Let us pray.
Father God,
we don't take for granted the privilege of prayer,
the gift and blessing that you have given us of communion with you,
of coming to speak as a son to a father,
knowing as we do through the grace that you have lavished on us in salvation
and the working of the Holy Spirit,
that your heart is inclined to us,
that you delight in us,
that you care,
that we understand and are blessed and strengthened by the truth that you've given to us in your word.
And this morning I am thankful for the fact that I,
as well as your people who are here saved by your grace,
can rely upon the work of the Holy Spirit to take the sweetness of the Scriptures
and open them for us,
that we,
seeing the Lord Jesus Christ,
might grow in our love for Him.
if you do not work,
my words are fruitless,
our hearts are unchanged,
and so we plead with you
to so lift up Jesus through the enabling of the Holy Spirit
that we are changed from glory into glory.
I ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
You who have known me know that I am an individual who,
I'm hardwired with a certain level of emotional tenor.
How's that?
And it's just the way it is.
It was a long journey for me to come to the place of recognizing that that's the way God made me.
And to suppress it,
or to overplay it,
would be wrong.
And I have to tell you that I mention that because this morning's passage,
John chapter 19,
at least so far in my studies in the Gospels,
is one that has gripped my heart in a way that I have a hard time expressing adequately.
I remember when Pastor Saul preached on John 3.16.
And you may remember that he took his shoes off that day.
Do you remember that?
Well, I would think that it's appropriate for me to take my shoes off in this case,
but I won't.
But I think it's appropriate to tell you ahead of time what I believe the Holy Spirit's intention is
in our looking at this passage.
In Ephesians chapter 3, verse 14 through 19,
Paul prays for the church, and he prays this,
that we would have the Holy Spirit's enabling, the strength,
to comprehend with all the saints.
Can anybody finish it off for me?
God is supremely interested,
maybe supremely is overstatement,
but he is very interested in you being overwhelmed with the beauty of the love of Christ.
I've got to tell you,
apart from the enabling of the Holy Spirit,
I cannot preach,
and you cannot comprehend that truth.
But the passage that we are going to be looking at here in this text in John chapter 19
is one that if your heart is tuned by the Spirit of God,
cannot help but grow in your affection and your awe and your overwhelming thanksgiving,
that the Lord of glory, the creator of this universe, loves you.
It's overwhelming.
I think of 1 Peter chapter 1,
and I want you to keep your finger in John chapter 19,
but go to 1 Peter chapter 1 just for a moment.
As Peter
deals with the subject of
our affections for the Lord Jesus Christ,
verse 8,
I've got to stop and ask you the question,
is that entirely true?
Does that characterize
your thoughts
and your affections?
Though you do not now see him,
you believe in him
and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible
and filled with glory.
Peter
reflects on Jesus
and says,
wow,
my heart is so filled
with love
and thanksgiving
and affection
for Jesus
that,
as he says there at the last part,
it is with a joy that is inexpressible
inexpressible
and full of glory.
You look there in verse 12
and talking about the sufferings of Christ
that are referenced in verse 11,
it says,
it was revealed to them
that they were serving
not themselves
but you
in the things
that have now been announced
to you
through those who preach
the good news to you
by the Holy Spirit
sent from heaven
things
into which
angels
long
to look.
What you and I
have in front of us
this morning
is
spiritual reality
that is of such a nature
that angels still
ponder
with curiosity
and awe
and a lack
of full comprehension
of that which you and I
have been the recipients of
and God intends for us
to appreciate
and be affected by.
That being said,
let me have you turn to the text
in John chapter 19
and take up the passage.
Then Pilate
took Jesus
and flogged him
and the soldiers
twisted together
a crown of thorns
and put it on his head
and arrayed him
in a purple robe.
They came to him
saying,
Hail,
King of the Jews
and struck him
with their hands.
Pilate went out
and said to them,
See,
I am bringing him out
to you
that you may know
that I find no guilt
in him.
So Jesus came out
wearing the crown of thorns
and the purple robe.
Pilate said to them,
Behold the man.
When the chief priests
and officers saw him
they cried out,
Crucify him!
Pilate said to them,
Take him yourselves
and crucify him
for I find no guilt
in him.
The Jews answered,
We have a law
and according to that law
he ought to die
because he has made himself
to be the son of God.
