Reach

Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”

Upon Isaac’s confusion as he is unknowingly being led to be sacrificed, his father, Abraham, faithfully reminds him that Yahweh will provide the sacrificial lamb himself. Nearly 2000 years ago, as he cried, “Father, forgive them…” Yahweh provided the lamb, himself. Yet, here we stand today, and one cannot help but wonder at times, do these words still reach us today? With such evil clearly visible in the world today, greed, hatred, vengeance, terror, war, does the death and resurrection of this one man have the ultimate victory?

Surely, just as these words reached back to cover the sin of James and John as they argued in greed and pride over who would be the greatest and as they forgave Judas of his betrayal and Peter of his recent denials…

Certainly, just as his words immediately reached the crowd as they mocked him in hatred and revenge, as the soldiers pounded in the nails from above like bombs dropped in shock and awe upon innocent lives and thrust the spear into his side like a plane forcefully thrust into the side of a building…

Undoubtedly, the words of Christ, “Father, forgive them,” still reach us today for the sacrificial lamb is not still dead but has risen and lives. Let us remain assured in faith, steadfast in hope, and increasing in love as we stand covered by the blood of the one who was, is, and is to come.

Grace to you,
Matt

*I owe much credit to N.T. Wright for terminology and influence of ideas presented in this post.