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Friday, April 2, 2010

DAYS OF PRAISE- On a Hill Far Away

Days of Praise
On a Hill Far Away
April 1, 2010
"And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called
the
place of
a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha."
The Hebrew word golgotha and the Latin word calvarie
actually mean "skull." The Romans had selected a place
of execution outside Jerusalem
(Hebrews 13:12) but near the city (John 19:20), near a
public highway(Matthew 27:39), and easily visible
from some distance away (Mark 15:40). This has led
many to speculate that it was on a hill, as in
the first verse of the well-loved hymn
"The Old Rugged
Cross."
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Truly His cross involved great suffering: "Christ also
suffered for us. . . .
Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed"
(1 Peter 2:21, 24). Likewise, it involved great shame:
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is
every one that hangeth on a tree"
(Galatians 3:13). But this suffering and shame was
not in vain, for as we see in both passages above, it
was on our behalf. "Greater love hathno man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
However, God's dearest and best, indeed God's "
only begotten Son"(John 3:16), was slain, not so much
for "friends," but for enemies!
A world of lost sinners put Him on the cross. "But
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us . . . when we
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by
the death of his Son" (Romans 5:8, 10).
So I'll cherish the old rugged
cross. JDM
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