Ask Mr Bible

Five reasons why the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is of supreme importance:

 It is the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights of the Christian faith.
  
 It emphasizes the absolute uniqueness and utter superiority of the Christian faith.  The founders of all other religions in human history eventually died.  But only the founder of Christianity (who also died) is
 alive and active today!  Thus, in one sense of the word, the empty tomb, not the cross, serves as the official sign of Christianity!

 It is the final side making up the divine triangle of salvation.  Thus:

  1. Jesus’ birth made it possible.
  2. Jesus’ death made it actual.
  3. Jesus’ resurrection made it certain.

 It serves as the official measurement of God’s power.  We are all aware of how man measures power, using such units as candle power, horse power, atomic power, etc., but how is divine power measured?  In
 the Scriptures there are two such standards of measurement.

  1. In the Old Testament it is the power God used in bringing Israel out of Egypt (Exod. 14:26-       31).

   Time and again, especially in the Psalms, this mighty event is referred to.  Note but a few references:

   “For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters … Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers” (Psa. 74:12, 13, 15).

   “Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea. Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left … Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea” (Psa. 106:7-11, 22).

  2. In the New Testament it is the power of God used in bringing Jesus out of the grave.

   “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Eph. 1:19-21).

  It is the focal point in regard to both salvation and the Scriptures.

  1. Regarding the salvation:
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain”  (1 Cor. 15:1, 2).

  2. Regarding the Scriptures:
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures”     (1 Cor. 15:3, 4).

What was truly unique concerning Jesus Christ’s death on the cross?

 In the Old Testament two specific factors were involved in the offering up of an
 acceptable sacrifice.  The first was the service of a qualified priest (from the
 Tribe of Levi, Num. 3:5-8) and the second involved an acceptable victim (from
 the list of clean animals, Lev. 20:25).  

 On the cross Jesus functioned as both priest (even though He came from the
 Tribe of Judah, Heb. 7:14), and acceptable victim!

Author Ray Stedman writes:

 As a priest, Jesus Christ could find no unblemished sacrifice that He could offer except Himself, so He offered Himself as a sacrifice; there was found no other priest worthy of offering such a sacrifice, so Christ became both Priest and Victim.
 (What More Can God Say?, Regal Press, p. 115)

This dual arrangement can be seen by listening to His seven final sentences
while on the cross.  The first three demonstrate His priestly ministry while the
final four speak of His sacrificial role.

A. His priestly ministry.
 1. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
 2. “Verily, I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
3. “Woman, behold thy son! … Behold thy mother!” (John 19:26, 27).

 B. His sacrificial ministry:
  1. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46).
  2. “I thirst” (John 19:28).
  3. “It is finished” (John 19:30).
  4. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

1. How important is the death of Jesus Christ?

 Henry Thiessen writes:

The death of Christ has a prominent place in the New Testament.  The last three days of our Lord’s earthly life occupy about one-fifth of the narratives in the four Gospels.  If all the three and a half years of his public ministry had been written out as fully as the last three days, we would have a Life of Christ of some 8,400 pages!  Torrey claims that the death of Christ is mentioned directly in the New Testament more than 175 times.  Since there are 7,959 verses in the New Testament, this would mean that one out of every 53 verses refers to this theme.

The death of Christ is the essential thing in Christianity.  Other religions base their claim to recognition on the teaching of their founders; Christianity is distinguished from all of them by the importance it assigns to the death of its Founder.  Take away the death of Christ as interpreted by the Scriptures, and you reduce Christianity to the level of the ethic religions.  Though we would still have a higher system of ethics, were we to take away the cross of Christ, we would have no more salvation than these other religions.  Napoleon said, when banished to St. Helena, that Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and he had founded mighty kingdoms on force, but that Jesus Christ had founded his on love.  This is true, if we mean love expressed in his substitutionary death.

It is of Supreme Interest in Heaven.  The death of Christ is the subject of supreme interest in heaven.  We may expect those who have gone to heaven to have a fuller and truer conception of life’s values than those who are still limited in their vision by their existence in the body.  We are told that when Moses and Elijah appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, they conversed with Christ about the decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:30-31).  We also find that the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders sang the song of redemption through the death of Christ (Rev. 5:8-10).  Even the multitude of angels around the throne, though not in need of redemption themselves, joined in the song of the Lamb that was slain (Rev. 5:11-12).  Since those who have the veil of human limitations completely removed from their eyes—those who have entered into the fuller fruits of redemption through the blood of Christ—extol Christ’s death above everything else, we mortals ought to study into the true meaning of that death.
(Systematic Theology, pp. 313-314)

Consider the importance of Jesus’ death as viewed from another perspective.

A. There is a total of 89 chapters in the four-fold accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

B. Of these 89 chapters, only 4 are given over in recording the first thirty years (Luke 3:23) of Jesus’ earthly life (Matt. 1, 2; Luke 1, 2).

