Man of Sorrows

Easter seems so far removed this year. It may be the recent heavy snow, or the very early date, or moving our clocks ahead or who knows what. Maybe the Easter season just caught us off guard. Anyway, it is the time set aside for the remembrance of our Savior's death and resurrection. May this prophecy of Isaiah and this hymn written by Philip Bliss call to our attention the importance and magnitude of the occasion. We call it Good Friday for if Christ had not been crucified there would be no resurrection, and, as Paul said, we would be of all men, most miserable.

Isaiah 53:3
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Hallelujah, What a Savior!

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/mid/w/a/wasavior.mid

Man of Sorrows! what a name For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude, In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we; Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be? Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King, All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing: Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Philip Paul Bliss

1838 - 1876

The words and music of this hymn were written by Philip Paul Bliss, born Ju­ly 9, 1838, in Clear­field Coun­ty, Penn­syl­van­ia. He and his wife died in a tra­gic train wreck, December 29, 1876, caused by the collapse of a bridge in Ashtabula, Ohio. He sur­vived the in­i­tial im­pact, but went back in­to the flames in an un­suc­ces­sful at­tempt to res­cue his wife. The re­mains re­trieved from the Ash­ta­bu­la dis­as­ter were placed in a com­mon grave marked by a monument in the Ash­ta­bu­la Cem­e­te­ry. A monument in mem­o­ry of the Bliss­es was al­so erect­ed in the cem­e­tery at Rome, Penn­syl­vania, Ju­ly 17, 1877.

This is the Bliss home in Rome, Penn­syl­vania; now the P.P. Bliss Gos­pel Song­writ­ers’ Mu­se­um. Rome is located about 30 miles North and a little West of Carol's home at Harvey's Lake, PA. Maybe Carol will correct me if I'm wrong. Carol, have you ever been there? It's also great deer hunting territory. Ask her to tell you some of the great stories about the wild life near her home.

On this Good Friday may our thoughts center around the price Jesus paid to free us from the penalty of sin. And may we express our joy for His Resurrection. He is Risen, He is Alive!

Love you all

Gpa G