CP 245 Good Friday: the counter-intuitive Messiah

CP 245 Good Friday: the counter-intuitive Messiah

Or: the rhythm of the great exchange.

I’ve always marvelled at the way the Lord’s plan for redeeming humanity unfolds in such an unexpected, topsy-turvy way. The best example is the ‘great exchange’ text. Those of you who know me well will know that the scripture verse which impacts me most profoundly is 2 Corinthians 5:21:

For our sake he made him to be sin, who knew no sin, that, in him, we might become the righteousness of God. (Italics mine)

This week, in many small nudges, examples of that unexpected reversal kept popping up. I resolved to ‘collect them’ for Good Friday. There will be many more… share them with me so we can put a topsy-turvy psalm together. Here’s my hastily put-together draft.

Heavenly Father, almighty and eternal, holy and loving,

we have come to know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For our sakes:

He became poor that we might become rich.

He became of earth that we might be glorified in heaven.

He became servant that we might become sons and daughters.

He became prisoner that we might be free.

He was stripped of the clothing of earth that we might be covered in the clothing of heaven.

His appearance was appalling in its disfigurement so that we might shine as stars in the universe.

He endured the perversion of justice that we might receive mercy and grace.

He was cursed in the shame of the cross so that we could live blessed and blamefree.

He died in thirst that we might drink of the water of life.

He was despised that we might not be rejected.

He was crushed and oppressed that we could know freedom from oppression.

He lay in the darkness of the grave that we might be graced with the light of life.

He became ‘far-off’ that we could be brought near.

He was forsaken that we might be welcomed.

He was made lowly that we might be glorified.

He lay in darkness that we might see light.

The man of sorrows is the giver of joy.

The man of anguish is the giver of peace.

The man of suffering is the giver of healing and relief.

The man acquainted with grief is the source of all comfort

His anointing into death releases for us the oil of gladness in life.

He drank the cup of bitterness that we might drink the cup of salvation.

He breathed his last that we might breathe pure kingdom air.
He died within time that we could live in eternity.

For our sake he made him to be sin, who knew no sin, that, in him, we might become the righteousness of God.

That’s all folks. I’ll leave you with a couple of other bits that passed my desk this week…

Through His sorrows, we discover the depth of Jesus’ meekness and surrender to His Father’s will. This surrender is revealed in what He did not do…

He didn’t defend Himself;
He didn’t revile others when He was reviled;
He didn’t turn away from those who beat Him;
He didn’t slander others when He was falsely accused;
He didn’t hide His face from those who spat upon Him;
He didn’t come down from the cross when He was mocked, and ridiculed.

Meekness is not weakness. He who is Almighty could have called an army of angels to rescue Him from His sorrows, but instead, He chose to go to the cross and freely gave His life so you could find your life in Him.

(Author unknown)

“He washed your eyes with His tears so you could see”—adapted from a hymn.

Good Friday… the day death died! (From a letter-box flier)