The Stevie Wonder[ful] Gospel
Stevie Wonder? You mean the “Signed, sealed, delivered: I’m yours!” guy?
Undoubtedly, you’ve probably starting to sing this song in your head so I’ll give you a minute to “shake what yo mamma gave ya” and sing those words in your loud shower-concert voice.
You good now?
So what does Stevie Wonder have to do with the wonder that is Jesus Christ? Believe it or not, the simple lyrics of this song by Stevie sum up the Gospel and our reaction to it in a melodious nutshell. Check this out:
Signed.
When you sign something, it becomes personal. Any legal documents, papers, covenants or whatever you put your name on, you take ownership. God sent His only Son to earth in human form. How much more personal can someone get than sending their son to you? God signs off on this quest for Jesus to come to the broken earth and bring redemption, once and for all, by giving a part of him to us.
His holy signature is also ever-present in the Scripture as the words of Jesus devour the rigidity of the Law with love and grace.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” John 1:14(NIV)
Sealed.
After Jesus’ merciless death on the cross, he is placed in the tomb. Pilate, knowing of Jesus’ promise to rise on the third day, places guards in front of the tomb.
“So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard” Matthew 27:66(NIV)
The Rock of ages, placed and sealed behind a giant, powerless, earthly rock.
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.” Matthew 28: 1-2 (NIV)
Did you catch that last part?
The risen Christ actually SITS on the stone that once sealed him.
It’s not some grueling match, “Jesus vs. Stone”, that is depicted here in Matthew;
It’s pure victory.
He doesn’t roll the stone away and come out of the grave short-breathed and sweaty and physically exhausted, He comes out of the grave and SITS on the stone.
Picture this passage in your mind and let it resonate.
The act of sitting on something that once held you captive.
The resurrection of Jesus takes the seal of the stone and says “No more”.
It defies the current knowledge of death completely.
It is defiant to the cycle of the world.
Delivered.
What does this death and resurrection mean for us?
“I tell you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!
I have overcome the world” John 16:33(NIV)
It means deliverance and redemption.
It means no matter what you do, wherever you go, wherever you have been,
Wherever you’re at RIGHT NOW,
Nothing can separate you from Christ’s love.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
So right now, wherever you are, stop and rest in this truth.
What is separating you in this very moment from receiving and acknowledging the depths of God’s love?
Embrace the unconditional condition that is Christ’s undying grace and love for you.
I’m Yours!
Now that you’re beginning to realize this great love that is presently awaiting you, let me be the first to tell you,
You will never fully understand Christ’s selfless love-action on the cross that gives us unconditional grace.
Just try to capture all of the beauty, redemption, selflessness, love, sacrifice that it entailed.
If your mind isn’t completely blown and your heart isn’t exploding and your face is tearless, you’re haven’t even began to understand.
Our response to Jesus’s act of love should resound with Stevie’s words:
“I’M YOURS!”
Realize what Jesus did for you; For everyone.
He died!
In that moment, he was mortal and gave all he had for you…
Oh by the way, that was after he was flogged and beaten down and then demanded to carry his torture machine up a hill.
All for you.
One of my favorite Gospel-revealing verses in Romans 5.
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person, someone might dare to die” Romans 5:6-7
Paul is saying here that it is very rare that someone will die for a righteous person.
Imagine someone you would die for…
Now imagine dying for a complete stranger who fails constantly and who turns their back on you willingly.
That’s what Jesus did for you.
Run all of this through your head:
He came.
He died.
He rose.
He delivered.
You.
So what’s holding you back from surrendering out to this amazing grace, this unfailing love?
Let the Lord demolish those walls keeping you from Him and belt out these words in that loud shower-concert voice, unashamed;
“I’M YOURS”
