The Fragrance of God's Crushed Rose

 

by Barbara Latta

Flowers are the most popular Valentine’s Day gift. Florists work tirelessly to fill orders and deliver the precious floral displays of love.

The perfume of flowers permeates the air in rooms where they are displayed. Vases overflow with colorful blooms decorated with shiny ribbons. Delivery drivers take special care to ensure their precious cargo arrives at the destination with no damage.

Doorbells ring and excited recipients receive the expensive and beautiful presentations which express love and affection. Oohs and aahs followed by toothy smiles greet the delivery person.

But what if you opened the door and instead of a crystal vase filled with abundant blooms you received a box of rose petal pieces? Would you think that gift reflected love?

If you read a card on the box that said, “Please accept these crushed rose petals as a token of my love to you,” what would you think?

Would you be insulted or think it was a joke?

The Father in heaven presented a crushed rose to humanity--and it was no joke. And not in a flower box, but in the body of His Son.

Jesus’ life exuded the essence of His Father’s love. Everything he did brought health and wholeness to those He touched.

But His death was more fragrant than His life.

Mankind’s sin pounded God’s Rose and the effusion of salvation released a pleasing incense to God.

But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. (Isaiah 53:10-11 NLT)

In His death, Christ bore the wrath of His Father’s judgment against sin. We think of death as a stench, but to God this death brought a pleasing aroma because it paid for the sin of mankind.

Crushed flower petals release more fragrance than when they are still attached to the stems. A smashed petal loses it’s physical beauty, but the perfume that drifts from the fragments present to us a more beautiful gift. 

Only Christianity’s God gave His Son as a human sacrifice. The greatest love the world has ever known exuded its scent through the crushing weight of our deliverance. The stench of sin pulverized the Rose of Sharon's body. The cross was not beautiful, but it was fragrant. The beautiful smell of salvation. 

Resurrection brought God’s Rose back to life. Because He was crushed, we can live whole.

If you are gifted with a floral bouquet this Valentine’s Day, may the petals bring to your remembrance the fragrance of God’s crushed Rose because He loves you so much.

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39 NLT)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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In His death, Christ bore the wrath of His Father’s judgment against sin. We think of death as a stench, but the fragrance of heaven’s crushed Rose drifted to the Father and paid for the sin of mankind. (click to tweet)