How Vast Beyond All Measure

"But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5

This time of year there seems to be more than the typical number of church advertisements coming our way through the post. Christmas and Easter usually spark a flurry of these kinds of mailings inviting the community at large to come and worship with one or another particular congregation.

One that came recently, advertising their Holy Week services, caught my eye. It was the wording, actually, that made me take notice. I want to preface this remark by saying that I do, indeed, understand what this church means by their tag line: "Committed to Unconditional Love & Justice in Action," but my mind went immediately to Calvary and the cross those many years ago.

On that first Good Friday there was certainly unconditional love present. It was demonstrated in God's willingness to sacrifice His only Son in order to secure our salvation. It was embodied in Jesus' offering Himself up, hanging there bloody and broken... choosing to remain until all was accomplished for you... for me.

There was also an act of justice being carried out; it was not justice for the One, but rather justice in the form of mercy for the unjust, for the ones who did not deserve it.

The punishment dealt out fell upon a substitute, the only substitute able to stand in our place, to be the acceptable sacrifice, the only one willing to trade His life for ours. Was that justice in action? What justice convicts the innocent and sets the guilty free? That wasn't justice. That was justification fueled by unconditional love.

Yes, I understand what this advertisement is saying, but when I think on Holy Week: the cross, the grave, the empty tomb, my heart won't allow thoughts of any unconditional love I might try to show or any justice I might hope to seek for those oppressed. My heart won't allow it, because my heart knows the truth. My sins were in those nails, the thorns, the spear. Rather, my focus is all about Him and the unconditional love Jesus demonstrated, the price He paid to guarantee freedom for all those oppressed by sin, including you and me.

I deserved to face the full brunt of the Law, but instead of getting what I deserved, Love took my place. He was convicted that I might go free. He died that I might live.

Mercy and grace were the only things meted out for me.

Unconditional love and justice don't even seem like they belong in the same sentence when speaking of Jesus' sacrifice. The "Just" gave His life freely as ransom for the unjust, and my life and yours is forever changed.

FOREVER. CHANGED.

And when we think on that, how can we focus this week on anything else... but His unconditional love for us.

*I'd like

to share some of the lyrics from one of my favorite contemporary Christian songs. The words hit even harder as we approach our remembrance of Good Friday.

"How deep the Father's love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of seering loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory."