Messiah: The Lord, Our Righteousness

“ ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ “ (Jeremiah 23:4-5, NKJV). “Then Pilate asked Him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ And He answered and said to Him, ‘It is as you say.’ “ (Mark 15:2. NKJV). “Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’ “ (I Peter 2:6, quoting Isaiah 28:16. NKJV).

We who live on this side of the Lord’s coming to earth have the benefit of the written Word—both the Old and New Testaments. We can read (and have some degree of understanding) of how the Hope lay in the King who would restore the kingdom of Israel and “execute judgment and rightousness in the earth.” We now know and understand more of Jeremiah’s name for Jesus: “The Lord Our Righteousness.” When He came He was not to be a provincial ruler but for all people everywhere. Earthly kingdoms as they had been known were not God’s intention for the New Order. Jeremiah who lived at the end of the Kingdom of Judah’s last days spoke eloquently of God’s new day. Perhaps, even though he wrote correctly about it, Jeremiah himself may not have understood fully what He wrote. It was persons like Peter, James and John, apostles and leaders of the early Christian church, who saw in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the seed of David, the righteous Branch, the just King. This message they preached and wrote about has withstood the test of time and is still vital and viable. As Lord of Righteousness, Jesus invites us to live in right relationship with God, and He makes that way possible.

I close today’s thoughts with a stanza from a beloved Christmas carol written by the Rev. Charles Wesley (1707-1788). He captured the essence of “The Lord our Righteousness” and His kingly reign:

“Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by, Born that men no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

May we praise the “King Our Righteousness” with Wesley’s stately words and Mendelssohn’s lofty music. All our best worship is due the King of Righteousness!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Jesus Speaks from the Cross

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” –Luke 23:34.

In the darkest hours imaginable, in deep suffering and agony, Jesus spoke from the cross. We go to all four gospels to get the “Seven Sayings of Jesus from the Cross.”

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was at the cross. Her heart breaking, she was there to the end. We remember it was written of her even when He was born, that she “kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart.” Now we see her at the cross, her son dying the cruelest death known to mankind. And there, near her, is John, who calls himself the “beloved disciple.” And Jesus says to her, referring to John: “Woman, behold your son” (John 19:26). And to John he says: “Behold your mother” (John 19:27). This parental caregiving act came amidst excruciating pain.

Jesus wanted to be assured someone would look after his aging mother. This concern, even while He was dying, shows the depths of His compassion.

“I thirst” (John 19:28). The order of Jesus’s words from the cross are hard to determine since we must go to all four gospels to gather them all. With the heat, the suffering and the effect of the crucifixion on His body, John alone has him saying, “I thirst.” His body in great pain and discomfort, He is offered vinegar on a sponge. Jesus could have just as well meant the mental agony of desertion, even by Holy Father God, who could not look upon Jesus, clothed in sin, dying for us. “I thirst.” This direct statement has such a multiplicity of meanings.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus knew what the people were doing; those who were crucifying Him, who had determined to trap and have His death, those who were railing and ridiculing Him, Jesus knew what they were doing. But how could all of those who brought about His death and who were gathered now to see him die know what His death meant? Or why it must come to pass? This statement of Jesus has all the pathos of His seeing those participating in the act of crucifixion and not having a clue to what they were doing. “Father, forgive them.” With what depth and understanding Jesus spoke those words! They include even me!

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). These words were said to the believing criminal on one of the crosses. He had recognized and accepted Jesus as the dying Son of God. His belief was sufficient. And his reward was to be instantaneous: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” How these words have brought comfort to countless believers through all time since the cross!

“ ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). For three hours, from the sixth to the ninth, darkness had covered the whole land. Even God seemed removed from the scene of suffering and shame. Is it any wonder Christ lamented? Some wise scholars have suggested that God had to look away since He cannot look upon and tolerate sin. And in that moment Jesus was fulfilling His purpose on earth, becoming sin and at the same time sacrificing Himself for sin. He was restoring fellowship with God.

During the final phase of this act of restoration, God Himself was temporarily out of physical sight of the Son of God. Darkness prevailed—but only for a time.

“Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit” (Luke 23:46). Here is a victory cry. God has not gone away, not permanently. Jesus can again commit Himself to the loving care of the Father.

“It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus was given “sour wine” mixed with hyssop. With this last wetting of his lips, He uttered these final words from the cross, “It is finished!” And he bowed His head and died. For all time, it was finished, the mission was accomplished, the sacrifice was worthy, sufficient and timeless. No other death would be required by God for payment of the sin offering. “It is finished.” Thanks be to Jesus Christ!

Today, called Maundy Thursday, we solemnly celebrate the Lord’s Supper in our churches. This commemorates Jesus’ institution of that memorial with His disciples in the Upper Room. It is a good time for us personally to think again of Jesus’ words from the cross. Spoken in agony and with a meaning deeper than one brief devotional can ever convey, these words resound through time and eternity to let us know that in death Jesus loved us. In His death we gain life.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, April 1, 2010