The big-name preacher I heard is unduely alarmed. Believe me, there is no danger of anybody ever thinking there was something special about him, the big-name preacher. Nobody would be that mistaken. So really, he has nothing to worry about. Besides, fussing about the word "personal" seems, to me at least, more like silly quibbling over words.
But let us recall a few things about XP:
- He personally agonized in the garden of Gethsemene.
- His closest personal friends abandoned Him in His hour of deepest need. One of them even betrayed Him.
- He personally endured beatings, insults, and mockery from many of His people's religious rulers, the very ones who should have recognized who He was.
- He personally endured the horrific scourging inflicted up Him by the Romans.
- He personally wore a crown of thorns.
- He was personally condemned to be crucified by the Romans, with the crowds shouting for it. Instead a career criminal was released.
- He personally carried His cross to Golgotha, until He was so weakened by His ordeal that Romans forced another man to carry it.
- He personally was nailed to that cross. Cruel spikes were driven through the hands and feet of His blessed person.
- He personally endured hours of agony and thirst. His mother stood by and watched in horrified helplessness.
- He personally died, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
- He was pierced by a Roman spear, and out of His person flowed blood and water. Witnesses personally saw this.
- They buried His person in a borrowed grave.
- He personally rose from the dead, on the third day, and in His very person appeared to many of His disciples.