Jeremiah 22-23
Titus 1
“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:8
In 1954, Guido Galletti created a statue of Jesus with His arms outstretched. Unlike the statue of “Christ the Redeemer” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where it stands 98 feet tall, triumphantly over the city, this statue conveys the risen, exalted Christ. Galletti’s statue, however, is placed under the waves of the Mediterranean. His statue serves as a reminder that while we serve a risen and exalted Saviour, we also serve One who lowered Himself into the depths. Galletti called his statue, “Christ of the Abyss.”
If we feel like we are in the abyss, like we are buried under an ocean of shame, humiliation, guilt or wrestling with our own sins, may we be reminded today that Jesus is the risen Saviour and He is the Christ who lowered Himself to the very depths to serve humanity’s deepest needs. Christ embraced an emptying of Himself for humanity; He took the nature of a servant and died on the cross for us. Our hostility, our sin, was what put Him there. Jesus died the death that we all deserve.
Galletti’s statue “Christ in the Abyss” tells us that there is no sin too deep, no shame too great and no despair too big; in fact, there is nothing we have done that is too evil for the blood of Christ not to atone for. Nobody can lower themselves lower than Christ lowered Himself. Nobody can humble themselves more than Christ humbled Himself. And nobody can be exalted to a higher state than Christ has been exalted to.
When we face our Creator one day, we will see Him in the weightiness of His glory and will not be able to help but bow down low. Paul writes, “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). One day, every knee will bow to Jesus, whether it wants to or not. For now, may we know that the God crowned with glory and honour lowered Himself to serve us. He knows what is going on in our life, every detail of our life and even every single hair on our head.
How will we choose to respond to what Jesus Christ did for us? Will we choose to wallow in the depths or will we choose to worship and exalt our Saviour?
Lord Jesus, You, who went to the depths, are exalted above all. Thank You for taking my sin to the cross and dying the death I deserved so that I can have eternity with You.
Titus 1
“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:8
In 1954, Guido Galletti created a statue of Jesus with His arms outstretched. Unlike the statue of “Christ the Redeemer” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where it stands 98 feet tall, triumphantly over the city, this statue conveys the risen, exalted Christ. Galletti’s statue, however, is placed under the waves of the Mediterranean. His statue serves as a reminder that while we serve a risen and exalted Saviour, we also serve One who lowered Himself into the depths. Galletti called his statue, “Christ of the Abyss.”
If we feel like we are in the abyss, like we are buried under an ocean of shame, humiliation, guilt or wrestling with our own sins, may we be reminded today that Jesus is the risen Saviour and He is the Christ who lowered Himself to the very depths to serve humanity’s deepest needs. Christ embraced an emptying of Himself for humanity; He took the nature of a servant and died on the cross for us. Our hostility, our sin, was what put Him there. Jesus died the death that we all deserve.
Galletti’s statue “Christ in the Abyss” tells us that there is no sin too deep, no shame too great and no despair too big; in fact, there is nothing we have done that is too evil for the blood of Christ not to atone for. Nobody can lower themselves lower than Christ lowered Himself. Nobody can humble themselves more than Christ humbled Himself. And nobody can be exalted to a higher state than Christ has been exalted to.
When we face our Creator one day, we will see Him in the weightiness of His glory and will not be able to help but bow down low. Paul writes, “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). One day, every knee will bow to Jesus, whether it wants to or not. For now, may we know that the God crowned with glory and honour lowered Himself to serve us. He knows what is going on in our life, every detail of our life and even every single hair on our head.
How will we choose to respond to what Jesus Christ did for us? Will we choose to wallow in the depths or will we choose to worship and exalt our Saviour?
Lord Jesus, You, who went to the depths, are exalted above all. Thank You for taking my sin to the cross and dying the death I deserved so that I can have eternity with You.
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