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stands in the synagogue in His own home town.
He returns in power to announce His reign.
The power of heaven to the earth comes down.
Satan’s loss is mankind’s gain.
But the blind see only what they knew before.
They will not acknowledge the Prince of Peace.
They seek His death who brings life and more,
Opposing Him who makes wars to cease.
From Nazareth’s precipice Him they would hurl.
But they cannot undo what God is doing.
The jewel of God, heaven’s costly pearl,
They foolishly refuse; righteousness eschewing.
Oh Nazareth town! How can you do it?
This righteous man is one of your own.
As He heals your sick you may easily view it.
The child you nurtured is your God full-grown.
Here is your Savior, and you know Him not.
This is your source of life and light.
God in the flesh without sin’s blot
Is the light of the world shining into your night.
You’re missing your chance, you poor, little village.
Can you not see beyond your nose?
Look up from your sod. Ignore your tillage.
Before you stands the man God chose.
He would, said the prophet, be a Nazarite.
Didn’t you read and see for yourself?
You should have been waiting to receive His light.
The book of Isaiah was on your shelf.
He left them behind as He often leaves
All unbelievers to receive their fate.
The Man of Sorrows quietly grieves,
But takes His blessing to those who wait.
Capernaum is next in line to receive
If not unworthy themselves they deem.
His gospel He preaches for all to believe
Unless they think God’s promise extreme.
Disciples He calls to follow and learn
To become apostles of truth and grace.
He teaches them faith, and with love to turn
The hearts of people to seek God’s face.
For God is our Father as we must know
Who loves us and desires to show us favor.
The power of God to save He will show
From the open hands of Christ, our Savior.
Those hands that heal and raise the dead,
That open deaf ears and loose the dumb tongue,
That are lifted to see five thousand fed,
Will be nailed to the cross when God’s Son is hung.
The power that enters the world with Him
Will change all things from nature to glory.
It’s the power of love over sin so grim
To change the plot of sin’s sad story.
At Cana of Galilee a marriage feast
Runs dry and the celebration ends.
The Son of God with heavenly yeast
Brews His New Wine and new joy begins.
O Galilee! Your light has come.
The people who sat in darkness may see
The embrace of heavenly love to some,
The breaking of chains to set others free.
And you, Capernaum, the king shall upbraid.
The men of Sodom were smarter than you.
They would have rejoiced where you are afraid
To receive the Savior and His gospel so true.
You saw in your churches a withered hand
Restored to wholeness and normal strength.
A broken lady unable to stand
Had her back released to regular length.
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So what, it’s the Sabbath, God’s holy day?
This is God’s own Son doing God’s good will.
For a trifle you trash, like birds of prey,
These precious treasures, and Christ, you would kill.
Through Samaria He goes, that country despised
By self-righteous God-haters who will not receive
What God graciously offers. To their great surprise
Christ convicts a woman who decides to believe.
The whole city believes and begs Him to stay.
Two days He tarries and lays the foundations
Of the spread of His gospel for another day.
When He’s done in Judea, He’ll go to the nations.
In Nain town a widow’s son
Is carried cold and laid on a bier.
With pity and power a victory’s won.
Death flees when the Son of God draws near.
Love’s power has come that reforms all things.
Christ’s love is stronger than the devil’s hate.
The human soul acquires new wings
That the Son of Man manifests as great.
What more could we ask than to live forever?
What a wonderful life in the grace of God.
Because of Christ man’s beauty will never
Be lost beneath the grave’s cruel clod.
On to Judea the Savior Marches,
Knowing the cross awaits Him there.
Gethsemane’s night will blaze with torches
That cast long shadows flickering everywhere.
But He crosses the Jordan near Jericho,
That ancient city where Joshua cursed
Any man who dared to rebuild from below
That ground where firstborn babies lay crushed.
Christ will take every curse and grief
And exhaust its power through the blood of His cross.
The Firstborn of God waves the first fruits sheaf
Over all the land to redeem all loss.