C. Of these 89 chapters, no less than 13 describe (in detail) those events surrounding His death (Matt. 26, 27; Mark 14, 15; Luke 22, 23; John 13-19).

D. We may thus correctly conclude that, according to the space afforded it in the divine record, the death of Jesus Christ was considered more than three times as important than the first thirty years of His life!

E. Unlike any other person in history, Jesus’ greatest gift to humanity was not His life, but rather His death!  Thus, He was born in Bethlehem that He might die at Calvary.  The manger would become the door leading to the cross!

Who were the parties involved in the death of Jesus Christ?
In reality there were seven secondary sources and three primary sources.

 A. The seven secondary sources:
  1.  Satan–And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it  shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”  (Gen. 3:15).

 2. Judas (Matt. 26:14-16, 47-50)
      a. Judas sold Jesus to His enemies for 30 pieces of silver (Matt. 26:14-16).
      b. Judas identified Jesus for His enemies in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:47-50).

 3. Annas and Caiaphas (John 18:12-14, 19-24; Matt. 26:57, 62-65)
  This wicked former High Priest (Annas), and his ungodly current
  High Priest (Caiaphas) ordered the arrest of Jesus, and, after
  shamefully mistreating Him, voted to put Him to death.

 4. Pilate (Matt. 27:15-26)
  After ordering Jesus to be cruelly scourged (knowing full well of His
  innocence), Pilate releases the Savior to be crucified!

 5. The Jewish leaders (Matt. 26:3, 4, 59-61: 27:1)
  “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death” (Matt. 27:1).

 6. The Roman soldiers (Matt. 27:27-35)
  “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and  gathered  unto him the whole band of soldiers … And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots” (Matt. 27:27, 35).

 7. All sinners
 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).

 “Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him” (Heb. 2:8).

 B. The three primary sources:
  1. God the Father!
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted … Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” (Isa. 53:4, 10).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

  2. God the Son!
“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).

“No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (John 10:18).

“I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Eph. 5:25).

  3. God the Holy Spirit!
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14).

II. What kind of emotional suffering did Jesus Christ endure for our redemption?

 A. The kind that came from His friends.
  1. One apostle denied Him (Luke 22:54-62).
  2. One apostle betrayed Him (Matt. 26:14-16).
  3. All the apostles forsook Him (Matt. 26:56).

 B. The kind that came from His foes.
  1. From the political world.  Both Pilate and Herod refused to give Him a fair trial (Matt. 27:22-26; Luke 23:6-12).
 2. From the religious world.  The High Priest (Caiaphas) and the Jewish leaders plotted against Him (Matt. 26:57, 59).
3. From the military world.  He was taunted and ridiculed by the Roman soldiers (Matt. 27:27-31).
4. From the demonic world.  There is evidence that Satan attempted to kill Jesus in Gethsemane, perhaps to prevent Him from going to the cross (Mark 14:32-36; Luke 22:39-44).

 C. The kind that came from His Father.
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46).

III. What was truly unique concerning Jesus Christ’s death on the cross?

 In the Old Testament two specific factors were involved in the offering up of an acceptable sacrifice.  The first was the service of a qualified priest (from the Tribe of Levi, Num. 3:5-8) and the second involved an acceptable victim (from the list of clean animals, Lev. 20:25).  

On the cross Jesus functioned as both priest (even though He came from the Tribe of Judah, Heb. 7:14), and acceptable victim!

Author Ray Stedman writes:

 As a priest, Jesus Christ could find no unblemished sacrifice that He could offer except Himself, so He offered Himself as a sacrifice; there was found no other priest worthy of offering such a sacrifice, so Christ became both Priest and Victim.
 (What More Can God Say?, Regal Press, p. 115)

This dual arrangement can be seen by listening to His seven final sentences while on the cross.  The first three demonstrate His priestly ministry while the final four speak of His sacrificial role.

A. His priestly ministry.
 1. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
 2. “Verily, I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
3. “Woman, behold thy son! … Behold thy mother!” (John 19:26, 27).

 B. His sacrificial ministry:
  1. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46).
  2. “I thirst” (John 19:28).
  3. “It is finished” (John 19:30).
  4. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

IV. When did Jesus Christ die?

 A. Historically speaking, He died on Friday (many believe), March 30, A.D. 33 at 3:00 P.M.
  “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost” (Matt. 27:50).

  “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost” (Mark 15:37).

“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost” (Luke 23:46).

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).

 B. Theologically speaking, He died before the foundation of the world.  At least four New Testament passages bring this out:

  “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love … In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:4, 7).

  “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God” (Heb. 10:4-7).

  “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:18-20).

  “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).

Stated another way, in the mind and plan of God, the last Adam was already on the cross of Calvary before the first Adam was in the Garden of Eden!

V. What were the results of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross?

 The effects of His victorious death were ten-fold!

