What A Saviour!

Man of Sorrows

By: Phillip Bliss

"Man of sorrows," what a name!

For the Son of God who came.

Ruined sinners to reclaim,

Hallelujah! What a Saviour! 

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood;

Sealed my pardon with His blood;

Hallelujah! What a Saviour! 

Guilty, vile, and helpless, we,

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

Full atonement! can it be? 

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Lifted up was He to die,

"It is finished!" was His cry;

Now in heaven exalted high;

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

When He comes, our glorious King,

All his ransomed home to bring.

Then anew this song we'll sing:

Hallelujah! What a Saviour! 

What a Saviour! I think this phrase, this song, accurately describes my feelings today. Today is Thursday, February 14th, also recognized as Valentine's Day. When one hears the words 'valentine's day', they may think of love and gifts. I'm sure there are proposals and maybe even weddings happening today. And as much as I love weddings and enjoy hearing other people's love stories, there is one love story that surpasses all others, and it is my favorite. It is the story of God loving me way before I even loved him. It is the story of my Jesus loving me so immensely that he became sin for me, so that I could have his righteousness. It is the story of me accepting his salvation and love, which enables me to have a sweet fellowship. Friend, if you are redeemed by the precious Lamb, this is your beautiful love story too. When I think of standing before the throne of God with Jesus' cloak of righteousness about me and all my sin covered by the blood of the perfect Lamb, and Jesus advocating on my behalf, it makes me stop. And awe. And declare "what a Saviour!"

 Below is Isaiah 55:3-12. Read it slowly; let the words sink into your heart as you meditate on our marvellous God.

 "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

It could have only been Jesus who died in our place because he was sinless and perfect. The requirement for a sacrifice was that it had to be spotless, without blemish, perfect. If another person died for us, a sacrifice would still have to made for him, and it would be made by another sinner. (For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. -2 Corinthians 5:21)  Jesus was the final sacrifice.
It could have only been Jesus who died in our place for he was fully human, and only a man can give up his life for a fellow man. 
It could have only been Jesus who died in our place because even though he was fully human, he was fully God. And we know that "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

 Here's a short paragraph written by Ruth Harms Calkin.

 "Dear God,
I have sinned against heaven and against you. 
I am no longer worthy to be called your child. 
Child, I know...I know...
But my Son is forever worthy to be called your Saviour."

Valentine's day will end and come again next year. But aren't you glad Jesus doesn't just dispense his love once a year?! Even when we mess up, God is still there, wooing, loving us to himself. His love is so amazing and pure and deep, it should cause us all to fall to our knees and declare, as the hymn writer did, WHAT A SAVIOUR!

On this valentine's day, friend, may you fall more deeply in love with the one who gave his all for you. ❤


love,
  Ashley  


In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 
~1 John 4:9-10