The Special of the Day... From the Orange Moon Cafe...
The prayers of the Lord Jesus Christ provide a rich treasury of truth concerning His relationship with God the Father, as well as His great love for us. John 17, for example, reports our Lord's intercession for the glory of His Father and our redemption, prayed just before He embraced the cross for our sake. Other passages chronicle His offerings of thanksgiving, requests for healing, and further expression of desire that the Father should be glorified (John 6:11; Mark 7:34; John 12:28).
A prayer unprayed, however, also provides wondrous illumination, along with our very hope for salvation.
"Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took Him. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" (Matthew 26:51-54).
"Thus it must be." And thus, our Lord did not pray for the intercession of angelic hosts on His behalf. He lived His entire life in such devotion to God and man. In this hour, however, He would suffer and die in devotion to God and man. Just as the Lord Jesus' life of prayer expressed the wonder of His love, so does a prayer unprayed fill our hearts with wonder. The hymnwriter beautifully directs our gaze to the glory of our Savior's sacrifice.
The Lord Jesus determined that His Father's will and our needs were of greater value than His avoidance of untold suffering. Eternity will not be long enough to adequately praise Him for the prayer He could have prayed, but didn't. This moment provides opportunity for such an offering of our hearts to the Heart that "died alone for you and me." I conclude in order to allow that opportunity, for you and me...
"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped Him that liveth for ever and ever."
(Revelation 5:11-14)
"A Prayer, Unprayed"
The prayers of the Lord Jesus Christ provide a rich treasury of truth concerning His relationship with God the Father, as well as His great love for us. John 17, for example, reports our Lord's intercession for the glory of His Father and our redemption, prayed just before He embraced the cross for our sake. Other passages chronicle His offerings of thanksgiving, requests for healing, and further expression of desire that the Father should be glorified (John 6:11; Mark 7:34; John 12:28).
A prayer unprayed, however, also provides wondrous illumination, along with our very hope for salvation.
"Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took Him. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" (Matthew 26:51-54).
"Thus it must be." And thus, our Lord did not pray for the intercession of angelic hosts on His behalf. He lived His entire life in such devotion to God and man. In this hour, however, He would suffer and die in devotion to God and man. Just as the Lord Jesus' life of prayer expressed the wonder of His love, so does a prayer unprayed fill our hearts with wonder. The hymnwriter beautifully directs our gaze to the glory of our Savior's sacrifice.
"He could have called ten thousand angels,
to destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
but He died alone for you and me."
(Ray Overholt, © 1959 by Lillenas Oybkushing Co)
to destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
but He died alone for you and me."
(Ray Overholt, © 1959 by Lillenas Oybkushing Co)
The Lord Jesus determined that His Father's will and our needs were of greater value than His avoidance of untold suffering. Eternity will not be long enough to adequately praise Him for the prayer He could have prayed, but didn't. This moment provides opportunity for such an offering of our hearts to the Heart that "died alone for you and me." I conclude in order to allow that opportunity, for you and me...
"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped Him that liveth for ever and ever."
(Revelation 5:11-14)
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