In Revelation (the last book of the New Testament), Jesus is a prize-fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make someone bleed. That is the guy I can worship. I cannot worship the hippie, diaper, halo Christ because I cannot worship a guy I can beat up.
Shea remarked: "I’m sure the guards in charge of the scourging at the pillar felt the same way. Surely, the measure of our worship is 'Can I beat up Jesus?'"
His comment prompted me to recall this ancient Eastern icon:
Its name? Christ the Bridegroom.
Think about that for a minute, especially in light of the Events we will commemorate a few days from now.
I, like most men on their wedding day, went to great lengths to look my best.
And yet, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ — the Bridegroom of bridegrooms — is here shown with His hands bound, stripped half naked, having just been mercilessly scourged and crowned with thorns, and as a result so weak that He can't even hold His head up straight.
Yes, Christ the Bridegroom, for He was preparing to perform the ultimate act of self-sacrificial love for His Bride the Church just a few hours later, the completion of which He would signal by crying out from the gibbet of the Cross words we rightly associate with marriage:
"It is consummated."
Related
I've previously recommended my co-worker Matt Yonke's post on Mark Driscoll's brand of "high octane Calvinism", and I do so again now.
Read thou it here.
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