Awe
Monday, September 27, 2010 | Tony Nolan
This morning I was reading the Gospel of Matthew chapter 27 and I found myself musing over a moment our Lord suffered.
Could I encourage you to take a few seconds of your day and read that chapter too? Go read it in a Bible right now before you read this any further.
Did you read it? If so then the rest of this blog will settle more deeply into your spirit.
After reading it myself I visualized Jesus at His trial.
I saw him standing there taking the abuse. My imagination was fueled by the movie Passion of the Christ and the way the Director made it come alive.
As I sat here seeing the moment replay over and over again in my mind, I found myself writing about it. The following short poem is the result:
Silent savior enduring lies
to give defense you did not rise
in holy hush you stood there sinless
for such restraint my awe is endless!
Read it again. And again. Think of Jesus and that moment He endured for you. How do you feel about it? What are your thoughts of Christ because of it? Where did the fact that He did such a thing send you spiritually?
For me it was .....AWE!!!!
Comments (7)
Sep 27, 2010
Thank you for centering our hearts on what really matters. The movie Passion of the Christ changed the way I worshiped and awakened me deeper to my own brokeness and desperate need of the Savior. Thanks for reminding us that Hurthealer was first the Hurtfeeler.
Sep 27, 2010
that is AWESOME
Tony, you are SO encouraging, i always look forward to hearing you speak, i love how Christ just shines through you! ♥ it’s so awesome how Jesus endured that pain and suffering, all for our sin! and He loves us SO much 
I LOVE JESUS ♥
Sep 27, 2010
While living in Raleigh, NC for nearly 10 years, I was part of a Taekwondo school at Open Door Baptist Church. It’s a very large TKD school with over 60 active, very talented blackbelts. Our instructor said to me once that he never would have continued with TKD if he could not proclaim Jesus through it somehow and advance the Kingdom. I was greatly impressed by such an admission. Running a TKD school is difficult and requires a great deal of dedication, energy and effort. For a man to do it for completely selfless reasons is impressive. This school is not his job and he makes no money doing it. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure he contributes more of his own money than any 30 other members. It is a cost recovery type of ministry and families pay $20.00 per family per month to participate. There are also now several satellite ministry schools elsewhere in the country. It’s not a hobby, I think is my point yet he gains nothing from it outside of the knowledge that he is doing God’s work and is reaching the unsaved in a way few can.
He is one of the most disciplined men I have ever seen. At nearly 5’5”, he can put his elbow through 18 inches of concrete blocks. His ability to command so much power physically as well as spiritually and intellectually (he is a cardio lipidologist be trade) juxtaposed with his diminutive frame and immensely humble spirit, all act to command a sense of love and a sense awe among his students. I have seen him endure ridiculous situations with silence and composure and did my best to emulate him while inside I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. Having such an excellent example of a Christ-like man so close for so many years has changed me. I have found myself enduring ridiculous situations with poise and determination to first glorify God through my actions and second be such a witness that other would want to know what I know.
When I read that passage that moved you so, it hits me with the same sort of power. Not only have I seen in real life the power of discipline but, through controlled emulation, I have lived it. Maintaining composure in front of your wild and screaming - demon driven - accusers requires all you have in you. It is no wonder that Pilot was so impressed with Jesus (Matthew 27:12-14). As a military man and politician, as all Roman leaders were, he must have had an even greater understanding of what it took for Jesus to remain silent and disciplined than the Sanhedrin did.
It is an awe-inspiring man who can remain calm under fire. Only the greatest leaders display such poise. How wonderful that our Lord, Leader of leaders, King of kings, Lord of lords offers us such a brilliant example of what it means to face God’s plan and instruction to the end with unflinching dedication and belief that God is God and whatever happens, “all things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Thanks for pointing that out and giving me the chance to read about Jesus’ divine discipline once again.
Sep 27, 2010
Wow… WOW!
In rereading this chapter, I’d never considered the impact Jesus had on Pilate in this moment. Jesus tells Pilate, “Yes, it is as you say” when asked if He is king of the Jews, then “to the great amazement of the governor” He doesn’t answer a single charge against Him. And when Pilate asks the crowd whom to release, “he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.”
As a leader, Pilate would *never* have allowed himself to be falsely indicted by those meant to serve him; he saw the blackened motives of the leaders who’d accused Jesus and dragged Him to this “court”. Even Pilate’s wife had “suffered a great deal” through a dream about Jesus.
And in the face of the Grace of Christ’s silence, the falsehood of the accusations, and the caution shared by his bride, Pilate could only compromise and “washed his hands” of the matter, laying blame at the crowd’s feet.
In the weeks that followed Christ’s death and resurrection, I wonder what dinner discussion was like at Pilate’s table.
And candidly, perhaps naively, I wonder if we’ll see Pilate or his wife on that Great Day.
*Thank you* for challenging us to reread this—to think that the King of All Creation would so peacefully accept such horrendous and horrific abuse so that I could be free…. Oh, Jesus! How beautiful You are!
Sep 27, 2010
Wow. This was a fantastic post Tony…one I am grateful to you for posting. I haven’t watched that movie yet actually, but I just read Matthew 27, and sit here in total and complete awe. All of it I have heard before, but when I was focused on the words and meaning, so many things jumped out at me. It is just so heartbreaking, awe-inspiring and full of love all in one. My heart breaks for having put him through all that - truly awe-inspired realizing that He did all this for ME (and you, and well - everyone), because of his deep and passionate love for me - and full of love for the same reasons.
Thank you again for posting this. It fans the flame, making it brighter, of the light and love of our Lord. Makes me want to share this same love with those in our world who do not know Him.
Sep 28, 2010
Tony you are a very perceptive man, Christ did what he told us to do. His teachings tell us to show unconditional love and to turn the other cheek. None of us is sinless, but we always are the first to pick up the stone and throw it at another. His example of humility should teach us all something. Thanks for pointing this out Tony, God bless you.
Oct 08, 2010
Hi!!!
Wow! i was just thinking this morning about how Jesus loved all of us SOOOO much that he DIED!!!! He died for us bc He loved us more than anything! I was thinking that if just one single person out of this world was saved and nobody else was, he still would have died for that ONE person! Tony, this scripture just helped to drive the awe further on in! so many times we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives (I know I do with studying as a Vet Tech and helping take care of home) that we forget what our savior did for us before, while on, and after the cross!! He’s still doing things for us!! yeah jesus is the true “shock and awe!!”