STATELY STEP

Advancing, undaunted,
Jesus, portrayed by John,
Face down the Pharisees,
Faced Pilate, went forth - to
Golgotha - bearing the cross; lion
Turning not aside for any.

But Mark shows Him advancing
In service; forthright still
For God's will and men's blessing,
Bound to bondmanship, caring,
Doing all things well - one
Girt in the loins.

Reverting to prayer, reverting,
As custom, to the mount of Olives
He went - in Luke's account -
Separated from sinners, yet for them,
With the stately step right
For the he-goat.

On the royal line,
Legally and morally, goes
In divinely chosen comeliness
Through Matthew's account: a king -
Then, now, and coming - against whom
None can rise up.

KING

The magi came to bow before the child

“King of the Jews”, although His nation scorned

His royalty, and were not reconciled.

The regal grace by which He was adorned

Was not of man; His glory was unique,

When He was entering Jerusalem,

Acclaimed by man, borne on an ass, but meek

And ready to lay down His life for them.

None can rise up against Him: Satan's spear

Is broken, and He quelled the sword of death:

The righteous King shall, when He shall appear

Consume the lawless one with His mouth's breath.

He will arise with healing in His wings

For men, the Lord of lords and King of kings.

1 May 2015

HE-GOAT

“Into the mountain” Jesus went to pray

Before His choosing of the twelve, as when

The he-goat picks its solitary way

Among the heights; and He went thus again

To be transfigured, shining as the light

For chosen ones to see. And was abroad

Upon the mount of Olives that He might

Have undisturbed communion with His God.

A he-goat is a sacrificial beast

Fit for a prince, who would be covered by

Atonement through its blood made by the priest:

For our atonement Jesus walked to die.

But now He draws us to those heights apart

Where His joy leaps, to satisfy His heart.

(Leviticus 4: 22-26; Song of Songs 2: 8)

HORSE

A horse girt in the loins goes by the will

Of him who caused it to be harness. He

Live on the principle of hearing till,

Moved by the Father's purpose and decree,

He suffered on the cross. But He had served

The weakest and most needy of mankind,

While in His life below He never swerved

From doing what was in the Father's mind.

And still He serves: He serves as Advocate

Before the Father, as Priest for all our days

Of need, and for the Father's heart: how great

That it is He who leads the Father's praise!

And while we wait for Him the Spirit joins

His help to faithful saints “girt in the loins”.

26 May 2015 Worcester

LION

So as a lion mighty among beasts,

Which turneth not aside for any, Christ

Walked here, and, shunning pharisaic feasts,

Pursued the way that set His people free:

He did not turn away from Satan's wiles

Or enmity, or men's assaults, the cross,

Death, or the grave: the way that reconciles

To God entailed such triumph and such loss.

The Father honours Him, and thus He sits

Upon the throne of Him, who has delight

To choose the entourage of men He fits

To share the portion of the saints in light.

While He gives grace that in an evil day

His lion-hearted men won't turn away.

19 April 2015 Bedford

COMELY IN GOING

Proverbs 30: 29-31

(John 19: 17)

“And he went out” -

“A lion … which turneth not away

For any” - bearing his cross”.

(Mark 10: 45)

“For also the Son of man” -

“A horse girt in the loins” -

Came “to minister”.

(Luke 9: 28)

“He went up” - “the he-goat” -

“into the mountain

To pray”.

(Matt 24: 30)

“And they shall see the Son of man”

-”A king

Against whom none can rise up” -

“Coming in the clouds of heaven

With power and great glory”

20 April 2015

Having written this I called to mind that I had earlier written this:

http://dcbverse.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/stately-step.html