The crucifixion of Christ is a broad subject. It seems like every song that I reviewed took a different approach to it. I really like the way Rich Mullins attempted to cover as much as he possibly could in a three and a half minute song. There is a lot of information packed into this one! As you can see from the previous posts in this series, I am not trying to retell the songs, I am just using them as a backdrop for what I am trying to say.
I wrote a blog post 3 1/2 years ago titled Following Christ that was all about the idea of Christ emptying Himself. I am going to revisit that topic today, although, I am not going to reiterate what I said in the previous post.
Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,
who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be used for His own advantage.
Instead He emptied Himself
by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man
in His external form,
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross. (Phil 2:5-8 HCSB)
This scripture is yet another reminder to us that we are to follow the example set by Christ. However, it goes a little deeper than that, it says that we should have the same attitude that He had, and then it describes what attitude that is. As I discussed in yesterday’s post, Jesus’ motivation was to be a servant. He abandoned all of who He was so that He could live life as a man, fully capable of bleeding, feeling pain, and dying.
This is the attitude that we are to have. We need to abandon all of what we think our lives should be, and instead, be totally surrendered to the will of God. These are not just good, churchy catch-phrases, but what we are being told to do in the Bible. It is an easy concept to say, but not always an easy concept to put into practice. However, this is exactly what Christ did. The reason people did not understand that He was the Messiah was that He did not play the part the way they were expecting. They were expecting a conquering hero instead of a humble servant. Then, He obeyed the will of the Father, and allowed Himself to be put to death on the cross.
When Christ emptied Himself, it was because He was thinking of other people, rather than Himself. That is the attitude He is asking us to take. He wants us to abandon all notions of self-preservation, and to become servants of not only God, but of our fellow man.
“Oh My Lord”
By Rich Mullins
When I think that the world would rise to condemn You.
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord
Well it makes me cry.
You know it makes me tremble.
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord
Oh my Jesus, sweet lamb of God
You emptied yourself and became just like us.
Then You set aside Your glory,
And You took up that cross.
Through the crowd, through the cursing soldiers.
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord.
You fell to the ground with the cross upon your shoulders.
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord
Oh my Jesus, oh Man of sorrows
When You saw Your mother standing there upon that road,
Did You feel the pain of the sword that would soon pierce her soul?
Oh my Lord, yeah, oh my Lord
Oh my Lord, yeah, oh my Lord
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord
Well a man was made to help carry that weight,
And a woman was moved to wipe the blood from Your face.
And then you fell again,
And You’re taking more than a man could take.
You said, “Sisters, sisters. Don’t you weep for Me.”
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord.
And then once again fell down to Your knees.
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord.
Oh my Jesus, God’s only one.
Well they stripped off Your clothes.
Then they cast their lots.
Oooh, they stretched out Your arms
And nailed Your hands to that cross.
See a broken heart – it’s what made You die.
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord.
And the blood and the water flowed out from Your side.
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord.
Oh my Jesus, Giver of Grace.
You know, gentle hands they took You down
And laid You in that grave scene.
No one believed You’d be back in three short days.
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord
Oh my Lord, oh my Lord
Yeah.
Performance by Michael Tait
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