What John records for us
here in this passage
is the scene
of the creator
of this universe,
the one who sustains
all things by his word,
our God and Savior
and the one who someday
will be the judge
of all the living
and the dead,
being grossly abused
and mistreated
by religious leaders
and by the Roman authorities
at the moment.
And John pictures for us
a Savior
who is marching stalwartly
and as it says
in the scriptures,
his face set as a flint
towards the cross
in order to be our Redeemer
and our Savior.
And as we look
at this passage,
I would plead with you
that you,
dependent upon the Holy Spirit,
might allow the reality
of what
he has chosen
to reveal to us
to so affect you
that you do not live
the way you did before
after you ponder
adequately
the truth
of what we have here.
The purpose of God
giving us his truth
is that we,
seeing it,
beholding as it says
in 2 Corinthians
in a mirror,
are changed.
And I trust
that you are changed
by your growing affection
for the Lord Jesus Christ
and an understanding
of what he did
in dying for your sins
and rising again
and being your Savior
and never stopping
in his affection for you.
Let's take up
number one,
verse one,
and look at the flogging.
The account tells us
that after the crowd
had already rejected Jesus
and had chosen Barabbas,
who was a murderer,
seditious,
and Pilate had
granted their request,
he then,
subsequent to that granting,
had Jesus flogged.
Now,
I want you to know
that there is some disagreement
as to whether or not
Jesus was scourged
once or twice.
And I can't say
that there is a passage
that completely puts the weight
on one or the other,
but I think that
my inclination
is to believe
that Jesus was actually
flogged twice.
The reason for that
is that the Romans,
being who they were,
very, very meticulous
and conscientious
about the execution of law,
had actually three different
kinds of flogging
that were administered.
I don't know
if any of you are here
to remember
when a young man
from Dayton
decided that he would,
what did he do,
throw gum
on the sidewalk
in Singapore.
You remember that?
And the poor guy
was going to be caned.
And there was just
all this,
this,
you know,
breast beating
and whining
over here in America.
The thought of a poor boy
being spanked
with a cane
four strokes
was just beyond the pale.
I mean,
people were just
going off on it
and finally I think
he got a couple
light strokes.
Caning in Singapore
is not designed
as a kind of
demonstration of affection.
It's designed
to make people
adequately afraid
that they don't want
to do whatever
they were doing
previously.
Roman flogging
far exceeded
what caning
in Singapore
ever comes close to.
There were actually
three forms
or three steps.
One was
kind of a
damaging scourging
that you would end up
carrying the marks
because the scourge
designed as it was
had little bits
of metal,
had bone,
had pieces of lead
in the straps
and when you struck
a man with that
it actually
break the flesh
and leave lasting
marks.
The individual
was stripped naked,
his hands tied
above his head
on a post
and the scourge
was applied
to all exposed parts
adequately and liberally.
There was no
number that was
attached to the scourging.
In the Jewish
system of punishment
you were not
to exceed
forty strokes.
Does anybody know
why?
There was a barrier
put lest there be
a disregard
for the man
and so generally
what happened
is in Jewish
flogging
you only had
thirty-nine strokes.
The Romans
had no such
hindrance
and they did
whatever they
wanted to.
The first level
of scourging
was for a
minor punishment.
It was something
that was
inflicted publicly
and people
who watched it
thought to themselves
whoa
I don't want
to be that guy.
A more
severe
system
of flogging
was used
specifically
for extracting
a confession
of someone
that was accused
of a crime
and
here's how
those floggings
went.
Generally
the person
was flogged
enough
to bring him
to the point
whether he
committed the crime
or not
he was willing
to say
what?
I did it
I just
stopped
the beating.
The third
form of
flogging
or scourging
was reserved
for those
who had
already been
condemned
to crucifixion
and the
crucifixion
was the
final act
the scourging
was the
kind of
the opening
act
to that
brutality
and
not atypical
of that
scourging
the
scourge
that was
used
and bits
of bone
and lead
and glass
and whatever
else
would literally
cut through
the skin
down to
the very
bones
and cause
such damage
that in
some cases
the individuals
did not
make it
to the
cross.
The reason
Jesus
had to have
his cross
carried
was not
because it
was exceptionally
heavy.
The reason
he had to
have his cross
carried
is because
the scourging
was of such
a nature
that it
caused
damage
that he
couldn't
do it.
I assure
you of
this
our
Savior
in his
resolute
march
toward
Calvary
had no
intention
of avoiding
the burden
that he
had.
