Daily Devotionals

John Gossner's Treasury

Devotional: March 6th

And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 13:6-7.

Those who loved Thee did they inflict these wounds? Those who ought to have loved Thee, the people which was called by Thy name, which before the whole world was known as knowing the true God, and was proud of that fact, and which expected His Son to come down from heaven as the Messiah, Savior and Redeemer, did that people, wound Thee, Thy so-called friends and elect, the children of Israel? Who does now wound the Lord? Now, too, it is His people, that calls itself by His name, that wants to be known as believing in Christ, as honoring and loving Him. The Gentiles do not wound Him, they know Him not. But His own, who ought to love Him, attack Him with all the weapons of sin. He lets them strike that He may heal those who strike Him. The Father also cherishes the same love to the ungrateful, and He calls down the sword of death upon His Son, upon Him who is His equal in divine nature and eternal being. What a word in the mouth of God is this, ’’Awake, O sword, strike my shepherd instead of the sheep, strike Him who is nearest and most like unto me, that those who have gone astray from me, the deeply fallen, may be brought out of the depths, out of the abyss of depravity, and near unto me. " Behold here the council of God, the judgment upon His beloved Son for your salvation! The Father called down all this suffering upon His Son, not because He did not love Him, but because they both loved man: man, who did not love them, but who hated them. O love, take our hearts captive. Here is mine.

Five bleeding wounds he bears.

Received on Calvary;

They pour effectual prayers.

They strongly speak for me;

Forgive Him, O forgive, they cry,

Nor let that ransomed sinner die!