Lesson for the Lord’s Day
And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power. Ephesians 1:19
Although our text today speaks of power, those who gathered in mockery and ridicule around the cross of Golgotha thought they were seeing a defeated, helpless man. They had heard of His miracles and mighty works, but were now seeing Him bound and suffering on a cross. They had heard of the great crowds that had thronged to hear Him and to witness His works, and now even His closest followers had forsaken Him. They had heard of His great messages to the people and of His skill in confounding those who would debate with Him, but now they saw One hanging in silence, except for a prayer of forgiveness for His tormentors. They even threw Him a challenge that, if He were the Christ, He should come down from the cross, a challenge to which He did not respond. They did not see the greatness of His power at Calvary.
Yet it is to Calvary we turn to see the greatness of His power. We remember His mighty works of creation and the miracles that He performed. But these all fade from view when the work of the cross becomes manifest. What power do we see there?
We see a power that we could never have. Sin had bound us all our lives and we were helpless and powerless in its grasp, but the Lord Jesus was never bound by sin or limited by its influence. We were incapable of saving ourselves from our wretched condition and from the doom of perdition that awaited us. But Christ, who willingly submitted Himself to punishment and death, was capable of delivering us from our damnation, taking our judgment upon Himself.
We see at the cross His mighty power. We see a victory that transcends all of the victories in all the battles among earth’s armies. Wars that were intended to end all wars failed miserably, but the battle upon Golgotha achieved an eternal peace between us and God.
His mighty power draws us today to Himself, to praise and worship Him. -Jim MacIntosh