He Died for His Wife

My Grandparents, Edward and Helen Losli

My grandparents had a wonderful, yet interesting marriage. The last decades of their lives they had what seemed to be a well-timed trade off.

My grandmother had many serious heart ailments and multiple heart surgeries from the time I was old enough to know what those terms meant. But as far as I know, my grandfather was in great health, but that changed as they aged. When my grandmother’s health failed, my grandfather was strong; but when he became ill and incapacitated, she was surprisingly strong.

My grandfather lived for my grandmother, but he didn’t die for her.

The Bible describes the relationship between Christ Jesus and the Church as like that of husband and wife. Yet there is a vast difference between Him and the Church and earthly husbands and wives. Jesus suffered more for the Church than any human husband has ever suffered.

Jesus suffered the loss of all He possessed, surrendering His splendor as Heaven’s born Prince to shelter in the womb of a servant girl. The King became a pauper by choice.

The Glory of God became a helpless Babe, a rough-handed Carpenter, a Suffering Servant and Man of Sorrows. He was humiliated, despised, and crucified between thieves. The Creator who adorned the blackness of space with flickering stars by the word of His power, was crowned with bloody thorns. The Friend to sinners died to make us friends of God.

Without concern for His own welfare, Jesus, the Bridegroom plunged into the ocean depths of the Father’s wrath to become the rescue for His bride.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her (Ephesians 5:25).

Blessed be the Fountain – Eden Reeder Latta (1881)

Blessed be the Fountain of blood,
To a world of sinners revealed;
Blessed be the dear Son of God –
Only by His stripes we are healed.
Tho I’ve wandered far from His fold,
Bringing to my heart pain and woe,
Wash me in the blood of the Lamb,
And I shall be whiter than snow.

Chorus ~
Whiter than the snow,
Whiter than the snow,
Wash me in the blood of the Lamb,
And I shall be whiter than snow.

Thorny was the crown that He wore,
And the cross His body o’ercame;
Grievous were the sorrows He bore,
But He suffered thus not in vain.
May I to that Fountain be led,
Made to cleanse my sins here below;
Wash me in the blood that He shed,
And I shall be whiter than snow.

Father, I have wandered from Thee,
Often has my heart gone astray;
Crimson do my sins seem to me—
Water cannot wash them away.
Jesus, to the Fountain of Thine,
Leaning on Thy promise, I go;
Cleanse me by Thy washing divine,
And I shall be whiter than snow.

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The Cross is Not Greater – Ballington Booth (1892)

The cross that He gave may be heavy,
But it ne’er outweighs His grace;
The storm that I feared may surround me,
But it ne’er excludes His face.

Refrain:
The cross is not greater than His grace,
The storm cannot hide His blessed face;
I am satisfied to know
That with Jesus here below,
I can conquer ev’ry foe.

The thorns in my path are not sharper
Than composed His crown for me;
The cup which I drink not more bitter
Than He drank in Gethsemane.

The light of His love shineth brighter,
As it falls on paths of woe;
The toil of my work groweth lighter,
As I stoop to raise the low.

His will I have joy in fulfilling,
As I’m walking in His sight;
My all to the blood I am bringing,
It alone can keep me right.

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me (Luke 9:23)

Are You Weary, Are You Languid – John Mason Neale (1862)

Art thou weary, are you languid,
Art thou sore distrest?
“Come to Me,” saith One, “and, coming,
Be at rest.”

Hath He marks to lead me to Him,
If He be my Guide?
“In His feet and hands are wound-prints,
And His side.”

Is there diadem, as Monarch,
That His brow adorns?
“Yea, a crown, in very surety,
But of thorns.”

If I still hold closely to Him,
What hath He at last?
“Sorrow vanquished, labor ended,
Jordan passed.”

If I ask Him to receive me,
Will He say me nay?
“Not till earth and not till heaven
Pass away.”

Finding, following, keeping, struggling,
Is He sure to bless?
“Saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs,
Answer, ‘Yes.'”

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)

The Head that Once was Crowned with Thorns – Thomas Kelly (1820)

The head that once was crowned with thorns,
Is crowned with glory now, is crowned with glory now;
A royal diadem adorns the mighty Victor’s brow,
The mighty Victor’s brow.

Refrain –
He lives, He lives, I know that my Redeemer lives!
He lives, He lives, I know that my Redeemer lives!

The highest place that Heaven affords,
Is His by sovereign right, is His by sovereign right;
The King of kings, the Lord of lords and Heaven’s eternal Light,
And Heaven’s eternal Light.

The joy of all who dwell above,
The joy of all below, the joy of all below,
To whom He manifests His love, and grants His name to know,
And grants His name to know.

To them the Cross, with all its shame,
With all its grace is given, with all its grace is given;
Their name, an everlasting name, their joy, the joy of Heaven,
Their joy, the joy of Heaven.

The Cross He bore is life and health,
Though shame and death to Him, though shame and death to Him;
His people’s hope, His people’s wealth, their everlasting theme,
Their everlasting theme.

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25)