It was
beyond the
ability
of human
existence
to do
it and
so someone
stepped in
to help.
It does
seem
that the
first scourging
along with
the abuse
that we
read of
in John
19
verse 1
was designed
by Pilate
to satisfy
an angry
crowd.
All right
you want
judgment
you want
something done
with this
guy that
you dislike
and so
I'll do
something that
will satisfy
your anger
and your
irritation.
I had the
privilege of
being father
to four
children.
I hate to
confess this
and I
shouldn't tell
the story
on my
children
but there
were moments
in my
children's
lives
where the
other
children
were quite
interested
in the
judgment
being
administered
to their
brother or
sister
because they
were deeply
offended by
the crime
that had
taken place.
How many
of you
understand
that?
I remember
on one
occasion
bringing in
one of the
highly indignant
but very
satisfied
members
of the
children
that I
was raising
and I
gave them
a similar
dose.
I said
you're really
happy with
the judgment
and the
punishment
that your
brother is
my brother
you know
my boys
yep
okay
you're happy
with what
they're
receiving
let me
tell you
something
your heart
ought to be
broken for
their suffering
oh no
I'm happy
I said
well then
join me
inside
Pilate
hoped
that if
he abused
Jesus
adequately
and shamed
him publicly
it would
satisfy the
crowd
and so
what you
see there
in verse
one
Pilate
took
and he
flogged
him
and the
soldiers
twisted
together
a crown
remember
the
accusation
that the
Jews
had brought
first of
all
was
this
guy
wants
to
be
king
oh yeah
well I'm
going to
cram a
crown of
thorns
down on
his head
and you
want to
be king
I gave
you a
crown
and we
throw a
robe
around him
and the
soldiers
were
abusing
and mocking
him
I want
you to
stop for
a moment
and in
the middle
of that
gross
mistreatment
by those
soldiers
and an
activity that
was designed
to satisfy
the blood
lust of
godless
wicked
people
I want
you to
imagine our
savior stooping
down to
allow sinful
men to lie
about him
and mistreat
him
that's what
he did
for you
that's what
he did
for me
and if
you ever
find yourself
in a
situation
where you
are fully
persuaded that
you are being
maligned and
mistreated and
you don't have
it coming
I want to
remind you
what Jesus
did for
you and
he did
it because
you deserved
it and
he did
it in
your place
after this
gross
mistreatment
that I
believe took
place for
no other
reason than
to satisfy
the ugly
and ill
spirited
crowd
Pilate
comes out
to the
crowd
and what
does he
say
verse 4
see I
am bringing
him out
to you
that you
may know
I find
no guilt
in him
now remember
three kinds
of scourging
one
punishment
for minor
offense
two
scourgings
that were
designed
to bring
out a
confession
hey
I've put
him through
the ringer
and this
guy's
okay
you can
see
that he
has
suffered
and there's
no indication
of his
guilt
during the
middle ages
how many of
you have
seen those
pictures of
trial by
fire
or trial
by drowning
I mean
do you ever
see those
pictures
in history
class
where a
person
would be
dunked
and if
they were
innocent
they would
come out
regardless
well I gotta
tell you
if you hold
anybody under
long enough
guess what's
gonna happen
they're gonna
be guilty
it just
happens
and here is
Pilate
bringing out
Jesus
and says
hey
it's okay
there's nothing
wrong with
this guy
and here is
Pilate
saying
he's
innocent
and then
I look at
that little
statement
there
behold the
man
in verse
5
I don't
believe there
is any
deep theological
implication to
this
it is just
Pilate saying
here's the
guy
and you
have to
understand
that the
Jews had
presented
Jesus as
this usurper
this man
who intended
to be a
rebel against
Rome and
was going to
be the king
of the Jews
and now
Pilate
brings him
out as
this
kind of
pathetic
beaten
individual
and says
there he
is
look at
him
Pilate's
efforts
to deliver
Jesus
met with
