May 15, 2023

"O Love, How Deep" | Seventh Sunday of Easter

11 minutes

ZACHARY'S NOTES:

Stanza 1 // This hymn helps us sing of the life we know in God and His Son. The first stanza expresses the overwhelming joy of the promise Christ gives: “Oh love, how deep, how broad, how high, beyond all thought and fantasy…” The gift of Christ to sinners for the sake of sinners is beyond anything we could imagine, yet in this gift, we have eternal life today. The unimaginable, unfathomable gift of God’s love is made real for us in Christ.

Stanza 2 // If the gift of God’s love in Christ is “beyond all thought” it is often difficult for us to grasp who this One - sent from God - really is. In some cases, we turn Christ into Superman - beyond anything or anyone we know, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. In other scenarios, we might think of the Savior as the One who “humbled himself” in a way no human can understand. As the Creeds of the Church state over and over, this stanza answers our question in the middle of these two extremes. Christ came to this world as a human. In human form, we have and know God - and know eternal life in this One!

Stanza 3 // At first, this stanza sounds like a retelling of Lenten themes, but there is good news here as well! As with stanza two, we might think of the life of Christ - his temptation, his hunger, his pain - as the ultimate, humble act of God in the flesh. Unlike those who deny their needs to be glorified in the eyes of the world, Christ does these things “for us” - that the tempter might be overthrown, and we might be raised from death to life. Connecting directly with this week’s Scripture reading, Jesus says He is “glorified in [those who belong to the Father].” When sinners are made saints of Almighty God, we see God’s glory!

Stanza 4 // The fourth stanza begins with a brief acknowledgement of the words we hear this week: “For us he prayed…” Yet, this small point is the purpose of Jesus’ words! Christ prays for us, just as his teaching, work, and signs were offered that sinners might be found.

Stanza 5 // When Christ says His hour has come to be glorified, he offers these words of prayer knowing he faces the “shameful cross and death.” Yet, even this cross and his “dying breath” are for those our Lord would make His own - those who betray Him in wickedness, mockingly place on His head a crown of thorns, and crucify God’s Son. In this act, we know our own sin and God’s forgiveness.

Stanza 6 // More than a reference to Easter morning or a Bible narrative, this stanza proclaims God’s mighty acts “for us” in the resurrection, ascension, and giving of the Holy Spirit, that we might have a guide, be strengthened, and have cheer/joy in the midst of all difficulty.

Stanza 7 // Having sung six stanzas of God at work for us, the final stanza is again an outburst of joy at God’s work in the Trinity. Those who know the Son know the Father. Given ears to hear the promise of Christ by the Holy Spirit, we know the love of God - and have eternal life now! In this good news, we sing “forever and forevermore.”

SUGGESTIONS: