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Psalm 24
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The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! (ESV)
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Subject to Death
Katharina von Bora
20 December 2010
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God is not constrained by what we humans think is impossible. God often does the impossible for our sakes. When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us Christ became subject to death. The same Word who took flesh was also the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.
That Lamb who dies for the sin of the world does so without seeing decay, so that we who have been corrupted by sin might be raised with Him in incorruption. We share in this with the Word because through the Word's becoming flesh He has become our peer and we His. All this seems impossible. Yes, but with God nothing is impossible, so powerful is His desire to save us. |
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Athanasius of Alexandria
"For the Word, perceiving that in no other way could the corruption of men be undone except by death as a necessary condition, while it was impossible for the Word to suffer death, being immortal, and Son of the Father; to this end He takes to Himself a body capable of death, that it, by partaking of the Word Who is above all, might be worthy to die in the place of all, and might, because of the Word which was come to dwell in it, remain incorruptible, and that thenceforth corruption might be stayed from all by the gift of the resurrection.
Therefore, by offering unto death the body He Himself had taken, as an offering and sacrifice free from any stain, straightway He put away death from all His peers by the offering of an equivalent."
Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word of God, 9
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