It seems to me that we sometimes short-change the cross as we hurry through our lives, too busy doing to take time to consider the gift of our own salvation.
Martin Luther’s theology never left sight of the cross. He explained it as a mystery and as a scandal.
The mystery is that the Creator gave Himself over to Creation that He might become the propitiation for the very sins from which Creation could not save itself.
The scandal is that the vert best that Creation could do was kill the Creator, the Creator that it didn’t even recognize.
In Time, Christ was tried, beaten, crucified, and buried. I don’t know what that looked like to an all-powerful unchanging God in Eternity.
But, when thy converged—Creation and the Creator in Time and Eternity—God the Son emerged victorious over sin, death, and Hell to the everlasting glory of the Father, and offered eternal salvation to the very Creation that crucified Him.
Maybe we like Luther should spend a little more time humbled at the foot of the cross, as we realize that we are part of the Creation who crucified our very own Savior, even as we are the benefactors of that salvation.
From my friends Larry and Linda Sparks: Here are the words to and a link to: “We Have Seen His Glory,” by The Acappela Company: https://youtu.be/9qeKNdAdGhc
He fed the thousands who did not have bread (Luke 9:10-17)
I saw him bringing people back from the dead (Luke 8:49-56)
He drove out demons from the demon-bound (Luke 8:26-39)
And taught us how to walk on holy ground
He made the leper’s skin like new (Luke 17:11-19)
The storm dissipated when he told it to (Luke 8:22-25)
Took jars of water turned it into wine (John 2:1-11)
The Savior even healed this heart of mine
We have seen His glory
We have seen His glory
We have seen His glory
The one and only son
I was there the day when the dove came down (Matthew 3:16-17)
Saw soldiers with thorns to make His crown (Matthew 27:28-29)
Felt the whole earth quake, darkness on the land (Matthew 27:51-55)
After he was dead, he came to life again (Matthew 28:2-10)
I was there when he said that he couldn’t stay
Was on the Mount of Olives watching Him fly away (Luke 24:44-53)
In the upper room with power, the Spirit came
To give us guidance as we declare His name
We have seen His glory
We have seen His glory
We have seen His glory
The one and only son
I see how he works in our lives today
Through the things not explained any other way
I have known his guidance and I understand
The contentment shown by His loving hand
I can see Him working in His family
Who are clearly following their destiny
I can feel his power in their unending love
An awesome power coming from above above
We have seen His glory
We have seen His glory
We have seen His glory
The one and only son
We have seen the glory of the Son
And, from Allen Webber, “The Mystery of Divine Humiliation” by John Stainer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSZ8O3TOcxw