II Corinthians 8:9
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”
Born June 23, 1894, Edward Christian was the first-born son of King George V and Queen Mary of England. Edward entered the Naval College at 12 years of age and from there continued on to Dartmouth. In 1911 Edward Christian became Prince Edward, the 20th Prince of Wales. At five minutes till midnight on Jan. 20, 1936 Edward’s father, King George V, passed away and Edward Prince of Wales became King Edward VIII, King of England. King Edward ruled the most extensive empire in world history. The British Empire controlled a quarter of the world’s population and encompassed a quarter of the earth’s total landmass. The global expanse of British territory gave birth to the reality that, “the sun never sets on the British Empire.”
During his brief reign as King, Edward enjoyed immense popularity until he made a life- changing announcement. He had fallen madly in love with and intended to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson. The British Parliament viewed Mrs. Simpson and her questionable background to be unsuitable to be the next Queen of England, and forbad Edward to make her his wife. King Edward found himself at a crossroad. He could end the engagement with Wallis and remain King of England or he could abdicate the throne and marry Wallis. He could walk away from the love of his life or he could forfeit the power, the wealth and the honor of the British throne.
On Dec. 10, 1936 King Edward the VIII announced his decision to exchange the crown of England for the hand of his bride. He announced to parliament, “I, Edward the VIII, of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Emperor of India, do hereby declare my irrevocable determination to renounce the throne for myself and for my descendants, and my desire that effect should be given to this Instrument of Abdication immediately. This decision I have made has been mine and mine alone.”
Talk about a great exchange! The only King in England’s history to voluntarily give up the throne Edward VIII exchanged royalty for insignificance, nobility for peasantry, and authority for subordination.
Two thousand years ago a king, far more significant than the King of England, made a great exchange. Moved by the love for fallen humanity Jesus, the King of Glory, abdicated his throne in heaven and entered this world as a helpless baby born in Bethlehem’s manger. He traded honor for humiliation, the worship of angels for the mockery of sinful men, a crown of jewels for a crown of thorns and a throne in heaven for a cross at Calvary. Jesus was not forced to leave heaven nor required to vacate the throne in glory but he volunteered to relinquish all that was rightfully his and assume the role of a servant.
When the redemption plans for humanity were prepared the angels witnessed the infinitely wealthy Son of God become the infinitely poor Son of Man. Jesus removed his robe of royalty, vacated the right hand of the Father and entered the human family through the womb of a teenage girl in Nazareth who wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger. As the Son of Man, Jesus borrowed a little boys lunch to feed the 5,000, he borrowed Peter’s boat to use as a pulpit, he borrowed a donkey to enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and upon his death he was placed in a borrowed tomb. Though Jesus experienced all the benefits heaven had to offer he forfeited his rightful place, abdicated his throne in heaven and came to earth for the purpose of taking the hand of one he loved.
During the six hours of crucifixion the Son of Man was stripped of his dignity and bore in his body the payment for a sin filled world. The thirst from his physical suffering would not be quenched nor would the emotional strain of separation from his Father be alleviated. Jesus’ death on the cross, consummated the great exchange for the scriptures declare “For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Jesus took our spiritual bankruptcy and exchanged it for his righteousness. He became separated from God the Father so we would never be. He endured the anguish and poverty of Calvary to cancel our indebtedness to God and ensure our eternal destiny. Perhaps the great exchange was articulated best by hymn writer William Newell who wrote, “Oh the love that drew salvations plan, oh the grace that brought it down to man, oh the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary.”
Blessings, Pastor Darrell
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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