WOOD & IRON. (A Blog for Easter). Pts. 1-3

I previously wrote a blog on the wherewithal of God to participate in a new experience.

Following is an excerpt.

You might find it surprising if I were to tell you that it is possible for God to have a new experience. At least, the Creator of the universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Supreme Ruler, the “I AM,” the Bright and Morning Star, the Everlasting God once participated in an experience which He’d never before known
…when Christ, the Son of God submitted to the will of His Father, allowed the most dramatic limitation of His Person and power of all time, was in some inexplicable way reduced to the microscopic size of a fertilized human egg, matured as a fetus in a human womb, was born of a virgin named ‘Mary,’ suckled at his mother’s breasts, and lived in obscurity for three decades; prior to His advent and introduction to public ministry.
Jesus Christ, who along with His Father and the Holy Spirit participated in the very creation of the universe, voluntarily limited Himself, and embraced a new experience unlike anything He’d ever known in the eons, and ultimately gave Himself over to the sacrificial death of the cross.
The Eternal God, Jesus Christ, the spirit being who, prior to His advent on the earth, possessed the power to manifest Himself anywhere and everywhere, limited Himself and dwelt among us, and experienced something unique to Himself; becoming the God-man. As much God as man. As much man as God. And He has seen fit to retain His earthly, nail-pierced body forevermore, (and despite His power) has forevermore limited Himself to occupying one human-sized bit of space at any given time.
I love the passage of scripture which assures us of Christ’ humanness and empathy for His creation.
“We have not a high priest who cannot be touched by the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

Pt. 2

Interestingly enough, (and as I have previously inferred) God, the Son not only experienced something new in His metamorphosis from a spirit being to mortal man, but He continued to submit Himself to new experiences (plural) for the space of a third of a century.
Tomorrow is Easter, at least the day we celebrate Easter, and I am scheduled to participate in a dramatic production which my church is hosting. Given that fact, yesterday I drove the ten or twelve minutes which geographically separates me from my place of worship, and participated in a practice session. (It suddenly occurs to me how far Jesus came, from the throne of heaven to the sphere called earth, to assure the privilege of my being able to do so).
As I stepped from my car, and walked towards the sanctuary double doors, I noticed that someone had recently changed the wording on the church sign.
“Three Nails and a Cross"
And thus, the title of what was then a future manuscript came to me.
“Wood & Iron”
And, subsequently, a scripture passage sprang to mind.
“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.” (Hebrews 1:10-12)
I have never thought of the crucifixion in quite the same way before, but not only did Jesus, as a spirit being, submit Himself to a fleshly body and the eternal finiteness of existing in only one place at any given time, but He also submitted Himself to the very elements which He, Himself, originally created.
Quite obviously, Christ was manhandled badly by the Roman guards as they slammed a crown of thorns down on His head, and lashed Him with a whip ‘til, it has been theorized, His very innards were exposed.

Pt. 3

My first pastor used a phrase which often followed something someone conjectured, and which denoted a moment of reflection, and which I have never forgotten.
“Think of that.”
As I have indicated earlier, yesterday I experienced one of those “think of that” moments.
Not only did Jesus submit Himself to being confined within and limited by a body of flesh, but He submitted Himself to His creation; who walked around in bodies very much like His own. And not only did He submit Himself to flesh and blood, but to the inanimate elements which He created; when He created everything that was created.
After all, those thorns were plucked from a bush, and the grisly whip included the hide of a farm animal; (one of those same creatures which had been sacrificed in His honor in the Old Testament). And this was only the beginning of His submission.
For now, He was forced to drag a heavy cross along the Via de la Rosa; steadily upwards and towards the site of His execution. (“Think of that”). Two stout beams of wood which only days before had been some cedar or sycamore tree growing on some Judean hillside.
Having reached the summit of Golgotha the Roman soldiers rudely slammed the cross onto the ground, and spread-eagled the Savior upon it. And then, selecting three iron nails from a small pile of gruesome spikes, the guards set about the task at hand. Bang! Bang! Bang! The hammer came down upon the head of those three nails, piercing Christ’ left and right wrists, (yes, wrists), and having doubled the Savior’s feet, one upon another, the operation was replicated.
Flesh and blood, thorns, the skin of animals, wood, iron. Animate and inanimate objects created by and for God’s glory. Subservient things. Subservient to the will of the Creator.
To which God, the Son for a season subserviated Himself. Momentarily subservient to His creation …for a purpose.
Having experienced one final, excruciating experience for the purpose of …redeeming fallen mankind to Himself.


“We have not a high priest who cannot be touched by the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all ways tempted like as we; yet without sin.


Let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy for our failures, and grace to help in the time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Wood & Iron

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 53. Copyright pending

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