Don’t Mourn For Christ

My church, First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, provided us with a pamphlet of devotional thoughts, one for each day this week, centered on the cross. They’ve been good, but a couple things dawned on me as I read today’s meditation on Colossians 2:13-14.

First, the blood and suffering and death Christ experienced is a past event. It’s hard to work up a lot of grief for a past event. I don’t think I ever expressed sympathy, for example, to my mom for the suffering she went through at my birth. Maybe I should have, but it was past. She wasn’t suffering any more, and the only genuine emotion I felt was gladness and relief (because we both almost died — it’s a good story).

But that brings me to the second thing that dawned on me. The death of Christ was necessary. The Colossians verses give a vivid picture of Christ taking our certificate of debt — the insurmountable bill we owe that demands death — and removing it by nailing it to the cross.

Notice, it is Christ who nailed it to the cross. This is entirely His work, of which I am the beneficiary.

So my reaction is gratitude — extreme gratitude. He did what I could not. He gave what I needed most — His precious blood:

you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Thankfully, Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient. His death was so perfect and complete that it is acceptable in God’s sight to pay for the sins of all who believe in Him. No ritual I do to commemorate His crucifixion will contribute in any way to His finished work. No tears I shed for Him can make me worthy of this incredible gift.

The third thing that came to mind, then, is that celebrating Good Friday as if Christ is again dying, as if I should still grieve for him, is wrong headed. Commemorating it as the day Christ nailed my certificate of debt to the cross is another story. That’s a celebration of what Christ accomplished.

Consequently I don’t mourn for Christ year after year, or even each month when I take communion. But I do mourn for my sin that necessitated His death. Remembering the cross makes me fall on my face and weep at His kindness to die for sinners.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)

Remembering His cross makes me weep at the thought of my rebellious heart and the ways I still kick against His authority. I would be like Christ, but I’m not. Not yet. And that’s cause to grieve.

Until Resurrection Day reminds me that I too will one day walk in newness of life.

Who Will Call Him King Of Kings

In cold despair
They’d laid Him in the tomb
The body of their Master fair
Third morning came
As they returned to pray
Light was shining everywhere
But Jesus’ body was not there

And as they gazed at an empty grave
The earth around began to shake
And they were so afraid
But voices of angels filled the air
Their shouts proclaimed “He is not here”
And you could hear them say

Who will call Him King of kings
Who will call Him Lord of lords
Who will call Him Prince of Peace
Such a wonderful counselor, Mighty God
Who will call Him King

Their spirits soared
As fear was turned to joy
Standing there before their eyes
Jesus clothed in radiant white

And with a voice they’d heard before
He told me “Go and tell the world that I’m alive”
They ran as fast as feet could fly
“The Lord is risen” was their cry
And you could hear them say

We will call Him King of kings
We Will call Him Lord of lords
We will call Him Prince of Peace
Such a wonderful counselor, Mighty God

Just like He said
He is risen from the dead
And the people say

I will call Him King of kings
I will call Him Lord of lords
I will call Him Prince of Peace
Such a wonderful counselor, Mighty God
I will call Him King
I will call Him King
I will call Him King