In Part III of “His Sufferings Were Before Your Eyes” (HSWBYE), the series of posts I have been doing on selections from the Church Fathers on the passion of Christ, I included a quote from Clement of Alexandria:
“Death, where is thy sting?" And we eat grapes from thorns, and figs from thistles… -Clement of Alexandria, Paedagogus, Book 2
This series of posts thus far has reminded me of the greatness of the love of Christ in laying His life down for us. We will never reach the bottom of that greatness, but as the hymn-writer says, “I can glory in its flood.”
In the next few days I will post the fourth part of HSWBYE, but until then here are a few thoughts from the above quotation from Clement of Alexandria.
Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (Matthew 7:16)
Christ was pierced for our transgressions1, crushed for our sins. He was condemned, that we may be pardoned. We live by his death. With his wounds, we are healed.
Men do not gather grapes from thorns.
But from among the thorns that were to Him an affliction, a cruelty, and a grief, we have picked grapes.
We pluck from those thorns a cluster of grapes that even two men together cannot carry2.
We pluck from those thorns grapes that will never sour3, for they are the source of the New Wine4 of the New Covenant5, poured from New Wineskins and lifted up while singing the New Song6.
Samson drew out the honey from the carcass of a lion, which he had slain7. We draw salvation, redemption, adoption and life eternal from the Lion of the Tribe of Judah8, who was rejected by us and slain, and behold, is alive forevermore9.
From a shameful execution among criminals, a branch shoots forth for David10, whose kingdom will have no end.
The stone had no beauty that we should desire11. That stone, that the builders rejected, has become the cornerstone12.
The rod of authority that was rejected is the rod that buds and flowers13.
The Lord has gone to prepare a place for us14. In His Father’s house are many mansions that we did not build, and vineyards that we did not plant15, that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus16.
And He will not drink the blood of the grape again until He drinks it anew with His disciples in His Father’s kingdom17. With a crown of glory on His head.
This week my friend Daniel from The Robison Family Workshop made me this engraving of my logo on cedarwood. Check out thier great work here, and support a great Christian business.
Here are the previous installments form His Sufferings Were Before Your Eyes. Subscribe to get the future installments.
Isaiah 53:5
Numbers 13:23
Exodus 20:5
Luke 5:38
Luke 22:20
Isaiah 42:10
Judges 14:8
Revelation 5:5
Revelation 1:8
Jeremiah 23:5
Isaiah 53:2
1 Peter 2:7
Numbers 17:8-9
John 14:3
Deuteronomy 6:11
Ephesians 2:7
Matthew 26:29