It always amazes me to think about how much God loves me. I never get over the thought of it. I don’t know me as well as he does, but I do know me well enough to know that there’s nothing in me that deserves His incredible love. The fact that he can love me is such an expression of not only His mercy and His grace, but His holiness. The word holy means, ‘to be set apart; distinct; unique; other; uncommon.’ 1John says that His love is “foreign.” It is foreign in that it can’t be found anywhere else in this fallen world. No matter how great a human love you’ve experienced in this life, it is still a poor reflection of the love of God. Today we begin the final march toward next Fridays great expression of God’s infinite love. At the Cross, as we gaze upon the crucified Christ, we will once again discover how far God was willing to go to reveal His love for us. This week is called Passion week and we wear red vestments, not just as a symbol of His blood to be shed on the Cross, but as a symbol of the burning passion in His heart for you and me that drove Him to the Cross. This week above all weeks we encounter His uniqueness, His otherness, for no one could ever love like this. During this week of His Passion He sets Himself apart as God who is love. We think that it’s His sinlessness that declares His holiness, and that is true, but it’s also His character, and His activity that reveal His distinctiveness. Having said that, I believe that the ultimate revelation of who He is in His extraordinary Otherness, is His great burning heart for fallen people revealed in this week of His Passion. Have a great day this Palm Sunday celebrating and worshiping the Christ for His burning heart, and transforming love; His holiness.
