morning during the worship service. I noted that it was the 46th anniversary of the Beatles releasing the song “Can’t Buy Me Love,” so I started singing it to the congregation as part of the sermon. Halfway through the song, the whole congregation started singing it with me. It was a wonderful moment and it made Easter really special for all who were there. I guess you can’t go wrong with the Beatles in worship!
The song itself was an introduction to the fact that we can’t buy God’s love; only Christ’s Cross has paid the ransom demanded from God for our sins. Nothing that we say, sing or do can buy us salvation; only Christ’s sacrificial death can gain that for us. Without His blood, we are unholy to God. Without Calvary , we have no eternity.
Some progressive Christians want to reject the violence of the Cross because it offends their pacifistic nature. They even go as far to say that they do not believe in a vengeful God who sacrifices His own Son in such a terrible and terrifying way. They want to shape God into something more comfortable and they want to make Him in their own cultural image. That’s called ‘idolatry’ in the Bible and it borders on being heretical.
Anyone who has ever lost a child perfectly understands the pain that God went through when Christ died. There is no greater sacrifice than to give up a loving obedient Son. It is the Supreme Sacrifice which can never be topped. It shows the entire world that God is willing to give up everything so that we can be given reconciliation, redemption, and restoration.
Without the violence, there is no victory. Without the blood, there is only oblivion. Christ dies because He obeys God’s will. It’s not about vengeance, wrath, or sadism. It’s about victory, redemption, and salvation. And as someone else wrote: ‘if Christ willingly died for us, we should be willing to live for Him.’
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your death has given us everlasting life. The pain You endured paved the way for our salvation. The blood that You poured has become the cleansing agent of our tarnished souls. We can never repay that divine debt which God required, so we truly thank You for sacrificing everything for us. Help us to live for You alone. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville , Tennessee
Today’s image is from John’s 2010 Holy Week drawings and is called “Son Down.” It has been compared to Georgia O’Keefe’s ‘Black Cross.’ A larger version can be viewed here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/4442496002/sizes/l/
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