Week 26—Friday Acts 4:8-10
Week 26—FRIDAY
“SOMEONE HAD TO SUFFER TO REDEEM ME”
We saw yesterday that the Word became Continuous. The Incarnation became reincarnation in Jesus’ followers. They never became Christs. There would be only one Christ, but they partook of his life, carried on his work, and were filled with his Spirit. He was not merely with them as a recollection—he was in them as a realization. The bridge was made between the Word become flesh and the Word become flesh in other flesh.
We came to the next step: The Word became Sacrifice—“after his death” (Acts 1:3, NEB). It was not enough that the Word become flesh, that the Word became guidance, became continuous—the Word had to redeem us. And there was no way for the Word to redeem us except to die for us. For when that Love came in contact with our sin, it crimsoned into sacrifice. For whenever love meets sin in the loved one—it bleeds. A young woman was an alcoholic. Her father, a doctor, began a fast unto death. I saw her after this had happened. She was changed. Alcohol was gone. I asked her how it happened! “Someone had to suffer to redeem me!” she replied.
We spoke of something unique in Holland: The chimes of a church were in a cross! The chimes of redemption’s song can only come from a cross. Apart from a cross, there is no song—no redemption song. The heart refuses to sing unless it can sing the song of redemption, of forgiveness, of reconciliation. I once had a canary that would not sing until it had its bath. Then it would sing deliriously. My soul is like that—it refuses to sing unless it is washed from guilt, conflict. And yours too! The “Song of Moses” is good—the song of deliverance from outer bondage; but the “Song of the Lamb” is better, for it sings of deliverance from inner bondage and outer habit. It sings of total freedom—it sings of freedom.
O Lord Jesus, Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, redeem our surrendered souls from every chain and every strand of bondage. We bring nothing in our hands to buy it. Simply to your cross we cling—we receive it by grace. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: If I am redeemed by blood, then this redemption must get into my blood.