nothing
other than
increased
anger
and hatred
you look
there in
verse 6
when the
chief priests
and officers
saw him
they cried
out
crucify him
Pilate said
to them
take him
yourselves
and crucify
him
for I
find no
guilt
in him
now if
you were
to go
to the
synoptic
gospels
you would
find that
in one
of the
gospels
it refers
to the
fact that
Pilate
as he was
listening
to the
growing
agitation
and anger
of the
crowd
he was
fully
afraid
that there
was going
to be
some
kind
of
rebellion
or
some
kind
of
violence
break
out
if you
were a
student
of history
you would
know that
Pilate
had already
gotten himself
in trouble
for over
reacting
to
Jewish
attitudes
and punishing
them severely
and killing
a number
of them
in fact
the
Caesar
had then
demoted
Pilate
for a
period of
time
and so
here he
is
he's in
a touchy
situation
he doesn't
want to
deal with
the crowd
and create
any further
difficulty
with Caesar
and so
he hears
them crying
crucify
and here
he says
take him
and crucify
him
yourself
take him
crucify
him
yourself
find no
guilt
in him
by the
way
did
the Jews
have the
right
to crucify
Jesus
the answer
is
no
verse 7
the Jews
answered him
we have a
law
according to
that law
he ought
to die
because
he has
made
himself
to be
the son
of God
I do want
you to know
that if you
listen long
enough
eventually
what people
really think
comes to
the surface
isn't that
right
huh
that's the
way it
is
it's one
of the
reasons
why it
says in
first
Timothy
don't lay
hands
on any
man
suddenly
some
men's
sins
are
evident
very
quickly
and others
take a
little
while to
come to
the
surface
or eventually
come out
and so
over time
what's inside
comes outside
and here
we find
the real
heart
of the
Jewish
accusers
centered in
on
what Jesus
had said
about himself
and their
violent reaction
against that
truth
and so now
I want you to
recognize a
second part
in this
story
and that
is the
frightened
spirit
of
Pilate
the text
records
in verse
8
that what
he heard
now
frightened
Pilate
and Pilate
was afraid
of condemning
Jesus
and why
is that
Pilate
heard this
statement
and he
even
was more
afraid
I want you
to turn
in your
Bible
just for a
moment
you're there
in John
keep your
finger
we're
going to
come
back
but go
back
to
Matthew
chapter
27
verse 19
Matthew
chapter
27
verse 19
there it
says
besides
while he
was sitting
in the
judgment
seat
on the
judgment
seat
his wife
sent
word
to him
have
nothing
to do
with that
righteous
man
for I
have
suffered
much
because
of him
today
in a
dream
you get
the scene
Pilate
in the
process
of judging
Jesus
in comes
a messenger
leans
down
close
to his
ear
and says
by the
way
your
wife
wants
you
to know
that
you
really
shouldn't
bring
judgment
down
on this
guy
because
he
is
a
righteous
man
and
your
wife
wants
you
to
know
that
she
suffered
a
lot
last
night
how
many
of you
guys
really
have
learned
that
it's
a
good
idea
to
listen
when
your
wife
talks
to
you
about
serious
things
Pilate
would have
been
well
served
to say
ooh
but
going
back
to
John
chapter
19
we
find
here
that
he
is
afraid
but
I
want
you
to
understand
that
his
fear
and
his
concern
about
the
issue
of
injustice
and
even
the
dream
that
his
wife
had
did
not
override
the
concern
and
fear
that
he
had
for
the
crowd
and
I
want
you
to
understand
that
Pilate
was
actually
more
afraid
of
the
crowd
and
their
accusation
than
he
was
of
causing
injustice
in
the
case
of
Jesus
look
there
at
verse
12
from
that
time
on
Pilate
sought
to
release
him
but
the
Jews
cried
out
if
you
release
this
man
you
are
not
Caesar's
friend
everyone
who
makes
himself
a
king
opposes
Caesar
guess
what the
career
path
was
for
any
professional
Roman
diplomat
or
leader
who
opposed
Caesar
guess
what
it
was
there
was
a
significant
demotion
and
depending
upon what
the crime
was
it
could
be
actually
execution
a
Pilate
as I
said
earlier
history
records
