Calvary's stupendous scene!
Back to Family Prayers
(by Henry Law)
"It is finished!" John 19:30
Holy Father,
The heavens, the earth, and all that are therein, proclaim Your wondrous goodness. But Your love shines forth in surpassing luster—at Calvary's stupendous scene! At the cross we see Your heavenly grace removing the tremendous load of our iniquities from us—and heaping them all on Your beloved Son! We see Him standing as a transgressor in our place. We see Him, who knew no sin—made sin for us. We see Him, the all-holy One—accounted as a curse! We see Your justice leading the spotless Lamb to the slaughter—and rigorously demanding the full payment for all our sin-debt!
The avenging sword entered into His very heart!
The stream of sin-atoning blood flows!
Full recompense was meted out!
Divine Justice can ask no more.
Charges against us are all obliterated.
The debt-book is cancelled. If our sins are searched for, they cannot now be found!
The spotless Lamb was devoted to all anguish—that we may be inheritors of all joy.
He was cast off from You—that we may be brought near to You.
He was treated as Your enemy—that we may be welcomed as Your friends.
He was deserted by You—that we may be received to Your everlasting favor.
He was surrendered to hell's worst—that we may attain heaven's best.
He was stripped—that we may be clothed.
He was wounded—that we may be healed.
He thirsted—that we may drink of the water of life.
He was in darkness—that we may rejoice in the glories of eternal day.
He wept—that all tears may be forever wiped from our eyes.
He groaned—that we may sing an endless song.
He endured all pain—that we may rejoice in unfading health.
He wore a crown of thorns—that we may receive a crown of glory.
He bowed His head in death—that we may lift up our head in heaven.
He bore earth's reproach—that we may receive heaven's welcome.
He was tormented—that we may be comforted.
He was made all shame—that we may inherit all glory.
His eyes were dark in death—that our eyes may gaze on unclouded brightness.
He died and rose—that we may escape the second death, and live forevermore.
O gracious Father, thus You spared not Your only begotten Son—that You may spare us! All our sins are cast behind Your back—all are buried in the ocean of reconciling blood!
We can only fall low and cry, "We adore You for the gift of Your Son as our substitute; for the death of Your Son as our ransom!"
Blessed Jesus, we have been standing beneath Your cross. The sight constrains us to the deepest humility. Our vile iniquity—is the cause of Your shame! We cannot fathom the sins which plunged You into such depths of unutterable woe! We cannot estimate the burden of wrath which thus crushed You. We cannot deny that the sins which stain us areevils of infinite malignity, since nothing but Your blood could wash away their guilty stains! As transgressors, we abhor ourselves before You.
While we humbly gaze—may we anxiously ponder, "Why, blessed Jesus—why did You thus die?" May Your precious answer sound through every part of our hearts and souls,
"I died—that you may not die.
I laid down My life—to purchase your life.
I presented Myself as a sin-offering—to expiate all your sins.
My blood thus streams—to wash out all your guilt.
The fountain is thus opened in My side—to cleanse you from all impurity. I thus endured your curse. I thus paid your debt. I thus rescued you from all condemnation. I thus satisfied divine justice for you!"
Back to Family Prayers