Sonnets of the Savior

The Incarnation The Word who spoke the stars into their places Now lies within a virgin's humble womb The King of ages wears a baby's graces And heaven's glory finds a cattle room The infinite becomes a span of flesh The timeless enters time's relentless flow The maker of all worlds accepts the mesh Of human life and all its grief and woe What wonder that the Son would condescend To dwell with those He made from dust and breath And not as tyrant but as servant bend To walk the road that leads through sin and death So let all flesh be silent and adore The God who came to earth and opened heaven's door His Tears He wept beside the tomb of Lazarus dead And felt the sting of death that sin had wrought His tears were not for show but truly shed For love that bears the burden grief has brought He wept as well for stubborn Jerusalem That killed the prophets and would kill the Son And longed to gather them as chicks to Him But they refused the love that could be won The Son of God, who knew no sin or sorrow Entered our grief and made it fully His That He might comfort us today and tomorrow And teach us tears are part of what love is So when our eyes grow dim with mortal pain We find in Him a tear that falls like rain The Cross The thorns that pierced His brow were once our curse The nails that held His hands were shaped by sin The spear that pierced His side made mercy burst And let the river of all grace begin He hung between the earth and angry heaven Bearing the wrath that we ourselves had earned And cried, forgive, for sins that should be seven Times seventy, and more, and more, and burned With holy fire upon the tree of shame Where God forsook the Son He loved so well That we might never know that dreadful flame But dwell where sin and death can never dwell The cross stands at the center of all time And there the Son has paid the sinner's crime The Resurrection The stone was rolled away but not for Him For He had passed through death as through a door And left the graveclothes folded neat and trim As one who rises to be clothed once more The women came with spices for the dead And found an angel sitting where He lay Who said, He is not here, but go instead And tell the world that death has lost its prey The firstfruits of the sleepers in the dust Has risen with an imperishable frame And all who trust in Him, as trust they must Will rise in glory bearing His own name So death, where is your victory and sting When Christ is risen and is Lord and King His Return He will descend as lightning splits the sky And every eye shall see the Son of Man The trumpet blast that signals death will die And heaven's long appointed age begin No longer veiled in servant's form He comes But riding on the clouds with power and might And all the scattered saints He gathers home From every tribe and nation clothed in white The bride has made herself already ready And longs to hear the Bridegroom at the door Her lamps are trimmed, her heart is firm and steady For she has heard His voice and longs for more Even so, come quickly, Lord, the Spirit cries And every faithful heart joins in and sighs