Brooklands Gospel Centre
Dundonald, Northern Ireland
Worthy is the LAMB that was slain
Revelation 5:12
The Bowed Head
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished; and he bowed
his head and gave up his spirit.” -
The bowing of the head was a significant act of total control. All around the Lord was confusion and mayhem. But He, alone, knew what was being accomplished. The original word for BOW is ‘KLINO’ and it will be helpful to look briefly at the other three references to this word in the New Testament.
1. “Foxes have holes, birds have their nests, but the Son of Man has not where to
LAY (bow) his head” -
This speaks of HOMELESSNESS! John 1:12 speaks of Him coming to His own things and His own people not receiving Him.
‘Wandering as a homeless stranger in the world His hands had made”.
But now fixed to this tree of unresting agony, the symbol of earth’s rejection, He
lays His head -
Finally He is at REST.
2. “And they constrained him saying Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and
the day is now FAR SPENT (the day is bowed)" -
The sun has set, another days labour has ended, the workman can now be at rest. What a marvelous picture of what was happening at that momentous moment on Golgotha. On crying ACCOMPLISHED, He demonstrated that:
HE FULFILLED HIS FATHER’S WILL.
This is the high point in the death Of Christ, He carried out the Divine commission to the letter. He fully told out the love of God for a lost world.
HE MET THE CLAIMS OF A BROKEN LAW.
At every turn and in every age man had rebelled again God’s holy law. The law demanded that the “soul that sins would die”. Now in the work on the Cross as the day sets, He assumes the guilt of a broken law and suffers the penalty:
DEATH.
“He saved others, he cannot saved himself” they taunted. But they never spoke truer words!
HE MADE RECONCILIATION POSSIBLE
The great truth of the atonement is that, as the Apostle Paul puts it, “We are reconciled
to God by the death of his son” -
HE DESTROYED THE WORKS OF SATAN
There is no better commentary on this than the words of scripture, "He destroyed
principalities and powers… and made a show of them openly” -
“He destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and delivered them
who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage!” -
As the Saviour bows His head in death these tasks, each of them awesome, have been ACCOMPLISHED so He NOW can rest!
3. Our final reference to ‘ KLINO’ is Hebrews 11:34 “……TURNED TO FLIGHT (bowed) the armies of the aliens” .
This is VICTORY!!
Mission accomplished; sin judged and the enemy of souls routed! He is now our LORD
JESUS the CHRIST. “The Captain (PIONEER) of salvation, leading many sons to glory”
-
WITH VICTORY ASSURED HE BOWS HIS HEAD ON HIS BREAST AND DISMISSES HIS SPIRIT.
And when He comes in bright array,
And leads the conquering line,
It will be glory then to say,
That He’s a friend of mine.
DREW CRAIG