An Unxpected Week, A Wonderful Savior

 This past week is known throughout the world as Passion Week, as the momentous events of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection are remembered by millions of people.  I had been looking forward to this week for a number of reasons.  My son Ben would be home from college for Spring Break, another son Bill would make a quick visit, and we would be having special services at our church to reflect upon the glorious historic realities that are at the heart of Christianity.  My week started off as expected, Ben and Bill got into town safely, and I enjoyed spending time with them.  But on Tuesday my Passion Week turned into Pain Week.

To make a long story short, after a rather unpleasant couple of days, I ended up in the hospital having my appendix removed.  Surgery went well, but didn’t start off well.  They had great difficulty getting an IV going in my less than cooperative veins.  The experienced surgeon said that he had never seen anything like it.  Not exactly the way you want to be remarkable!  I was completely alert during the eight stabs in my arms in the hallway of the operating room.  But then they decided to just take me to the operating room, and they would put an IV in my main line there.  I thought, and the doctors thought, “no problem”.  In the OR they gave me a shot, “so I wouldn’t remember any of this”, said the anesthesiologist, and then hooked me up to an oxgen mask, that I suspect gave me something a little stronger than oxygen.  I began to get quite fuzzy, but could defintely sense that the ‘no problem’ had become big problem.  At that point I was far from clear-headed, but two truths were absolutely clear–I am a miserable sinner, and Christ is a wonderful savior.   

When I say that I am a miserable sinner, it’s not because I’m a secret serial killer, or anything like that.  In the world’s eyes, I would be considered a ‘good’ person.  But I am a sinner.  God’s standard of holiness is so pure, so perfect, so absolute, that any good done by me is merely filthy rags in comparison.  There is nothing that I have done, or could ever do that would allow me to enter into a right relationship with a holy God.  But the good news is, Christ is a wonderful Savior.  That’s what Passion Week is all about.  Christ came into this world, God became man, to live a perfect life so that He could go to the cross and bear God’s wrath for the sin of all who would ever believe in Him.  2 Corinthians 5:21 says, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  What a remarkable trade!  Christ gets my sin, and the sin of all who will ever trust in Him, and I get His righteousness.  What a wonderful savior!

What wonderful truth to give perfect peace when you are in the operating room, aware that everything isn’t going well.  They did find a vein in my foot and pumped me up with enough liquid to then put the IV in the main artery in my leg.  After that the surgery was a piece of cake.  Although I am still feeling the effects of being a human pincushion (and have the bruises to prove it!), I am feeling so much better than before.  I thank God for the many ways His grace was on display in my life this week.  I even felt well enough to attend Easter service at my church this morning.  I thank Him that I could rejoice in the passion of this week that is infinitely greater than my pain this week.

 I would encourage you, whether your week, past or future, is totally as you expected, or knocks you for a loop, to reflect upon the realities of the crucifixion and the resurrection.  Do you know this wonderful Savior?  Do you rejoice in Him every day of the year?  I have been encouraged by and would recommend some books that help me to think about these truths and how they should impact my daily life and thinking.  I’ve read The Cross-Centered Life, by CJ Mahaney, am currently reading The Gospel for Real Life, by Jerry Bridges, and am planning to read Living the Cross-Centered Life by CJ Mahaney.  Please join me in rejoicing in a wonderful Savior that makes every week a good week.