The Distance From God's Throne To Calvary
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesIn his letter to the brethren at Philippi (Philippians 1:1), the apostle Paul describes Jesus’ descent from the heights of glory to the depths of shame and agony and back again (Philippians 2:5-11).
For a few moments of time, let us think about the following thoughts regarding our Lord:
From the Scriptures, we learn that Christ is the eternal Creator and Lord of all existence (John 1:1-3; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:12-16), exalted infinitely above earth’s foulness and decay (Acts 2:32-33; Philippians 2:9; Hebrews 2:9). He is the source of life, with myriads of angels to sing His praises and do His bidding (Hebrews 1).
Yet, the Creator of the universe, was motivated by a selfless and committed love for our lost human race.
So much so, that:
“He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).
Think of the fact that our Lord willingly came to this sphere of sin, being born in a manger [scroll down to image] where food for cattle was stored — a place full of stench producing odors (Luke 2:10-12).
After He grew to manhood, He endured homelessness (Matthew 8:20). When He was thirsty, He asked an adulteress for water (John 4:7-18). When He was weary, He fell asleep in a boat on a storm-tossed sea (Mark 4:37-38).
Our sinless Lord was adored by the multitudes one day (Matthew 21:9), and then not too long after, was wrongly condemned as a criminal (Matthew 26:57-60; Mark 14:53-65), dying on a Roman cross in excruciating pain (Matthew 27:34-35; Mark 15:24-25; Luke 23:34-38; John 19:13-30) .
We ask, “What is the distance from God’s throne of splendor down to the abyss of Calvary’s cross?”
In his hymn, “At Calvary,” William R. Newell succinctly answers our question with these words:
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.”
Brethren and friends, that’s the distance from God’s throne to Calvary!