Verses for Vessels

Easter Lights... 6

"We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all." - Isaiah 53:6

Hi there... 

If you have followed our posts in the past six days, you may have noticed that we have been reflecting on Isaiah 53. These verses of scripture provide a prophetic picture of Christ's suffering and eventual death at the Cross of Calvary. I must apologise for skipping a day (yesterday), but we will not skip any verses. So please come with me as we take our thoughts farther along the verses, on our way to the coming glorious celebration of Easter.

None exempted

When I was in secondary school, we had school prefects who were appointed by the school authorities to maintain order and assist with organising the student-life we all enjoyed. It was a boarding school. In case of misbehaviour by any student, the prefects had authority to assign punishments like 'detentions' served in the fields by cutting the long grasses. As much as possible many students did their best to be on their best behaviour most of the time. However now and again, there was that one person, or a group of people in a class, who may carry out some mischief without being expressly caught out. In such scenarios, when a prefect cannot identify the person or persons, he or she could carry out a blanket punishment on the class, unless of course someone in that class could volunteer the identity of the culprits. Other wise one (or a few) lad's misbehaviour could detain all the class members at the fields of manual labour. Well such is the collective nature of Adam's error. He sinned, but we are all in his class as it were. The fear of death and judgement, plus the fact that we are flesh and descendants of Adam, makes us unqualified to excuse ourselves from his error, or to boldly point the finger at him alone. We were in his loins. We acquired his nature 1. All we like sheep have gone astray. None can be exempted.

The herd

I have often marvelled at the group behaviour of sheep. They move together, graze together, rest together, and can stray together. This is why they and all livestock with similar behaviours can be referred to as a 'herd'. Like sheep, we as humans have herded off away from God's good commands and holy expectations of us. If we stay with the sheep for a bit... The herd mentality is easily observed in today's world. From the social media e-gang mobs who flock together to attack or vilify anyone who strays from their present collective norm (which changes like the flow of a river from time to time); to the religious cliques who won't give the new guys a chance to belong, the nature of many is to herd along with the many, flowing along the path of least resistance; of collective affection. All we like sheep... think it's ok to democratise theology. All we like sheep want a vote on God's ordained principles of creation and human relationships. All we like sheep would rather agree with the trend in our generation even if it is an error, than stand up for what is truly righteous in his sight. All we... like sheep. Many take up behaviours without really asking- 'why do we do what we do?'. Ever asked a teenager why he lives with his girlfriend? What's wrong with that? they could reply... everybody does it! Ask the couple with three kids how long they have been married? They could reply with incredulity, as they never intend to marry. 'It's more convenient this way'... they may reply. All we like sheep have gone astray. But, in the beginning it was not so 2. We have broadly deviated from God's order.

Each for his own...

But, more than the collective is the subjective; the individual. We have each turned to his own way. Many are glad to hide under the cover of the collective. They would be happy to blame the rush or the mood of the era for their actions. When they set upon an innocent immigrant on the streets, they do it because they were more in number and they all thought it was ok. But the verse indicates that while the mindset may be collective, our actions are private and personal. Each has turned his own way. Each man that acts based on a collective mindset would be judged as taking his own action. The judge will pass down sentences, not on groups who have no covenant with each other, but on the individual participants in any crime, even if it was initiated or inspired by the herd. This is why many in Hitler's Germany could never excuse themselves. Their actions, under whatever constraints or difficulty or force of authority, was theirs and theirs alone. We have turned each to his own way. That should serve as a serious caution for anyone of us who is willing to hide behind the trend of the times, or claims of progressiveness, in defiance of God's laws. In the end, God sees each man for his own way.

On him was laid

Nevertheless, in the suffering Prince we find a refuge. Our sins, both as a collective, and as individuals, have been laid on Jesus. The innocent and the not so innocent. The instigators, and the conscripted. The ignorant and the wilful deviants... The iniquities of ALL OF US have been laid on him at the Cross. Suddenly it dawns on you, that you would have to give account for yourself... yes. Everyone of us will appear before the judgement seat of Christ 3. When we appear, it would be as individual souls; not as members of a political party. We will not appear as progressives or conservatives. We will not appear as whites or blacks. We will not appear as Catholics or protestants, Christians or muslims; believers or atheists; the 1% or the suppressed multitude; the 'do-gooders' or the 'indifferents'; No... We will only appear as individual souls, to give account of our lives lived in this temporal realm. We will appear before God as subjects of the eternal Judge, Jesus Christ; as deserving of mercy forever, or judgement... forever. Those who have trusted him on whom was laid all their sins and transgressions, will walk into an eternal liberty of life and joy with God. Those who ignore, dismiss, or refuse his blood-soaked sacrifice for their sins, will remain under the crushing weight of God's justice and eternal condemnation. On him was laid...

Enlisted?

Today, and right now, is when you can decide how that story should end for you. Adam's sin ushered in a collective mindset of error. Our own individual actions in ignorance or direct disobedience to God's commands also expose our choices in error. But the Lord has laid ALL our sins (private and communal) upon him. If God has judged him for all our sins, then we are free from God's eternal judgement and can receive his eternal life and peace... when we believe. Why would you wait? Why wait till judgement day to check if you made the list- the names in the book of life? 4 God wants to enlist you for life and joy forever. This is no fairy tale. He has died for our sins; by faith in him and because of him, we are no longer condemned. As surely as the sun does rise and the earth revolves, God will judge the world on a day he has appointed to come 5. But, for all those who believe and embrace the suffering Prince, Jesus Christ, we neither have to serve a collective punishment for Adam's sin, nor private punishment for our individual actions. This is the gospel 6. This is the good news of Jesus Christ. This is Truth. Have you heard it?... Do you hear him call... today?

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I hear you today, calling me out of the shadows. I have hidden under various covers- religion, race, sexual orientation, philosophy, background, politics, even history; but you alone know my true story. Today I surrender, and I come running to your throne of mercy. Have mercy on me. I receive your forgiveness for all my sins. Write my name in the Lamb's book of life and fill me with your joy and peace forever. In Jesus name, amen.

References:

1.) Romans 3:23   .2). Matthew 19:4-6.  .3). 2 Corinthians 5:10.  .4). Revelations 13:8.  .5). Hebrew 9:27.   .6) John 3:16