Jesus Christ made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him (Phi 2:7-9 NIV)

The legislator demonstrates how serious the law is, by subjecting himself to the punishment of the law and simultaneously also the inexpressible love as he frees the guilty by taking on his penalty vicariously. The world judge shows how severe the sentence is so that he does not have to condemn those, who had transgressed in the first place. Look at him as he enters Jerusalem until he dies on the cross! Where is a servant like him? I don’t know anyone comparable. Yet if there was somebody like that I and countless others too would condemn him also and again for there is no servant like him. I call upon Pilate, the most unjust judge to be my witness, whether it is like that or not. He will not call me a liar, neither will the other countless victims in hell. No, there was nobody like him and there is none like him either. His name is above all names. Heaven, earth and hell are at his feet and all confess in unison that he is the Lord of all – to the glory of God the Father.

All praise and worship him! I may not miss to join this choir. Lord Jesus, holy servant, take me and humble me, making me merciful and kind. Let my worship you eternally! Amen.

I beg that Jesus bloody wounds would always heal and gladden my heart. Even if there’s still lots of reason to sorrow and weep until he comes, he already knows and heals all pain!

Even if he’s the most despised, he’s for me the most beautiful. I can’t get enough of him as my one and only Lord and God, lovely Jesus now and forever.

And as I sing the Psalms to his honour and glory, I praise his wounds and bitter pain, yes even his dying horrors – it was all to set us free from sin again and bring us home.  

I have lived through ages and been to many places. Nothing has occupied my heart as this on Golgotha, when Jesus died for all to return them to life and everlasting salvation as his own. (Christian Renatus Graf von Zinzendorf 1727-1752)

This is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Monday after Palmsunday (6th Sunday in Lent). The hymn was translated more literally than poetically. Both are found on Pg. 153 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.