See, What a Morning!

See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
As the angels announce, “Christ is risen!”
See God’s salvation plan,
Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
Fulfilled in Christ, the Man,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

See Mary weeping, “Where is He laid?”
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
It’s the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
Will sound till He appears,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.
Honor and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with pow’r and authority!
And we are raised with Him,
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered;
And we shall reign with Him,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

This Resurrection Sunday hymn is a contemporary hymn written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend.  It is a song of hope, a song of proclamation, a song of triumph.  We have journeyed this Passion week through a variety of emotions and feelings.  We have beheld the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  We were reminded of the time when Peter was ashamed of Jesus, and at least for me, I was reminded of when I have been ashamed of Jesus in my own life.  We remembered His great love along with His eyes, His voice, and His heart.  Friday we remembered the Cross.  The Cross of punishment, yet the Cross that freed us from sin.  It has been a somber, sobering week of reflection.  Today, we celebrate the hope we have in the resurrection of Jesus.  I Peter 1:3 says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  I pray today that you have a “lively” hope.  Christ is Risen!!  He is risen indeed!

There are three phrases in verse one that I want to comment on:

• “Wrought in love” – The Bible says that God “so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son.”  It was not out of pity.  It was not out of “arm-twisting” obligation.  It was not out of regret – “oops, what a mistake I made.”  God’s plan of salvation was wrought in love.  Ephesians 2:4-5 says “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ…”  The plan of God from the foundation of the world was to send His son in love that He would redeem us from our sins.  For God is love.

• “Borne in pain” – We never need to forget that Jesus is both fully God, and fully man.  He was borne in pain.  He was born of women.  He was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.  He experienced pain…yes, great pain, while He walked this earth.  Physical pain.  The pain of scouring, flogging, and crucifixion.  Emotional pain.  Jesus wept.  His ministry with all it’s accomplishments was also impacted by the pain of being fully human.  Phillipians 2:8 says “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

• “Paid in sacrifice” – And yes, isn’t that what the Cross represents?  A payment made in sacrifice for sins.  We were not redeemed by a payment of money or good works.  We were not redeemed with an edict from on high.  We were redeemed by the blood of the lamb paid in sacrifice.  I Peter 1:18-19 says “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”  The price has been paid for our redemption and that price was paid in sacrifice.

“First come, first serve” is a phrase I am sure you have experienced in your own life.  It is the reward of the “early riser.”  The one who has a plan.  The one who puts their mind to something, plans accordingly, and becomes the first to partake of whatever is being served.  These folks will do what is necessary to be first. 

2,000 years ago, the two Mary’s were the first to get to the tomb.  Being the early risers, they got to see some amazing things.  They saw the stone had been rolled away. They saw and heard from an angel. They saw Jesus first.  Wow, what a privilege they had for being the first to the tomb that morning!!  Even Peter got to see the empty tomb, and the linen clothes that were there.  He was one of the “firsts” as well.

But I am thankful today that that Gospel is not just for the early risers.  Not just a “first come, first serve” message.  Not just for those who were hired in the morning.  But the Gospel message is for those that are hired at the 3rd hour, the 6th hour, the 9th hour and even the 11th hour.  I am thankful that we serve a God who saves people at age 5, 10, 15 as well as at age 75, 80, and 90 years old.  The hour is drawing near that Jesus will return.  Will you be one that is jealous because God is generous, and complain about those who have not lived a righteous life but have come to repentance later in life?  Or will you be the one celebrating that one more soul has found salvation?  That the Good Shepherd has found another lost sheep. 

I pray today that as you see someone at church that might be a “late comer,” that you greet them with compassion and love.  That you have a heart of compassion for them that God is still working on their heart.   That you will celebrate this Resurrection Sunday that God is still saving those that might not have showed up “on time.”