Amazing love! How can it be? 

(“And Can It Be,” Wesley, C., 1738)

Lord Jesus, we come to You in this holiest of weeks, with its emotional downs and ups. As we hear each story, help us to remember that things were not as they seemed to Your followers at the time.

As we hear of Your love story for us anew, help us to remember that things are not as they seem when we suffer either. 

Remind us of the gospel afresh as we look to You, Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2). For the joy that lay before You, You endured the cross (Mt. 26-27), despising and scorning the shame, regarding it as unworthy of Your thoughts (Heb. 12:2). As we take up our own crosses and follow You (Lk. 9:23), remind us of the realities of Your kingdom. Give us fresh awe and humbled wonder of our triune God’s amazing love and grace. 

And can it be that I should gain

an interest in the Savior’s blood?

Died he for me, who caused his pain?

For me, who him to death pursued?

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin (Rom. 3:23-26 NLT).

Amazing love! How can it be

that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Amazing love, how can it be?

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (Jn. 15:13 ESV).

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.

For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son (Rom. 5:8-10 NLT).

He left his Father’s throne above 

(so free, so infinite his grace!), 

humbled himself (so great his love!) 

and bled for all his chosen race! 

‘Tis mercy all, immense and free, 

for, O my God, it found out me!

I am forever free! Amazing love!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay 

fast bound in sin and nature’s night; 

thine eye diffused a quickening ray;

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; 

my chains fell off, my heart was free; 

I rose, went forth, and followed thee. 

For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins (Heb. 8:12 CSB).

As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us (Ps. 103:12 ESV).

I am eternally alive in Christ! I will never be condemned for my sin!

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, 

but whoever does not believe is condemned already, 

because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God (Jn. 3:17-18 ESV).

No condemnation now I dread!

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1 ESV).

Jesus, and all in him, is mine!

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God,

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels (Is. 61:10 ESV).

Alive in him, my living Head,

and clothed in righteousness divine…

bold I approach the eternal throne,

and claim the crown, through Christ, my own.

You are alive, the reigning Christ who is in me, my hope of glory!

[Jesus] is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2 ESV).

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight (Eph. 1:7-8 ESV).

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority (Col. 2:9-10 ESV).

‘Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies:

who can explore his strange design?

In vain the firstborn seraph tries 

to sound the depths of love divine.

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the

riches of the glory of this mystery,

which is Christ in you,

the hope of glory (Col. 1:27 ESV).

‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,

let angel minds inquire no more.

Hallelujah to You, my Lord and Savior! In Your great name of love, amen.

Encouraging you with a Christian music playlist of God’s amazing love and grace to us!

Our great God of love tells us to encourage one another with these words: 

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him (1 Thess. 5:9-10 ESV).

As those who have repented and believed, we are His saved beloved who are in Christ, living with Him as we suffer. What a gift from God.

As we walk through all the scenes of holy week, my professionally curated playlist gift encourages us with songs of our triune God’s amazing love for us, all displayed in His wonders and power with the good news of His gospel gift to us. For the joy He has set before you and me as we also suffer, let’s adore our Lord Jesus Christ this week. As His Spirit works within, let’s re-turn to Him with gratitude and praise to our Abba Father, as we walk through suffering on earth. Sign up below if this playlist of joy, love, and peace would bless you!

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