Below the ground to the heart of the earth
The Man from Heaven will descend to the grave.
Rising triumphant, He will bring new birth
To the victims of sin that He came to save.
Zacchaeus small has climbed a tree
To see the Savior pass his way.
So rich, but humble, he yearns to be free
From the curse of money that heavily lay
On his broken heart. For a false accuser
He confessed to have been to extract more taxes
Than ever were owed. This power abuser
Repents and forswears his wicked practices.
Our righteous king has called for equity
For all the earth and its many poor.
He breaks the bonds of legal iniquity.
Zacchaeus is the first of many, for sure.
This wilderness rises from below the sea.
Jericho’s in the depth of depravity and sin.
To Jerusalem’s height where the cross must be
Our Savior climbs to bring sin to an end.
He passes the place where a certain Samaritan
Became a neighbor to a man he found.
By pouring his wine in the wounds of just this one
He touched Christ’s heart and became renowned.
Those who help others are the Savior’s favored.
Ignoring pain can receive His curse.
The Samaritan’s wine to our Savior savored
Of the blood He would give to bring sin’s reverse.
Into our wounds the wine He pours
That came from His veins in perfect purity.
Out from our hearts His Spirit soars
From heart to heart in love’s community.
There can be no love greater than this from Jesus.
He sweetly laid down His life for His friends.
Discounting the cost He willingly frees us
From death’s dark curse, and our doom suspends.
From the wilderness He rises to Bethany.
Lazarus, His friend, has perished poor.
But a certain rich man in hell in agony
Now yearns for the gospel’s open door.
He had hardened his heart and turned his face.
But Abraham’s bosom awaits those
who care.
Lazarus fell on the arms of grace
And took his next breath in heaven’s sweet air.
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Then wonder of all, he was called back to earth,
To witness that Jesus is surely the Christ,
That man lives again because of Christ’s worth,
That to heaven and glory we should all be enticed.
Many, in awe of his raising, believed.
They saw that Jesus is God’s Holy Son.
The Son of God and man they received.
Their victory over the grave and death is won.
But, others as hardened as the man in hell,
Sought to kill Jesus and Lazarus too.
How dark is this evil, who can tell?
They sought resurrection to life to undo.
A traitor they found with a heart so greedy
That the Lord of Life to death would betray.
He desired Mary’s incense to give to the needy.
No worship he saw, only money’s assay.
A thief he was and bare the bag
and purloined the things that were put therein.
He lied when he said for the poor he would tag
What Mary would pour on those feet again.
Another woman had bathed with tears
The feet of her savior and wiped with her hair
In repentant grief, ignoring the jeers
Of self-righteous men who knew not how to care.
But the Savior cares when we bow with love.
He knows when our hearts are broken with sorrow.
To convert poor sinners He came from above
To bring to us all a brighter tomorrow.
Lazarus lives. Mary rejoices.
She loved her brother and her Savior too.
Judas is wicked to ignore the voices
That call to him for his heart to renew.
Her costly spikenard more precious on Jesus,
No chance like this will come again,
Wisely she lavishes her love and now seizes
The moment of truth and lays hold on her friend.
He is life eternal, as lately He told her.
On life lay hold we are counseled by Paul.
Do we bow like Mary, our cross to shoulder?
Shall we come to the Lord at His gospel call?
It’s the gospel Christ said, and when we preach
The love of Mary will testify
That she anointed Jesus while she could reach
His heart, before they could crucify.
Up to the Temple the Son of God
Rode on a donkey, a little foal.
So light the burden that it needed no prod.
Its Creator empowered it to reach His goal.
The little children could see the light.
“Hosanna’, they cried, “to the Son of David”.
Jerusalem’s king brought clarity of sight
And wisdom to the young who to worship were avid.
When age is blind God gives sight to the young.
A silent voice reveals a hard heart.
Praise to the king is sure to be sung.
Like the incense of Mary each sings his own part.
In the Temple the King