he'd
already
gotten
in
trouble
with
Caesar
once
and
so
here
we
have
the
Jews
ready
to
go
on
riot
and
Caesar
or
Pilate
is
facing
this
angry
violent
belligerent
crowd
and
when
he
says
I
don't
find
anything
wrong
with
this
guy
they
just
inflamed
the
more
shouting
crucify
and
he
comes
out
again
and
comes
to
grips
with
the
reality
that
all
these
people
wanted
was
Christ
death
and
they
insist
if
you
let
him
go
you
are
not
Caesar's
friend
and
the
implication
is
and
we
will
let
Caesar
know
that
you
turned
him
loose
someone
who
is
claiming
to
be
the
king
of
the
Jews
we
can
kind
of
sense
Pilate's
irritation
at
being
manipulated
look at
verse
14
now
it
was
the
day
of
preparation
of
the
Passover
it
was
about
the
sixth
hour
and
he
said
to
the
Jews
what
behold
your
king
they
cried
take
him
away
take
him
away
crucify
him
Pilate
said
to
them
shall
I
crucify
your
king
we
have
no
king
but
Caesar
so
he
delivered
them
over
he
delivered
him
over
to
them
to
be
crucified
how
much
you
think
through
with
me
what
this
scene
represents
here
is
here
is
Pilate
dealing
with
his
sense
of
the
impropriety
the
dishonesty
the
problem
of
condemning
an
innocent
man
and yet
he
is
quite
willing
to
do
that
because
of
his
fear
of
the
crowd
and
his
fear
of
what
would
happen
to
him
if
he
didn't
do
that
he
was
afraid
of
Caesar
he
was
afraid
of
people
he
really
wasn't
afraid
of
the
injustice
and
God
the
judge
but
we
find
that
he
does
kind
of
look
to
strike
in
his
anger
against
the
Jews
and
he
brings
up
this
issue
well
hey
do
you
want
me
to
crucify
your
king
well
here
he
is
here
is
your
king
and
their
answer
is
very
interesting
we
have
no
king
but
Caesar
later
AD
74
you
know
what
would
happen
to
Jerusalem
it
was
going
to
be
torn
down
stone
for
stone
right
down
to
the
ground
and
just
countless
thousands
put to
death
because
they
had
rebelled
against
the
king
that
they
said
they
had
we
have
no
king
but
Caesar
incidentally
in
one
of
the
synoptics
these
same
people
that
said
we
have
no
king
but
Caesar
said
this
remember
when
Pilate
washed
his
hands
I'm
innocent
of
this
incidentally
you're
turning
him
over
to
be
crucified
and
you
think
pouring
water
over
your
hands
makes
any
difference
and
when
he
said
I
am
innocent
of
this
they
said
what
his
blood
be
on
us
and
on
our
children
this
morning
as we
look
at
this
passage
I
want
you
to
understand
that
we
are
looking
at
a
perfect
illustration
of
how
sin
blinds
a
person
to
do
and
say
vile
things
that
will
bring
down
unimaginable
sorrow
do you
realize
that
we
have
in
this
instance
a
throng
that
was
ready
to
crucify
an
innocent
man
who
had
done
nothing
but
good
all
his
public
ministry
and
all
of
them
knew
about
it
how
do
I
know
that
for
one
we
have
the
record
of
the
gospels
regarding
the
ongoing
ministry
of
Christ
and
there
was
no
guile
found
in
his
mouth
there
was
no
sin
no
disobedience
no
rebellion
furthermore
in
the
preaching
of
Acts
chapter
2
remember
when
Peter
launches
into
his
sermon
at
Pentecost
he
says
listen
this
Jesus
known
to
you
as
a
man
who
did
nothing
but
good
you
took
and
crucified
with
wicked
hands
and
so
here
they
are
faced
with
the
opportunity
of
being
honest
and
confessing
the
innocence
of
Christ
they
choose
to
have
him
crucified
and
so
Pilate
in
this
position
of
being
the
judge
having
the
right
and
the
ability
to
release
Jesus
remember
what
he
said
earlier
when
Jesus
didn't
answer
him
are
you
a
king
and
Jesus
had
been
quiet
he
said
don't
you
know
I
have
the
authority
I
have
the
ability
to
release
you
or
to
crucify
you
here's
Pilate
giving
in
to
the
crowd
and
saying
go
ahead
you
execute
this
man
even
though
he's
innocent
and
Pilate
chose
how
should
I
close
how
should
I
close
with
that
most
vile
moment
in
all
of
history
turn
in your
Bibles
to
Isaiah
chapter
53
Isaiah
chapter
53
let me
say
that I
am
fully
persuaded
the
most
significant
thing
