Okay, this is not something new. In fact, it's really pretty old now, but it's on my heart again because it was written shortly before Easter back when I originally wrote it. It's from 1992 or 1993. March. It was originally written to be read in a church service. Let me know what you think. Here you go:
Well, God knew you were going to be here today. In fact, He worked everything out so that you WOULD be here today, because He wants to tell you something if you will open your heart and listen. God loves you! He picked out EVERY characteristic about you out of the millions of characteristics possible. He chose all of them just for YOU because they were required for His perfect plan for your life. And, not only did he hand-pick your personality, physical appearance, emotions, etc., He also planned exactly when you would be born. Out of all the centuries, decades, years, and minutes, He chose the EXACT moment that you were born. And He knows every heartache you will feel, every disappointment, every failure—and He knows every time you will break His heart. And He still loves you. In fact, He knows the worst thing you will ever do, and still loves you and desires to have a relationship with you SO much that He sent His holy, perfect, SINLESS son to die the cruelest death imaginable, for you. And His son agreed to do it. He died because He LOVES you. And we forget the price He paid for us. And we break His heart again and again and again and again. He hung on a cross, splinters digging into His torn-apart back, blood pouring from His body, His disciples at His feet. They didn’t understand. Some of them were crying, “Lord, is this all there is?! We had hoped your were the one.” –And those were the ones who had stayed. His mother was there, looking up with tears streaming down her face, sobbing as her hear breaks in two.
Then there were the guards. They were laughing and mocking Him. And He looked them in the eye as if to say, “Don’t you understand, this blood is for you? I am the sacrifice for your bloodguiltiness. You aren’t taking my life. I’m giving it in your place because I love you.” And no one understood. But He didn’t back down. He didn’t give up. He could have stopped and said, “No!!!!!! I won’t do it! They don’t understand!” But He set His face and went on.
And here we are at the foot of His cross. A drop of blood falls onto one of the guards. He wipes it off, not knowing that this blood could change his life forever. He doesn’t know that this is the answer to that empty space in his heart—that dull, aching void he has tried to fill all his life. No matter how hard he tries, nothing works. Another drop falls on him, and another. He wonders how long he will have to stand here at the foot of this cross. The sky is starting to turn black—in the middle of the day. The time passes slowly. Then the strange man on the cross cries, “It is finished!” and lowers His head. By now the guard is covered with blood. This has been the strangest day of his life, and yet, somehow, he feels he will never be the same.
They are taking the cross down now, and a rich man runs up and asks that he be allowed to bury the body in his tomb. He is leaving with the body, and the guards follow, making sure the grave is sealed, so that no one can steal the body. And the guard goes home.
A few days later, he sees a man on the street, and his heart stands still. It is the man who had been on the cross. He would recognize that face anywhere—and those eyes, they seem to see right down to the soul. The man is talking to a group of men, his students perhaps, and . . . wait a minute, He is rising up into the air, ascending into heaven! The guard falls to his knees, for surely this must be the Christ!
--Originally written in March 1992 or 1993
No comments:
Post a Comment