Have you seen Jesus? No, wait, have you really seen Him? Have you wrapped your head, heart and soul around what He has done for us?
Nothing brings history alive better than re-enacting it. My church presented “Behold the Lamb” some years ago. I played Anna, the prophetess who prayed outside the temple constantly for the Messiah to come. Then, I melded into the town crowd for the rest of the production.
During one of the dress rehearsals, the actor who played Jesus told me he prayed for us while he was doing the crucifixion scene. I wrote this poem from the impact that impression of Jesus praying for me from the cross left on my heart. The crowd of people screaming for Pilate to order the death of Jesus included me. Minutes before I had thrown palm branches in His path on the way to Jerusalem–minutes before. When the crowd began to shout its bloody chant, I turned against him. Yet, He prayed for me in His last moments. “Father, forgive them,”
He pled my case. Have you met this Jesus? This one who begs for His Father to strike him instead of us, have you met Him?
You Knew
The revelation of the mystery
Has my heart spinning
With the freedom you have given me.
The battle was mine for winning,
Yet, you took it on knowing
That I could not gain victory.
Spread across that bloody cross,
My sins, my sins displayed for all to see–
My very darkest showing.
The blood you bled was mine to shed.
I am pierced by the truth that you knew
The person I would be and what you had to do.
Ahead of time, you knew.
Still, you gave it up for me—
The memory of Gethsemane.
You knew the torture you’d endure
And yet you wept for me.
With nails in hands and nails in feet
Your blood spilled down and covered me.
And you knew, all along you knew
That this is what you’d have to do.
Even through torment and pain
Before the tearing of the veil
Before the darkness came
You prayed for me while splayed
Upon the cross, you prayed for me.
My gracious and forgiving Heavenly Father, I am learning how to be without words to describe the indescribable. I can only marvel open-eyed, drop-jawed and overwhelmed at how deep a love you demonstrate for us. There’s no one like you and no love like yours. There is no grace so complete yet undeserved. No such redemption exists elsewhere. There is no explanation as to why, only the word itself explains it, grace, amazing grace. I come in quiet reverence to thank you. You set me free, made whole, completed, and restored to you through this great act of pure love. I praise you in the precious name of Jesus, the one who died in my place, according to your good and perfect will. Amen.
That’s it for now. Be blessed this day and every day.