Was it for crimes that I have done
He groaned upon the tree
Amazing pity grace unknown
And love beyond degree
Alas And Did My Savior Bleed 1707
By: Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
ref. by Ralph E. Hudson, 1885
Listen to this modern version of this penitent hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.
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Everyone, enjoy this video, and the transcript below.
Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.
As we conclude our journey through this ancient text and hymn, make each stanza your own by praying through it. Let’s tune our hearts.
NOT Guilty
Imagine it. The case is presented. Every charge brought against you is proven true. Your presence at the scene of each crime is confirmed, without a shadow of a doubt, by your fingerprints. The jury needs no time to deliberate, so clear is the evidence against you. The judge asks them for their decision, and the foreman rises and states boldly, “We find the defendant NOT guilty.”
As you sit in stunned amazement, the judge explains that someone else has agreed to take your punishment. All you have to do is accept their offer and you are free, the guilt and punishment for it being entirely imputed to them. You agree and are released immediately.
Sound too good to be true? That is effectively what Jesus did for you.
Was it for crimes that I have done
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 1 Peter 2:24 ESV
Yes! An emphatic yes! Christ bore the punishment for our crimes, our sins, when He went to the cross. He had never sinned and was crucified without reason, which is why Pilate washed his hands of the matter. The Sinless died for the sinful, the Innocent for the guilty.
As we journey through this season toward Holy Week and our celebration of His resurrection, consider again all for which you have been forgiven. That forgiveness was only possible through Christ’s work on the cross, that dreadful tree. He made it possible to die to sin and live to righteousness. Will you walk along with Him on your own sojourn of self-denial?
RESONATE!
Recall when you first realized you needed a Savior. Maybe you found it hard to believe. Maybe you wept at the wonder of it. Whatever your reaction, remember it today, then thank Him for taking your punishment.
Ninth-Hour Groaning
Though the Scriptures tell us Jesus was mostly silent before His accusers at the mockery they deemed a trial, it just as clearly tells us He was not silent on the cross. He spoke to John, instructing him to care for Mary, His mother. He admitted His thirst, revealing His humanity. He spoke to and pardoned one of the thieves hanging there with Him. But that is not all He said.
His most heart-wrenching statement may well have been the one where He confessed the separation He felt from the Father, with whom He had existed eternally. Jesus felt forsaken by Him. He groaned in anguish as the weight of the sin of the world pressed down upon Him, and He felt alone.
He groaned upon the tree
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Mark 15:34ESV
Jesus said several things from the cross, but this expression may have seemed most like a groan. Again, in His humanity, Christ felt forsaken as He died on the cross. He endured that shame and separation from the Father for our good.
Jesus was God, and man. Crucifixion is a tortuous way to die. The Scripture clearly records that Jesus groaned while He hung on that cruel device. He cried out to the Father, suffered with thirst, and announced His work was finished.
RESONATE!
Jesus groaned to spare you from the separation He felt on the cross. Thank Him for bearing the cross for you. Thank Him for enduring the cross.
Jesus, thank You for bearing the punishment for my crimes on that cruel tree. Help me to die to sin and live to righteousness, as one who is not guilty. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Guiltless Tuning!
Keep coming back, and we will work to help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence. We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.
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Video 26.2 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.
Was it for crimes that I have done
He groaned upon the tree
Amazing pity grace unknown
And love beyond degree
Another question, and another answer. Yes, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, because of the crimes or sins I have committed. He was without fault or blemish and yet took the punishment that we deserved upon Himself. Thank Him for taking your punishment.
Jesus, thank You for taking my punishment.
Jesus was God, and man. The crucifixion is a tortuous way to die. The Scripture clearly records that Jesus groaned while He hung on that cruel device. He cried out to the Father, suffered with thirst, and announced His work was finished. Thank Him for enduring the cross.
Jesus, thank You for enduring the cross.
Grace like that which was on display on the cross had never been seen before it. The Father saw that we were suffering in sin, He pitied us, and then did something about it. He sent His only Son, the only one who could, to bear the penalty for our sins. Give Him praise!
Father, I praise You for Your grace and pity.
The cross is an expression of love that we can not even truly fathom. For Christ to bear the weight of all sin for all time requires a love that is truly incomprehensible, yet the Spirit makes it known to us. Thank the Spirit for giving you the capacity to see and receive God’s love there.
Spirit, thank You for allowing me to see and receive God’s love at the cross.
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.
The post We Find the Defendant NOT Guilty appeared first on Resonant 7.
Image Attributions
Was It For Crimes That I Had Done – https://pixabay.com/photos/fingerprint-daktylogramm-papillary-255904/
He Groaned Upon That Tree – https://pixabay.com/photos/cross-jesus-wood-church-christ-77999/
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