0844. The Accomplishment of Christ's Love

The Accomplishment of Christ's Love

"In all their affliction, He was afflicted and the Angel of His Presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old" (Isa_63:9).

Who can measure the benefits and the blessings which Christ, in His love, hath prepared for His own?

1. In love He redeemed us. Why Christ first loved us, we may not know. Yet He did love us and redeemed us. Perhaps Israel sets us a true type as to the reason of God's love. Of Israel we read: "For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people" (Deu_7:6-7).

What a blessed word: "Because He loved you." There you have it all "because." It is said that a woman's reason, is just "because." However that may be, it was because He loved us that He redeemed us.

"Oh the love that sought us,

Oh the love that bought us,

Oh the love that brought us to the fold,

Wondrous love that brought us to the fold."

2. In love He has carried us.

Of course these words were true first of Israel. He found him in a desert land. Deu_32:9-12 : "For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him." All of this has an application to the Church and to each of us individually, who are redeemed.

Christ the Good Shepherd died for us, but Christ the Great Shepherd our risen Lord, places us on His shoulders and carries us all the way home.

3. In love He sympathizes with us. "In all their affliction, He was afflicted." He makes our sorrows His sorrows; our pains His pains. "Surely He hath borne our sicknesses and carried our pains" (Isa_53:4, marg.).

"Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold, how He loved him" (Joh_11:35-36).

4. The things He hath prepared for His beloved.

1Co_2:9 : "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."

Who can dream out the wonderful gifts of His love? The gifts He will shower upon His beloved–the exceeding riches of His grace. The Spirit hath revealed many things that await us over there. The last two chapters of the Bible tell us much; but, not until age after age unfolds, will we begin to grasp the sweep of the riches He hath prepared.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR