Victory Through Sorrow’s Deep Sea – Easter Message From A Poem – Part 1 Series

VICTORY THROUGH SORROW’S DEEP SEA – EASTER MESSAGE FROM A POEM – PART 1

The following poem is one I did for Easter 2022 but each stanza comes from one of the following sources:-

Psalm 22

Psalm 69

Isaiah 52 and 53

The Gospel accounts of the betrayal night and the crucifixion.

This is how I did it, the method I followed for the message/sermon when it was delivered in 2022 but just briefly as one message. A stanza was read and then I spoke on the facts contained in that stanza. What I will do here is expand it and write some comments for each stanza, and thus we work through. Let us begin –

[[“Father, let this cup pass from Me;

Nevertheless Your will be done.”

His soul that night was in agony,

And human comforters were none.]]

The dread of the cross was such that the Lord prayed earnestly in the Garden of Gethsemane that a way might be found for the cup to pass. The “cup” was the cross and the deep unfathomable depths it would mean, and the Lord knew it would result in such a horrible judgement on sin, that is, on Himself. Men’s sins are so horrible that the wrath against them must also be horrible. Sin is always matched with consequence, the “few stripes and the many stripes” of Luke 12:47-59.

All through His earthly witness the Lord did the Father’s will – {{Hebrews 10:9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second.”}} “Complete surrender to the Father’s will meant total obedience, the natural comment of the Lord’s, “Not My will but Thine be done.” What an example that is. Totally surrendered to God is something very, very few of us know about.

The agony in the Garden was so great that He sweat as it were great drops of blood. The prospect of the cross was too awful to contemplate for Jesus knew the Messianic Psalms 22 and 69 about the dread that lay ahead. In all that there was not one comforter. The disciples were asleep. Only an angel from heaven strengthened Him. Luke 22:43

[[“I find this One to be innocent.”

“Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

The chief priests wanted no adjournment;

Their hatred overflowed the brim.]]

Pilate declared Christ’s innocence. Gutless Pilate had no moral conscience but pandered to his own popularity and ego. He took the easy road that slid through the slime but it was to be the slimy road to hell. At least, may God have been merciful and saved Pilate’s wife. Apocryphal records identify her as Claudia Procula.

There are many people in the trial and crucifixion who must bear considerable guilt. Apart from Judas the most culpable were the chief priests and Pharisees and Sadducees. Their guilt has gone before, and in blazoned wrath it will descend on their heads at the great white throne.

“Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” cried the people led on by their religious leaders. So many persons were swept along, deluded by evil. That criminal Pilate who hypocritically condemned criminals himself, thought he’d solve his dilemma this way – {{Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his HANDS in front of the multitude saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood. See to that yourselves.”}} Not all the perfumes of Arabia could ever cleanse those guilty hands.

[[Gutless Pilate with a conscience foul,

Sent the Son of God to the cross.

He called for water and a towel”

“You are not Caesar’s friend. Count the loss!”]]

The callousness of the human heart knows how to tweak a manipulated person. The Jews were great manipulators, probably helped along by their rulers and this now is what they used as deadly arrows aimed at Pilate’s mind – {{John 19:12 As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “IF YOU RELEASE THIS MAN, you are no friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”}} Being a friend of Caesar, in this life, had greater usefulness for this corrupt leader of men.

What sort of conscience did Pilate have? Certainly it was not unlike this one that is described – {{1Timothy 4:2 “by means of the HYPOCRISY of liars SEARED in their own CONSCIENCE as with a branding iron,”}}

Water and a towel may have washed clean, grubby hands, but they can not in any way cleanse the guilty, grubby soul. As one glorious hymn says, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”