Today's study is inspired by Os Guinness. He is the great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, a Dublin brewer. He was born in China and witnessed the heights of the Chinese Revolution. The Chinese Revolution of 1949 was the final stage of a civil war. During this state the Communist took over China. Os then moved to England where he received his education. He led L'Abri in the 1960's. L'Abri was an evangelical Christian organization founded in Switzerland. The organization is still active. He moved to the U.S. in 1984 and has authored more than 25 books. He also founded a Christian-cultural organization in 1991. If you were wondering, yes it was THAT Guinness...an Irish stout you see on the grocery store shelves. Incidentally, it also makes wonderful homemade ice cream...dark chocolate and Guinness ice cream! One of Dave's favorites!
Luke 22:20) In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."
In my reading today Mr. Guinness talks about the drawing of the Pieta for Vittoria Colonna. I looked it up on Wikipedia. Wow! Please do the same! It is thought that Michelangelo pencil drew this piece in 1546. It is absolutely gripping. I will not describe the drawing with mere words but will tell you what the vertical bean of the cross says. It says, "no one thinks of how much blood it costs." Wow.
My online dictionary source defines extravagant as spending much more than is necessary or wise, exceeding the bounds of reason, or going beyond what is deserved. He spent more on us than we were worth in our sinful state. I do not think of blood as extravagant. Usually where there is blood there is a problem. Not in this case. Where there was Jesus' blood there were no more problems. He took them all upon Himself. The word extravagant seems like a fancy word. His blood was not fancy though. It flowed from a physically tortured and innocent man. The blood was necessary and excessive.
When you take the time to look at the Pieta for Vittoria Colonna this will make sense. We all should be like Mary in that drawing. We all must raise our arms toward heaven with a grateful heart. One day we all will acknowledge God.
Romans 14:9-12) For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
It is easy to lose sight of the extravagant blood that was shed for me. I grew up hearing the Bible. The words contained within the book were imprinted upon my heart at an early age. My prayer is that it can stay extravagant to me and that all you reading will know that His extravagant blood was shed for you.
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