Friday, April 18, 2014

An Interest In the Savior's Blood...

And can it be that I should gain

an interest in the Savior's blood!
Died he for me? who caused his pain!
For me? who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love!  How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
     - Charles Wesley, 1739

As the events of the night unfolded, he was betrayed, arrested, and thrown into a cistern/prison in the basement of Caiaphas' palace.  In darkness, he spent the next several hours while the high court of religious authorities could be assembled for a quick trial.  When he was finally brought up out of the darkness, he was accused of things that made no sense.  The Architect of the Universe was on trial for claims that he said he could tear down the Temple and rebuild it in three days.  Single-handedly.  The King of Kings and Lord of Lords was being accused for claims that he was usurping the throne of the Jews.

When they weren't getting anywhere with the drummed up testimonies, he was finally asked point-blank: "Are you God's Son, then?" to which Jesus responded, "You say that I am."  The leadership determined that they didn't need to go any further.  They took him to Pilate.

By the end of that day, he had been convicted of a crime for which he was not guilty, sentenced to death, executed, and buried.  A common criminal.  "Good riddance," they thought.  Now we can get back to business as usual.

What would become the source of the doctrine of salvation became the inspiration of a personal reflection of Charles Wesley's admission of the nature and power of grace.  "Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?"

That one lone act on the cross became for Wesley the identifying core of his own understanding of salvation.  The sacrificial act of Jesus paid the atoning debt that no one else could pay, and further secured for Wesley the ability - the possibility - to approach the Eternal Throne with holy boldness and "claim the crown, through Christ my own."

What began as a day fraught with tragedy for those early followers has become a day to be remembered as the day when God crossed the boundaries of sin and sinfulness to restore humanity.

This is the definition of Grace - amazing, powerful, and life-giving.

See you in Church!

Grace and peace,
Brad