 A. In relation to sinners—Redemption

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13).

  “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7).

  “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Rev. 5:9).

 B. In relation to the saved—Sanctification
  “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Gal. 1:4).

 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all … Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Heb. 10:10, 19, 20).

C. In relation to the Father—Reconciliation
 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Rom. 5:10).

 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18, 19).

 “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity hereby” (Eph. 2:16).

 “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven” (Col. 1:20).

D. In relation to the Savior—Expectation
 “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool” (Heb. 10:12, 13).

E. In relation to the devil—Destruction
 “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:15).

 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).

 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

F. In relation to the Law—Completion
 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matt. 5:17).

 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:4).

G. In relation to the Nation Israel—Restoration
 “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” (Zech. 13:1).

 “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins”
 (Rom. 11:26, 27).

H. In relation to the sin nature—Condemnation
 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Rom. 6:1-6).

I. In relation to sin itself—Purification
 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Rev. 1:5).

J. In relation to the wrath of God—Protection
 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”
 (John 3:16-18).

 “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain” (1 Thess. 5:9). 

“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice yielded up the ghost” (Matt. 27:50).

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).

These two English expressions, “yielded up” and “gave up” are from the same Greek phrase which could also be translated “to dismiss,” “to command to leave,” “to order a departure.”

What then, was the miracle of His death?  Simply this: By an act of sheer will, Jesus ordered His heart to stop beating, His blood to cease circulating, and His lungs to abstain from breathing.  We cannot accomplish this apart from the help of a gun, knife, poison, etc.  But the Savior commanded His physical life to end as easily as we might order our body to rise from a chair!

Thus, we see the supernatural involved concerning the three most important events in Jesus’ earthly life:

● He was born without the aid of a human father (Luke 1:30-35).
● He died by an act of the will.
● He was raised from the dead with a glorified body (Luke 24:33-40).

What Would He Say About YOU?

In essence it would be radically different from how someone would write regarding a physical biography.  It would doubtless begin with your birth date and place, your parents, early life, education, marriage, vacation, family, etc.  But an angel would go back much earlier, in fact, even before the creation of the world.

Here’s how it might read:

Title:      The Full Spiritual Biography of John Smith
Author:   Michael the Archangel
Story:     John Smith was first in view when God chose him before the foundation of the world in regards to salvation.  At the same time God assigned to him certain good works which would follow his conversion.  (Eph. 1:4; 2:10)

Smith’s next appearance was a sad one, for he was seen in the Garden of Eden partaking of the forbidden fruit with Adam.  (Rom. 5:12-14, 18)

Many centuries later he reappears for the third time, nailed to a cruel cross with Jesus just outside Jerusalem.  (Rom. 6:3)

Finally, three days later we watch in amazement as he walks out of an empty tomb with his Savior!  (Rom. 6:4, 5)

At present He is being prepared to rule and reign with Christ for one thousand years upon this earth!  (Rev. 5:10; 20:6)

Historically speaking, He died on Friday (many believe), March 30, A.D. 33 at 3:00 P.M.

“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost”

“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost”

“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost”

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost”

Theologically speaking, He died before the foundation of the world.

At least four New Testament passages bring this out:“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love … In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace”

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God”

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you”

(Eph. 1:4, 7). (Heb. 10:4-7).(1 Peter 1:18-20). (Matt. 27:50). (Mark 15:37). (Luke 23:46). (John 19:30).

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”

(Rev. 13:8).

Stated another way, in the mind and plan of God, the last Adam was already on the cross of Calvary before the first Adam was in the Garden of Eden!

The Obedience of Christ

“And Jesus took upon Himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man.”  He thus agreed to join His heavenly, divine nature to that of an earthly, human nature, appearing at Bethlehem as a lowly servant!
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14).
“But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law (Gal. 4:4).

This simple but absolutely staggering fact cannot be even remotely grasped by human minds.  The infinite, holy Creator suddenly becomes in the likeness of his finite and sinful creatures (yet without sin).  Who can comprehend such un-believable condescension?  It is as if a mighty and magnificent earthly king would determine to lay aside for a while his fantastic storehouse of wealth and, leaving behind an adoring and amazed court, take upon himself the body of a lowly ant.  The ‘Son of Man’ was, by the way, our Lord’s favorite name for Himself while on earth.  He took upon himself the form of a servant.  He did not come as a mighty human Caesar or some world-renowned human philosopher.  Even this would have been a condescension of colossal pro-portions.  He came, rather, as a lowly servant.

A number of years ago, some evangelical Bible scholars were asked:  “From a theological perspective, what Christian song in your opinion is the greatest ever written?”  Heading up the poll was Isaac Watts’ glorious hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”  Dear reader, ponder now (as I am doing) just how my pride and self-seeking stacks up as compared with the first two stanzas:

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to His blood.