Jesus our Love Is Crucified

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Digging into the archives today for a message that ties in with the Lenten season of the church. I pray it will be a blessing for you.

 

Reading in my prayer journal from an entry dated December 20, 2008. Jesus said, “blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” He was not speaking of those grieving over the loss of a loved one, He was speaking about mourning over our loss of innocence that goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. It is a mourning over the effects of our sins and the sins of others on God's good creation of man, beast, and nature!

 

The Bible records two times that Jesus wept, once when his friend Lazarus died, and the other when He overlooked the city of Jerusalem knowing what was going to happen to them because they refused His gift of salvation. Both of His times of weeping were related to the effects of sin!

 

In Ps 28:2, David “mourned” over the effects of his sin and prayed, “hear when I “CRY” to Thee!”

Let me ask you something: “When's the last time you wept over sin?” Maybe it's time for God's people to look again at our own lives and the condition of the world around us and weep! Weep over abortion! Weep over pornography! Over fornication, adultery,homosexuality, sex slavery of children, and all other confusion over sexual issues! Weep over gossip! Cry over the anger that is erupting like a volcano in the land! Weep over war and horrendous persecution of brothers and sisters!

 

Weep! And weep some more! Then believe the promise of Ps 126:5,6, “Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. 6 He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.

 

And don't forget the words of Isaiah as he spoke concerning Jesus, “Comfort, comfort my people says your God!” Indeed, it will be as Jesus said in His sermon on the mount, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted! Tears demand comforting! And there is no one who can comfort like Jesus!

 

The words of the hymn “O Come and Mourn With Me” come to mind!

 

O come and mourn with me awhile

O come ye to the Savior’s side

O come together let us mourn

Jesus our love is crucified

 

Have we no tears to shed for him

While soldiers scoff and foes deride?

Ah! Look how patiently He hangs;

Jesus our Lord is crucified

 

Seven times HE spake seven words of love;

And all three hours His silence cried

For mercy on the souls of men

Jesus, our Lord, is crucified

 

O love of God! O sin of man1

In this dread act your strength is tried

And victory remains with love

Jesus our Lord is crucified.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word