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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
FROM WORST TO FIRST - AND THEN SOME
“You denied Him. God glorified Him. You killed Him. God raised Him from the dead.” These words summarize Peter’s opening words to the bewildered crowd gathered on Solomon’s Porch immediately after the healing of the lame man in Acts 3. These two sets of contrasting statements represent the greatest miscarriage of justice that has ever occurred in human history. But, they also tell of the greatest remedy for human injustice. Consider the role of the Prince of Life in this remedy.
His first role was the role of the victim. When the ugly scenes that preceded His death are examined, one cannot imagine more calloused or biased events occurring, and these ostensibly in the halls of justice. Because of conscience, a paid informant returned the money that procured his services. Hastily suborned witnesses could not agree on the substance of their accusations. Legal proceedings that, by law, had to occur in public during daylight hours were executed at night in the private residences of at least two government officers. The highest court repeatedly affirmed that they found no fault in Him. The character of His accusers was obvious from the fact that they were willing to barter for His death for the freedom of a convicted murderer! Yet, they denied Him! Yet, they killed Him!
His second role was part and parcel with the first; it was the vicarious role of redeemer. In it, the Prince of Life received punishment for the sins that I deserved. God, the Father, affirmed to the universe that such injustices shall not remain without remedy. Yet, without His suffering, I could not pay the penalty! I could bear the penalty but I could not pay the fine! Had I suffered for my own sins, my suffering would not have ended; it would have been eternal. I had no deposits in Heaven’s bank of Righteousness; I was overdrawn at the time and could not begin to repay the deficit. On the other hand, My Redeemer had accounts that could never be depleted. His storehouse of righteous wealth was more than He and all the universe could ever need. Yet, I had no claim to a cent of that wealth! Only by His grace did he consent to transfer payment to my account, and that through the cross and His vicarious suffering.
On the third day following the crucifixion, He was resurrected from the tomb to assume His third role in this real-life drama. Forty days following that, He ascended into the heavens. Upon His ascension, He was crowned King of Kings and granted His rightful position as Lord and Christ. At the right hand of God, He commenced the reign that established the everlasting Kingdom foretold by all the prophets of old. God glorified Him! God raised Him from the dead! (Acts 1-2).
Prince of Life indeed! From the lowest depths of human injustices to the Eternal pinnacle of Divine exaltation! Only God can envision and execute such affairs in human history! Bow the knee to the Prince of Life!
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