The Tragedy and Triumph of Easter

“O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night, I cry out before you.” Psalm 88:1

May your name be exalted, Lord Jesus, for your willingness to be the Suffering Servant. You are glorious in your desire to suffer for your enemies.

As Psalm 88 prophetically says about you, “You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. Your wrath lies heavily on me.

You have overwhelmed me with all your waves. I am confined and cannot escape.”

So you were, Lord Jesus, overwhelmed, struck down, trapped under wrath and totally crushed.

You placed yourself directly in the path of God’s anger and were unescapably confined to it.

Psalm 88 continues “Why do you reject me and hide your face from me?”

When you, Lord Jesus, became sin, the Father turned from you, leaving you utterly alone under His wrath.

“I was taken from my closest friends; you made me repulsive to them.” You took upon yourself the sin of the whole world.

Even  more,  You became sin for us: ugly, repulsive, and despicable. And because of this, the fabric of the Trinity was torn—

those eternal, rich, beautiful, warm and perfect relationships were ripped apart as you, Lord Jesus, became sin for us

and as you, heavenly Father, crushed the Son to save your enemies.

“Your wrath swept over me, your terrors destroyed me…the darkness is my closest friend.” You, Lord Jesus, endured this wrath,

moved through it, drinking every last drop of the bitter pain—you not only endured the jeers of the Jews,

but all the aggressive attacks of the absolutely evil demonic forces.

You waited until the right second and then rose up to defeat Satan and death, shattering the strength of the foe who had enslaved all mankind with the fear of death.

You triumphed in a dazzling blaze of glory, defeating, dethroning, destroying death and the devil with all his diabolic plans.

Only you, only you, Lord Jesus, could have done this, and you did it at the right time and in the right way! You accomplished it perfectly!

Your work is finished, opening a doorway between the dominion of darkness and the Kingdom of Light,

calling all the prisoners of the devil to come out into the warmth of your love and forgiveness.

You, Lord Jesus Christ, are worthy of all Praise and Honor, Exaltation and Magnification.

You are the Great and Humble Lord, the Mighty and Meek Savior, the Most High and the Most Holy.

To you be glory, both now and forever more!