Recapturing the wonder at Easter
One of the most hit elements in the accounts of Jesus' early ministry in the kickoff half of all 4 gospels is the reaction of onlookers, both the crowds and the disciples—they were 'amazed'. The gospel writers use three different terms for this reaction, as if building into a crescendo of wonder and bewilderment. The start reaction is described usingthaumazo, significant to marvel at something spectacular, much as you might feel your breath taken away at an impressive view. The second,ekplesso, is connected to the verb 'to strike' someone physically, and has the sense of completely overwhelming someone with astonishment, to accept virtually a physical sense of the extraordinary nature of what has happened. Some ETs rendered information technology as 'completely astounded'. The third word isexistemi,and is a compound fromistemi,significant to found something firmly or (reflexively) to stand. The sense here is of being completely knocked over, to have one's preconceptions undone; one dictionary describes the sense every bit 'to be so completely astonished as to almost fail to encompass what one has experienced.' It sometimes even has the sense of to be 'beside oneself', in the sense of being quite out of one's mind. These are the reactions to Jesus' ministry and educational activity—merely go along to mark the ministry and teaching of the apostles (Acts 2.7, two.12, vii.31, 8.ix, viii.11, 13.12).
But in that location are two things that are notable virtually this language. The outset is that it is mostly attached to Jesus' early on ministry, and there is a gear shift from the spectacular to the sober as we movement into the accounts of what nosotros phone call Holy Week and Jesus' Passion, the events leading to his crucifixion and resurrection. The second is the corporeality of focus that the gospels give to these events—almost half of John'due south gospel, and a skilful quarter to a 3rd of the synoptics. Even Luke, who gives less infinite proportionately to the final events in Jerusalem, actually shapes the center third of his gospel around it, but signalling Jesus heading to Jerusalem from Luke ix.51. Although the language of 'wonder' and 'anaesthesia' is by and large absent from these events, the gospels are surely edifice on that earlier foundation of astonishment, and that is confirmed past the bewildered reaction of the disciples to all the events in each gospel.
And so how practice we recapture this sense of wonder, of amazement, this Easter time? I was helped to do this by a short meditation written by Simon Ponsonby, on the staff of St Aldate's, Oxford, which from a sermon was fabricated into a simple audio-visual. Simon was kind plenty to share with me a slightly revised transcript. I hope you enjoy it, and that as we enter this Holy Calendar week it helps you reconnect with the wonder of all that Jesus has achieved for us in his cantankerous, resurrection, ascension and sending of the Spirit.
Jesus is Amazing
Consider these things:
He reigned divine in unapproachable light and unequalled glory
He created all things and kept them going by his powerful word
He was endlessly worshipped and adored by myriad upon myriad of angels
He overflowed in restless love and created humans in his image to beloved on
He created a paradise and gave himself to human in garden of delights
He gave us free will so that nosotros might love him dorsum in freedom
He did not plough away when we turned abroad
He kept advancing toward us
He covered our shame
He excluded them from the garden and went forwards with them
He never gave upwards on us, never rejected us, never stopped loving usa
He revealed himself in creation and conscience, in words & wonders
He chased united states of america through the corridors and contours of history
He chose his servant Israel to reveal his celebrity to the earth
He graced u.s. with sacrifice and law and so we could stand earlier him
He prophesied & prepared and planned his particular coming in person
He is amazing
He wednesday himself to man flesh in virgin'southward womb –
He took upon himself our very nature and then he might give his nature to usa
He dwelt among the states, one of us, and drank the earthly cup to its lees
And aged thirty, he left obscurity, and began his public ministry
And he spoke as no man always spoke earlier
And people who heard him were amazed and some agape & some angry
And he called people to go out all and follow him …
And he said he was bringing the kingdom of God
And he showed us he was the king of the kingdom
And he showed us that his was a kind kingdom
And he showed united states of america his was a powerful kingdom
And he gave us the keys of the kingdom
And he forgave the sins of the adulterous adult female and cripple who walked
And he tenderly touched the leper and healed their skin and removed shame
And he bent double with compassion at the suffering he saw in others
And he raised the dead boy and gave him back to his female parent
And he raised the dead daughter and gave her back to her begetter
And he raised his dead friend, and gave him back to his sisters
And he opened the eyes of the blind and he opened ears of the deafened
And he opened the prisons of the tormented
And he opened the minds of the questioning
And he opened the style for us to God
Now that is astonishing
And he fed 5000 hungry pilgrims with five small loaves and two fish
And he commanded the wind and waves to obey him and they did
And he ordered the shadows to depart from troubled souls and they did
And he taught u.s. to pray to God as Begetter
And he called his disciples his friends
And he had a special heart for those on the margins
And he was homeless with no-where to lay his head
And he was transfigured and revealed in all his glory
And he wept at the tomb of his friend
And he made friends with taxation collectors and sinners & betrayers
And he loved the Rich young ruler who loved his coin more than God
And he turned over the tables in the Temple of those who would profit from worship or prohibit prayer
And he prayed for u.s. to be protected and loved and know God's glory
And he gave us bread and vino to join with him and eachother
He is amazing
And he intimidated the authorities – and he provoked his enemies
And wicked men and evil spirits conspired to kill him
And he faced downwardly the fear and embraced his destiny
And welcomed the betrayer with a kiss, and still called him friend
And scheming men saturday in judgment
And they condemned and spat, and beat and nailed, and killed him
And he died a willing bribe for our sins
And he who knew no sin became sin for us
And he entered god-forsakeness for our sake
And by his stripes we are healed
And he drenched the world with his blood, not anyone elses
And he washed usa whiter than snow
And his executors said "Truly, this human was the son of God"
And they laid him in a rock cold tomb
And he descended to the depths
And he set the captives free
And he shattered the bonds of death
And he had the last word as he pushed the stone away
And he cancelled the debt of sin
And he Satisfied the justice of God
And he Redeemed us from decease & hell
And he reconciled us to God
And he disarmed the demonic
And he brought u.s. habitation
Isn't he amazing?
And ascended to heaven to sit abreast the Father in our stead
And he sent us his Spirit's power to be with us forever
And he asks for nothing from united states just faith and dear
And he sent us out to tell others of his love
And he is praying for usa – right at present
And he is coming back to be with the states
And he will judge the living and the dead
And he will wipe away all our tears, and heal our wounded years and drive away our fears
And he volition fully finally vanquish all evil
And he will make all things right
Meanwhile he's notwithstanding healing, still cleansing, nevertheless delivering, nonetheless inviting, however transforming – still for u.s.a..
And today 2 billion follow him – and many millions endure for organized religion
And ane day the whole globe volition be covered with his glory
And he is called Jesus which means God saves us
And he is The Lord – God over us
And he is Emmanuel, God who is here for usa
Yes, he is amazing
Albert Einstein said"I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene. Jesus is as well jumbo for the pen of phrase-mongers, however artful"
I'g so conscious of that equally I've written these thoughts—
How can we capture Niagara falls in a tea-cup? Nosotros can't…
How can we convey the glory of God in Christ Jesus in words? We tin can't…
Nosotros're left with aching jaws in wonder, in amazement, and in wonderment.
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