Work Done, Paradise Open

Love’s Redeeming Work

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
 Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
 Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Christ the Lord is Risen Today
By: Charles Wesley, 1707-1778

Listen as you read.  This is a neat orchestral karaoke version.

The  first and last lines of this weeks stanza allude to a couple of Jesus’ last words from the cross.  He speaks a promise to a thief, and then quietly declares His work is done before taking his last breath.  Both of these “words” or phrases evoke a response in our hearts if we will let them.  Will you let them?

Finished

It is Finished

Jesus…said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.  John 19:30

Finished means complete or perfect in all details, as in a product.  The work the Father had for Jesus to do, “Love’s redeeming work”, was done.  Several times earlier in the book of John Jesus had referred to finishing the work the Father had for Him, using this same word translated finished.  He completed that cycle when He declared “It is finished”.

His sacrificial death satisfied the wrath of God.  As we considered a few entries ago, sin has a consequence.  Death.  Jesus paid in full the debt we owed to a Holy God.  Sin had to be atoned, and Jesus did just that.  He redeemed us, purchasing our forgiveness at a great price when He said, “It is finished.”

I wonder if the devil might have been confused thinking Jesus had misspoke.  Notice He did not say, “I am finished”.

I wonder how often we find ourselves confused thinking there is still something we need to do to finish our salvation.  There is nothing more we need to do.

Let me be clear.  Jesus still had to leave the tomb empty to demonstrate His victory over sin, death and the grave.  The unleashing of His resurrection power for all who believe had not yet occurred, but Love’s redeeming work was done.  He opened paradise, but before we consider the effect of His sacrifice, allow you heart to revel in the juxtaposition of these two extremes: death and life, suffering and paradise.

His going to Golgatha, while it purchased our access to paradise, was the antithesis of it.  This is the connection between these two.  So, once again, Jesus brings together two very disparate things.  Take a few moments and let the wonder of that sink deeply into your heart.   He took what we deserved to give us what we could not earn.

Paradise

Christ and the Thief on the Cross

(Jesus) said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Luke 23:43

What do think the thief on the cross felt when Jesus spoke those words to him?  I wonder what paradise would have meant to him?  Anything would be better than the anguish he was experiencing on the cross, but paradise?  I have a feeling he took Jesus at His word.  Was is that sometimes so hard for us to do?

How does the word paradise make you feel?  What words would describe those feelings?

  • Joy
  • Peace
  • Hope
  • Light
  • Relief
  • Security
  • Safety
  • Beauty

Our answers would probably be about as different as you could imagine because we would likely each define paradise very differently.  When you try to imagine paradise what comes to mind? Does it have some of the elements of this beautiful image?

Stairway to Heaven

This is actually a Thomas Kinkade work titled “Stairway to Paradise”.  I like some of the elements here.

  • the light
  • nature
  • the warmth
  • the mist

The most obvious thing it is missing is people.  I suppose you can imagine they are just out of view, but the idea of paradise without others to enjoy it makes it something less, even for introverts like me.  This is especially true for the Christian, which I suppose would describe the thief as well, since the very presence of Christ is the essential figure that makes any place a paradise.  After all, Jesus told the thief he would be with Him in paradise.

We should find great comfort in that we can not only face death knowing it has no dominion over Jesus, but that when we die we will be with Him, like the thief.  We can say with Paul,

“Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”  2 Corinthians 5:8

Alleluia!

Happy Tuning!

Jesus, thank You for completing the work the Father gave you to do.  Thank You for opening paradise for all who believe in You.  Help my hear to believe that Your work is finished and paradise is mine, today.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

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Video 5.3 Transcript

Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
 Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
 Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Before He breathed His last Jesus said, “It is finished.”  He came to seek and save the lost, and with His death He completed that work.  You are redeemed because you are loved. Marvel at His gift of love today.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, as in anguish He sweat drops of blood, Jesus asked His Father “Let this cup pass from me. Yet not my will but Yours be done.”  In His surrender, He was victorious. How can you follow His lead today?

What a shock Death must have had on that Resurrection morning when Jesus rose to life.  Death tried, but could not hold Him down. Accordingly, Death will be equally unsuccessful with you.  Give Jesus praise for completing His Father’s assignment so powerfully.

One of the those who hung with Him on Calvary acknowledged who Jesus was and asked to be remembered when Christ would come into His kingdom.  Jesus rewarded his belief by responding, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” That promise echoes in every heart of faith. Listen, can you hear it?

