–Chris Mullen  (Rowdy: Wild and Mean, Sharp and Keen)

 

        “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.”

                    –Jeremiah 17:7 (NKJV)
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               “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow…”  –Bill Gaither

I trust that you had a grand Easter weekend…took time to reflect upon the cross and Christ’s sacrifice–then rejoiced on Easter, the day of resurrection.  We have a glorious hope; it’s a shame that those in the world shun it, shame it, mock it and some actually blaspheme it.  They want hope and peace, yet when it is offered it is spurned.  Because He lives we can truly live – Psalm 112.

          6 — Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
          7 — He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
          8 — His heart is established; he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
          9 — He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor.
        10 — The wicked will see it and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish.  (NKJV)

       Because of Christ we can take a firm stand in Him and His Word.  Being deeply rooted, we will never be shaken!  “He is not given to panic or overreaction in the face of adversity.  Rather, he is marked by stability and strength of heart.” (Steven Lawson)  Read those words carefully.  They are words whereby we can walk through this world with faith and strength and courage.  Bad news may, and will come, but we do not have a bad report.  We trust in the Lord, just as the psalmist did.
       I really like, “his heart is established…”.  It is steadfast; it will not be moved; it is anchored to an infinite, unmovable God.  In this we have security, for our heart is established by God; it is no longer subject to the whims of the world or our own emotions.  George Wood puts it this way, “Look at the images of security–never shaken, remembered forever, no fear of bad news, steadfast heart, trusting in the Lord, no fear, triumph over foes.”  He knows, we know, that God will deal with our problems and our foes.
       The one who is steadfast, who is secure, will be a giving person.  Remember, giving is not always monetary.  Giving can be of time (important), resources, knowledge, or even a smile.  Take a moment and think how you may give.  I had a wonderful professor, Dr. Holsinger, who told me that he was not physically able to help others or do missions trips, but instead he would give of his knowledge, wisdom, and expertise to students by teaching a class without pay.  That should give us hope, because as we “age” and go through this life things change.  Our means of giving and helping might have to change as well.  However, it is well to remember that, “Charity empties the heart of one gift that it may make room for a larger.” (Joseph Parker)

               “A whispered word may touch the heart and call it back to life.
               A look of love bid sin depart and calm unholy strife.
               No act falls fruitless; none can tell how vast its power may be.
               Nor what results enfolded dwell within it silently.”
                         –unknown

                         –D.C. Adkisson (Winter of the Wolves)

       “I have glorified You on the earth.  I have finished the work which You have given me to do.”

                         –John 17:4 (NKJV)
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               “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
                              –Luke 22:42(NKJV)

Put yourself for a minute in the garden, not asleep like the disciples, but maybe behind a rock watching the agony of Jesus.  Have you ever really thought about what it was that caused this great agony?  Maybe it is not clear from the translation above, so let me give you Harbuck’s, “Father, if You are willing or if it pleases You, remove this cup [of agony] from Me.  Nevertheless, [it is supremely important that] not My will or My desire be carried out, but that Your will be carried out and accomplished.”
       We see the Father’s will and the cup.  This cup was a cup of agony.  “Jesus agonized over His approaching death and the effect of God’s wrath.  The cup is a figure of speech for wrath.” (NKJV Study Bible).  What was this cup?  Yes, death was there, but it was not necessarily death or the grave that brought about the agony.  Jesus wasn’t concerned over the grave, He knew that He would rise again.  In Galatians, we read, that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead (1:1)  Paul writes in Romans that it was the Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead (8:11).  Finally, Jesus had His own power to raise Himself (John 3:18).  The grave did not concern Him for He had power over the grave.
       Do not neglect this word “agony.”  It is definitely implied.  Jesus knew He would face severe physical torment.  Agony was the Greek word used of someone fighting a battle with sheer fear.  There is no hope against the torture, the pain–therefore, it is agony.  Vine states that the term meant, “severe emotional strain and anguish.”  At this moment, in that wretched time in Gethsemane, Jesus could have refused the cross.  Think of it, Jesus sweating and blood dripping.  Barclay puts it this way, “The salvation of the world hung in the balance of the Son of God literally sweated it out in Gethsemane; and he won.”
       They had sung a hymn before leaving the room, but now, in the Garden, the song had ceased and the agony began.  He knows He must go through with the Father’s will if mankind is to be redeemed.  He is to face the last enemy of life–death.  He knew He came to earth for this very purpose, but He also knows that He must face a terrible ordeal.  
       What was it then?  Agony of the soul.  Not only was there to be the physical pain, there was the emotional pain that would be attached to it.  Even more–the spiritual pain.  Yes, there is a pain of the spirit.  The holy One, the pure One, the righteous One was now to feel the touch of sin.  Not His, but the world’s–past, present, and future.  Paul writes, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us…” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV)  Even in this Jesus Himself did not become a sinner or that He was guilty of sin, but our sins, yours and mine, were imputed or attributed to Him.  Jesus, who walked among mankind, who saw the results of sin, who healed many who were sick that was part of the curse, who saw men die, now would not only see the results, but would feel sin.  The Holy One, received all the sins of the world upon Himself!
       Then He uttered those words; words that saw the redemption of mankind.  “It is finished!”  Redemption is here, the ransom has been paid, God’s justice has been declared and the wrath and punishment has been carried out.  Jesus declared it so!  “It is finished!”  Death came, the agony was over.  “Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2, NASB).  “…Jesus, the One Who is the Originator (Leader, Source) and Finisher and Perfecter of our faith, He, Who for the reason of the joy [of attaining the victory] that lay ahead of Him, endured the cross and ignored the shame…”  (Harbuck)  
       He faced all the agonies that came with the cross.  The enemy–Satan was there, the Father turned His back, sin came upon Him and He cried, not “woe is Me”; but “It is finished!”  I repeat–
            IT IS FINISHED!

                    –Luke 21:28 (NASB)
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               “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
               The emblem of stuff’ring and shame;
               And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
               For a world of lost sinners was slain.”
                         –George Bennard

I mentioned yesterday that we are not to mourn for the Person on the cross.  It may bring sorrow to you, but put that aside–do not mourn for Him.  However, it is not wrong for you to mourn if you are in a sinful state.  If you have not gone to see that the cross is empty; that Jesus paid the price and rose again.  Too many times we get caught up with seeing Jesus on the cross, still there, but He is not!  He, Himself declared it–It is finished!  Yes, look upon the cross, but look at it as what took place there.
       I invite you to read the following taken from Lois A. Cheney, God Is No Fool.

               I stand before the cross
                  and wonder.
               I stand before the cross
                  and fear.
               I kneel before the cross
                  and weep.
               I pray before the cross
                  and rejoice.
               To know the cross
                   Is to know Christ.
               To feel the cross
                   Is to feel Christ.
               To gaze at the cross
                   Is to gaze at Christ.
               To carry the cross
                   Is to be a Christian,
                  And not until then.
               God forgive us.

The cross was a place of sorrow, now it is a place of rejoicing.  No longer are we bound by the shackles of sin because of the sacrifice of the Lord.  The cross was the place where the devil thought he had won, but it was the place of his demise.
       Now, since we are redeemed.  Now, since we are bought with a price–He tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him.  Look at that verse, contemplate it.  “And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].”  (Luke 9:23, Amplified)

               “To the old rugged cross I will ever be true,
               Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
               Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
               Where His glory forever I’ll share.

                         –Kenneth Pratt  (A Love to Die For)