Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

April 5
Palm Sunday


THE MEASURE
OF MERCY

READ:
Philippians 2:5-11
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You were not redeemed
with corruptible things,
... but with the
precious blood of
Christ.
___1 Peter 1:18-19
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What is the distance from God's throne of splendor down to the abyss of Calvary's cross? What is the measure of the Savior's love for us? In Paul's letter to the Philippians, he described Jesus' descent from the heights of glory to the depths of shame and agony and back again (2:5-11).

Christ is the eternal Creator and Lord of all existence, exalted infinitely above earth's foulness and decay. He is the source of life, with myriads of angels to sing His praises and do His bidding. Yet, motivated by love for our lost human race, "He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (v.8). He came to our puny planet, was born in a cave-like barn with its smells and filth, and was placed as a helpless baby in a feeding trough.

When He grew to manhood, He endured homelessness (Matt. 8:20). Thirsty, He asked an adulteress for water (John 4:7-9). Weary, He fell asleep in a boat on a storm-tossed sea (Mark 4:37-38). Sinless, He was adored by the multitudes one day (Matt. 21:9), and then condemned as a criminal and died on a Roman cross in excruciating pain.

That's the distance from God's throne down to Calvary! That's the measure of His mercy and grace! __Vernon Grounds
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God broke into human history
to offer us the eternal gift of salvation

*************Today's Bible Reading __ Philippians 2:5-11***********

5 Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ
Jesus, 6 who, being in the
form of God, did not
consider it robbery to be
equall with God, 7 but made
Himself of no reputation,
taking the form of a
bondservant, and coming in
the likeness of men. 8 and
being found in appearance
as a man, He humbled
Himself and became
obedient to the point of
death, even the death of the
cross. 9 Therefore God also
has highly exalted Him and
given Him the name which
is above every name, 10 that
at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of those
in heaven, and of those on
earth, and of those under
the earth, 11 and that every
tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

William Barclay wrote of this profound text: "It is always to be
remembered that when Paul thought and spoke about Jesus, his
interest and his intention were never primarily intellectual and
speculative; they were always practical. To him theology and action
were always bound together.... In many ways this passage is one
of the greatest reaches of theological thought in the New Testament,
but its aim was to persuade the Philippians to live a life in which
disunity, discord, and personal ambition had no place.... [Christ]
humbled Himself and became obedient.... If humility, obedience,
and self-renunciation were the supreme characteristics of the life of
Jesus, they must also be the hallmarks of the Christian. Selfishness,
self-seeking, and self-display destroy our likeness to Christ and our
fellowship with each other." __Bill Crowder