The Cross--Passion Week

And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:17-19; 25-30 (NKJV)

It is hard for me to imagine the pain Mary, the mother of Jesus, must have felt while watching the crucifixion of her son unfold. I know that if I was watching the destruction of one of my children happening before my eyes, my grief would be off the chart. Why was all of "this" necessary? (The pain, the humiliation, the sorrow, the betrayal, the hatred, the violence, the tragedy) Perhaps it was necessary in order for God to have the full experience and understanding of what it means to be a human. The Bible tells us that Jesus was tempted in "all ways" as we are. The ultimate temptation was to walk away from the work and the pain of the cross; but, Jesus submitted to the Father, experienced the very worst of what humanity offered, and took on the sins of the world.

If you have ever doubted that the Creator understands you, you can put those doubts to rest. God watched His only begotten Son suffer. He personally felt the impact of each nail that was driven into the hands and feet--He heard every insult and shared in the humiliation and shame--He suffered with each stripe from the whips--He felt the grief that only a parent could feel. Make no mistake about it--God understands you and He understands us.

As the crowds that had gathered for the "Main Event" grew weary of the slow progression, they wandered away--back to their homes--back to their businesses--and back to their mundane lives. As the end of Jesus' life drew to a conclusion, there were only a few soldiers, four women that were close to Jesus, and John, His disciple waiting for the inevitable. Finally, Jesus uttered the words, "It is finished." In that moment of death, as the sins of all mankind came crashing down on Jesus--God the Son experienced and understood everything about sin and its twisting effect upon the human soul. The price for our sin was paid and the human experience of God in the flesh was completed.

Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, Your word states, 'For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have eternal life.' Thank you for sending Jesus to rescue us. Thank you for paying such a heavy price. Thank you for loving us while we were yet sinners. I shall forever be grateful! Amen"