“Oh, Love, How Deep,” verse 6 (ELW 322)
Devotion
For us he rose from death again;
for us he went on high to reign;
for us he sent his Spirit here
to guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
This hymn serves as a word of hope from God as we prepare to enter into the darkness of Holy Week. The first two lines of verse six are reminiscent of the second half of the Christ hymn in Philippians. They are the hopeful and glorious culmination of yesterday's challenging and despairing reading from Matthew. In the end, our God, Jesus the Christ, triumphs over death. In the midst of his humiliating death, God reaches into the grave and pulls Jesus out, exalting him to the highest place in the universe through the glory of the resurrection. So as you prepare to enter a week of reflecting on Christ's sufferings, and as you continue to endure your own and watch your neighbors endure their own, remember of this Christ that "for us he went on high to reign." As we heard from Isaiah on Monday, the sufferings and humiliations of your life do not have the last word, for in the midst of that darkness you have a hope: the Lord will vindicate you and you will be exalted to the highest places with Christ.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we give you praise and thanks that your story does not end in the grave, but rather puts an end to the grave. Thank you for giving us the hope that while we may endure humiliation, we can, by your grace, expect exaltation with Christ. Amen.