****HALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOR

I have shared some biographical information on Philip Bliss here and here.  He was the singer, hymn-writer, composer, and evangelist who died while attempting to rescue his wife when a trestle collapsed, and their train plunged into an icy river at the bottom of a deep ravine.

One year before his tragic death, he wrote and composed one of our greatest hymns, HALLELUJAH!  WHAT A SAVIOR.

The hymn was inspired by Isaiah’s prophecy where the Messiah is described as a “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”  (Isa. 53:3)

In the third stanza, Philip Bliss describes our human condition; we are guilty of sin, vile, and utterly helpless.  And there is nothing we can do about that to merit God’s forgiveness and grace.

But Jesus told Nicodemus that, “whoever believes in Him will not perish.” (John 3:16).  

That word, perish, does not mean an end of existence; it implies an eternal ruin.  Apart from the intervention of God, that condemnation is what all men are destined for because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)

But the Man of Sorrows willingly came and subjected Himself to the shame and scoffing of both Jews and Gentiles.  And He did that to redeem us.

It’s impossible for us to begin to understand His sorrow and grief.  As God, in human flesh, only He could know the depth and horror of our sin.  The Father turned His back on the Son who took our punishment on Himself when He was crucified on the cross.  And it was there that He cried out, “It is finished!”  (Jn. 19:30)

The Greek word is tetelesti, which means paid in full.  Some of you might remember the days when merchants carried open accounts for the goods they sold.  There was a receipt spike on the counter and every time a customer’s transactions were completed, the receipts were pierced through indicating that the total amount was paid in full.

 

And that’s what happened at Calvary. “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa. 53:6)  He paid for our sin.  Jesus is our “paid in full” receipt.  He was pierced and, praise God, it is finished.

And one day, when He returns for those whom He bought, we will sing a new song around His throne.  “Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God.”  (Rev. 19:1).  

HALLELUJAH!  WHAT A SAVIOR.