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more

Sing

Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

Image Attribution
Love’s Redeeming Work – https://www.josephprince.org/blog/articles/the-passion-of-the-christwhy
2 It is Finished – https://thisissalvation.com/the-story
Christ and the Thief on the Cross – https://thereforegodexists.com/5-truths-we-can-learn-from-the-thief-on-the-cross/
4 Stairway to Paradise – https://thomaskinkade.com/shop/limited-edition-art/stairway-to-paradise-limited-edition-art/

Tomb Borrower Defeats Grave

Empty Tomb

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
 Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
 Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Christ the Lord is Risen Today
By: Charles Wesley, 1707-1778

Listen as you read.  This is a short but beautiful cello version.

Let’s think about this.  He is alive because He has the authority to take His life up again after He laid it down.  He had to lay it down because our sin had a consequence.  The consequence was death.

Borrowed Tomb

There is a powerful line in a song we sang on Easter Sunday called Resurrecting, from Elevation Worship.

The tomb where soldiers watched in vain,
  was borrowed for three days.
His body there would not remain.
  Our God has robbed the grave.

Where Thy Victory, O Grave?

Who borrows a tomb?  Only someone who knows they will be able to return it, having only needed it for a short time.  Jesus had a grave, but the Father robbed it.

Though when we sing this powerful stanza we are asking the rhetorical question, “Where thy victory, O grave?”, it could just as well be Jesus making the inquiry.   In fact, He had already asked those questions through the prophet Hosea hundreds of years before.

I will set these people free from the power of the grave.
    I will save them from death.
Death, where are your plagues?
    Grave, where is your power to destroy?  Hosea 13:14 NIrV

The grave thought it had defeated Christ, but it was only a fleeting illusion.  He conquered the grave when He left it empty.  Alleluia!  Take a moment and thank Jesus for leaving that tomb empty, and in so doing, giving you hope you will one day do the same.

Dying Once

Some versions of this stanza say “Dying once” instead of “Once He died”.  That is the one I am more familiar with so I like how it rolls off the tongue, possibly more from familiarity, but I have to admit the one here is actually more clear.  He was not dying once, he died once.  And He did so, because He had to.

Consider these two Scriptures.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23

We have all sinned.  The wages of sin, what you get for doing it, is death.  Ergo, we all have earned the right to die.  Jesus traded us what He deserved, life eternal, for what we deserved, death.  His death dealt with sin, once for all.

So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.    Hebrews 9:28

Sacrificial Lamb

When Jesus died once for all He was satisfying the wrath of God in a way the sacrificial system of the Old Testament could never do.  The Tabernacle/Temple sacrifices had to be repeated  over and over because they could not really deal with sin by perfecting the conscience of the worshipper.  Hebrews 9 explains this beautifully, but these two verses capture it well.

Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.  Hebrews 9:25-26

Once for All

Only Jesus was able to offer the perfect sacrifice.  Thanks be to God, He did!  Take a moment and thank Jesus for dying once, and in so doing, saving you for the wages of sin and offering you the gift of God, eternal life.

Alleluia!

Jesus, thank You thank You for offering the perfect sacrifice, once for all, to save me from my sin.  Thank You for demonstrating victory of the grave by leaving that tomb empty.  I will ever sing praises to Your matchless name.  Alleluia!   In Jesus name.   Amen.

Grateful Thinking!

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Subscribers enjoy this podcast! Everyone else, the transcript below.

Podcast 5.2 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!

1 Peter 1:3 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Jesus Christ is alive again.  Because He lives, we have a living hope into which we have been born again.  Our Father’s great mercy has accomplished this. Bless Him for raising Jesus and in so doing, giving us life and hope and peace.

 Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!

1 Corinthians 15:54-55 ESV

54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:  “Death is swallowed up in victory.”“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

What an incredible rhetorical question!  What a remarkable statement of faith! Jesus’ body having perished, put on the imperishable, and in so doing, swallowed up death in victory. Even though we may die, we will live.  Alleluia!

Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!

Hebrews 9:28 ESV

So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

He accomplished His Father’s will, and will come a second time, having dealt with sin, to save us.  And who are we? Those who are eagerly waiting for Him. You may be waiting, but are you eager? Ask Him to make you eager.

 Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

You have victory over sin, death and the grave.  You could never have accomplished this, but Jesus already did.  Thank Him.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
 Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
 Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

 

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.