Rich Maffeo on Nostr: continued from above: -- We need to learn to hold Jesus in our arms – not the baby ...
continued from above:
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We need to learn to hold Jesus in our arms – not the baby Jesus, but the crucified Jesus. We need to see ourselves on Golgotha’s hill. We need to see in our mind’s eye His bruised and bloodied body – bruised and broken in OUR place, as OUR substitute. As the prophet promised some 700 years before Jesus was born: (Isaiah 53:5) “But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.”
We need to see ourselves cradling his lifeless head as we kneel with Mother Mary, the apostle John, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, and the others. There, in our lap, we must see our dead Lord because He IS -- HE IS – our salvation.
Jesus’ first Advent brought humanity of the past AND of the present the means of salvation, the means of receiving the eternal remission of sins, the means of being completely, conclusively, and irrefutably cleansed of even the stain of those sins we’ve brought to Him in confession.
As St Paul reminded the Christians at Galatia: “It was for FREEDOM that Christ set us free.” (Galatians 5:1). And that freedom includes freedom from guilt and from fear of God's wrath against the penitent sinner.
Simeon said, “My eyes” have seen His salvation. So, my brothers and sisters: Have YOUR eyes seen your salvation? Listen to it again: The first Advent is God's message to YOU and me: He LOVES you. And He has totally, utterly and forever CLEANSED you of your confessed sins.
Now – live for Him who died for you.
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We need to learn to hold Jesus in our arms – not the baby Jesus, but the crucified Jesus. We need to see ourselves on Golgotha’s hill. We need to see in our mind’s eye His bruised and bloodied body – bruised and broken in OUR place, as OUR substitute. As the prophet promised some 700 years before Jesus was born: (Isaiah 53:5) “But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.”
We need to see ourselves cradling his lifeless head as we kneel with Mother Mary, the apostle John, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, and the others. There, in our lap, we must see our dead Lord because He IS -- HE IS – our salvation.
Jesus’ first Advent brought humanity of the past AND of the present the means of salvation, the means of receiving the eternal remission of sins, the means of being completely, conclusively, and irrefutably cleansed of even the stain of those sins we’ve brought to Him in confession.
As St Paul reminded the Christians at Galatia: “It was for FREEDOM that Christ set us free.” (Galatians 5:1). And that freedom includes freedom from guilt and from fear of God's wrath against the penitent sinner.
Simeon said, “My eyes” have seen His salvation. So, my brothers and sisters: Have YOUR eyes seen your salvation? Listen to it again: The first Advent is God's message to YOU and me: He LOVES you. And He has totally, utterly and forever CLEANSED you of your confessed sins.
Now – live for Him who died for you.