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| Oberammagau Passion Play 4 Sep 2022 |
'All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.' Isaiah 53:6 (NKJV)
On the 4 Sep 2022, 22 members and friends from Charis Methodist Church travelled to Germany to the Bavarian village of Oberammagau. Once every 10 years, the people of this village enact the Passion Play and several thousands from all over the world travelled there to watch the play, recounting from the Old Testament book of Isaiah and the New Testament's Gospels, the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
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'We despised Him and rejected Him; He endured suffering and pain. No one would even look at him. But he endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne. All the while we thought that His suffering was a punishment sent by God.' Isaiah 53:3-4 (GNB)
'But because of our sins He was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment He suffered, made whole by the many blows He received.'
Isaiah 53:5 (GNB)
'He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly; He never said a word. Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like as sheep about to be sheared, He never said a word. He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die, and no one cared about His fate. He was put to death for the sins of our people.'
Isaiah 53:7-8 (GNB)
Both St Peter and St Paul wrote of this atonement, paid for, in Jesus Christ
'He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.' 1 Peter 2:24
'For while we were still helpless, yet at the proper time Christ died for the ungodly. For only rarely will someone die on behalf of a righteous person (for on behalf of a good person possibly someone might even dare to die), but God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.' Romans 5:6-8
Henry Scougal (1650-1678) a Scottish theologian and minister, in his short classic 'The Life of God in the Soul of Man' (Ref 1) described Jesus Christ as the Captain of our Salvation. He wrote of the restored relationship that God had provided us through the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. "He created us at first in a happy condition; but now that we have fallen from it, He has brought us help through the one who is mighty to save because He has committed the care of our souls to no lesser a person than the eternal Son, the Captain of our salvation."
Writing of this restored relationship, Scougal wrote, "Happy are they whose souls are awakened to the divine life, and who are renewed in their inward spirits." He observed, "God has a tender regard for the souls of men and is infinitely willing to promote their welfare."
Jesus Christ, the Captain of our Salvation, secured our salvation. He paid the price for the penalty of our sins. What is the meaning of atonement? The original English word is derived from a combination of 'at onement.' It means to 'set as one' or to 'be reconciled.' It also means a restoration and restitution after a price is paid for a wrongdoing.
This meaning of atonement is excellently conveyed by a song written by Don Moen. 'All We Like Sheep' reflects the core message of Jesus Christ, redeeming us from the penalty of sin, a merit we do not deserve. The song highlights the sinful nature of humanity, and like sheep we strayed from God's path. .
It acknowledges, Romans 3:23, that we all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. Yet it also conveys the hope of forgiveness and reconciliation through Jesus Christ. Interposed on the theme of waywardness of mankind, is a longing to return to God's presence. The song assures us that no matter how far we may have strayed, God's love and forgiveness are always available to us; such is the grace of God
All we like sheep have gone astray
Each of us turning our own separate way
We have all sinned and
Fallen short of Your glory
But Your glory is what we desire to see
And in Your presence is where
We long to be
Oh Lord
Show us your mercy and grace
Take us to Your holy place
Forgive our sin and heal our land
We long to live
In Your presence once again
Taking our sickness, taking our pain
Jesus the sacrifice lamb has been slain
He was despised,
Rejected by men he took our sins
Draw us near to You
Father through Jesus Your son
Let us worship before
You cleansed by Your Blood
Oh Lord
Show us your mercy and grace
Take us to Your holy place
Forgive our sin and heal our land
We long to live
In Your presence once again
Lionel
Ref 1 Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man. Crossway Short Classic, 2022