that a
pastor
can
ever
say
is said
when he
reads
the
scriptures
because
the
scriptures
are
God's
chosen
words
to
describe
the
history
of
the
moment
and
as
you
look
back
to
Isaiah
chapter
53
we're
going
to
look
at
a
text
that
has
to
be
one
of
the
most
poignant
in
all
of
the
Old
Testament
I
appreciated
Pastor
Shearer's
reference
I
think
what
you
said
was
in
reference
to
Isaiah
chapter
6
holy
is
the
Lord
God
of
hosts
I
want
you
to
imagine
just
for a
moment
the
absolute
consternation
of
Isaiah
who
had
the
vision
of
the
Lord
high
and
lifted
up
and
then
in
Isaiah
chapter
52
and
in
53
sees
that
same
Lord
the
creator
of
the
universe
as
the
one
who
suffers
in
our
place
and
for
our
sins
listen
to
what
it
says
over
there
in
Isaiah
chapter
52
it
says
this
in
verse
14
as
many
were
astonished
at
you
his
appearance
was
so
marred
beyond
human
semblance
and
his
form
beyond
that
of
the
children
of
men
you
want
to
know
what
the
second
scourging
was
like
it
was
such
that
Isaiah
tells
us
you
could
not
look
at
Jesus
and
fully
appreciate
who
you
were
looking
at
but
then
in
verse
1
of
53
who
has
believed
what
he
has
heard
from
us
and
to
whom
has
the
arm
of
the
Lord
been
revealed
for
he
grew
up
before
him
like
a
young
plant
and
like
a
root
out
of
dry
ground
he
had
no
form
or
majesty
that
we
should
look
at
him
and
no
beauty
that
we
should
desire
him
he
was
despised
and
rejected
by
men
a man
of
sorrows
and
acquainted
with
grief
and
as
one
from
whom
men
hid
their
faces
he
was
despised
and
we
esteemed
him
not
surely
he
has
borne
our
sorrows
our
griefs
and
carried
our
sorrows
yet
we
esteemed
him
stricken
smitten
by
God
and
afflicted
but
he
was
wounded
for
our
transgressions
he
was
crushed
for
our
iniquities
upon
him
was
the
chastisement
that
brought
us
peace
and
with
his
stripes
we
are
healed
all
we
like
sheep
have
gone
astray
we
have
turned
everyone
to
his
own
way
and
the
Lord
has
laid
on
him
the
iniquity
of
us
all
he
was
oppressed
and
he
was
afflicted
yet
he
opened
not
his
mouth
like
a
lamb
that
was
led
to
the
slaughter
and
like
a
sheep
that
before
it
shears
is
silent
so
he
opened
not
his
mouth
by
oppression
and
judgment
he
was
taken
away
and
as
for
his
generation
who
considered
that
he
was
cut
off
out
of
the
land
of
the
living
stricken
for
the
transgression
of
my
people
and
they
made
his
grave
with
the
wicked
and
with
the
rich
man
in
his
death
all
the
who
had
done
no
violence
there
was
no
deceit
in
his
mouth
yet
it
was
the
will
of
God
to
crush
him
he
has
put
him
to
!
when
his
soul
!
makes
an
offering
he
shall
see
his
offspring
he
shall
prolong
his
days
the
will
of
the
Lord
shall
prosper
in
his
hand
out
of
the
anguish
of
his
soul
he
shall
see
and
be
satisfied
by
the
knowledge
shall
the
righteous
one
my
servant
make
many
to
be
counted
righteous
first
Peter
chapter
one
verse
eight
whom
having
not
seen
you
love
the
purpose
of
preaching
is to
put you
on the
spot
to say
yes
or no
to God
and he
intends
for you
as you
ponder
what Christ
endured
for your
salvation
to let
the reality
of that
love
affect
your
life
let's
pray
holy
spirit
this
morning
our
request
is
this
that
the
reality
of
Christ's
willing
choice
to suffer
this
indignity
and this
criminal
behavior
for our
sinful
souls
has such
an effect
upon us
that we
live our
lives from
this moment
on
in the
shadow
of the
cross
Galatians
appropriately
says
I am
crucified
with
Christ
nevertheless
I live
yet not
I
but Christ
lives in
me
and the
life that I
now live
that life
is to be
lived in the
power
and the
shadow of
the cross
thank you
for being
the lover
of our
souls
let us
not walk
away from
this place
indifferent
to what you
have done
for us
and let
every moment
every response
every challenge
that we face
be framed
against the
reality of
what you
did for us
as our
savior
and our
God
and we
ask this
in your
name
and for
your
glory
amen