Dear Editor:

The late rock ‘n roll Hall-of-Famer Leonard Cohen mostly erred in his description of God’s Gift to humanity to wit:

“And Jesus was a sailor when He walked upon the water

And he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower

And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see Him

He said, ‘All men shall be sailors then, until the sea shall free them’

But he Himself was broken, long before the sky would open

Forsaken, almost human, He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone.”

Before an analysis of Cohen’s verses, remember Simeon’s words regarding God’s most precious Gift:  “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel.”-Luke 2:29-32

And now for the analysis:  “And he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower.”:

Actually, it was six hours — 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  — that Jesus endured the assault of sinners on Golgotha.

The great Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis once wrote, “And it is this, I believe, that most modern Christians need to be reminded of. It seems to me that I seldom meet any strong or exultant sense of the continued, never-to-be-abandoned, humanity of Christ in glory, in eternity. We stress the Humanity too exclusively at Christmas, and the Deity too exclusively after the Resurrection; almost as if Christ once became a man and then presently reverted to being simply God.”

Simeon also spoke of Jesus’ death as he lifted the baby up before his parents and blessed God saying:  “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also),  that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”-Luke 2:28, 34-35

“And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see Him, He said, ‘All men shall be sailors then, until the sea shall free them.”:

Not the sea, but Jesus himself delivers:  “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”-John 8:31-32  “Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”-John 12:31-32 “This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”-John 6:50-51

“But he Himself was broken, long before the sky would open”:

Nay! “Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. As many were astonished at him his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men …”-Isaiah 50:13-14 “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”-Matthew 27:45-46, 5:3 “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”-Matthew 24:34-36 “In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs.”-Hebrews 1:1-4  Valiant to save!

Jesus lived by revelation from the Father and when “the end” was revealed to him on the cross, he wailed his prayer for an answer from God that expressed his perfect obedience under the most egregious conditions by reason of the authority God granted to him at his baptism to judge all by reason of the life God granted him to have in himself.-John 5:17-32 In so doing, he condemned sin in the flesh under conditions devised by sinners to prove him to be a fraud.-Hebrews 12:1-3 At this time, Jesus perfected our faith by confessing his need for God triumphantly claiming the kingdom of heaven on earth.-Matthew 5:3,10, 5 “It is finished.”-John 19:30 “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!”-Luke 23:46 Jesus lived by revelation and so must we.-Matthew 11:25-30 Jesus’ words of spirit and life effected the dispelling of the shroud of darkness occasioned by this ultimate crisis–his crucifixion. Jesus knew that he was not to perish in the destruction of the world.-John 3:11-21, 10:17-18 “They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.”-John 8:27-29

Earlier he had prayed, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify thy name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.'”-John 12:27-28 Throughout his life, Jesus fulfilled the Great Commandment under every circumstance designed for him to repudiate it.-Hebrews 10:4-21, Matthew 4:1-11

“Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone.”:

Nay! Jesus was wholly human showing forth God’s wisdom, joining heaven and earth as the domicile of the Triune God as the Son of man, the rock and the redeemer, holy, Son of God.-John 3:15-16 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.”-John 1:14

Ultimately, Jesus’ prayers on the cross adjudicated and sustained the status of the universe as the Triune God’s eternal abode first announced by the angel at his birth:  “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you:  you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”-Luke 2:10-13

William M. Yavelak

Belmont