Luke 23: 33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. and 42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
I was there
Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. – Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer came to this world to die for our sins. He accepted His mission from God to rescue us from the clutches of the evil one. Our sins had us so bound that we could not get free –oh wait, let me stop talking about you and let me talk about me. As I read the biblical account of the arrest, trial and death of Jesus Christ, I realize I was there.
Oh so often we hear of the crucifixion of Jesus and we weep at the reality of the brutality which He endured just for us. In a song made popular by Donnie McClurkin, we hear these words: “What does the cross of Jesus mean? It’s more than words we sing! It’s so much more than the emblem on a chain. But it means I’m free from the chains of slavery and the blood He shed won’t let my sins remain.” Jesus endure the cruelest of brutalities for the sake of one so wretched, so vile, so base, so unworthy, for me He died that I may live and I was there.
We know the last days of the life of Jesus was no surprise to Him, for He had foretold His eventual end and the reality for this purpose in coming to the world. I didn’t fully grasp how tight a hold sin had on my life, and if I were truly honest, I still do not fully comprehend it today. What I do I know is that I was sin stained – not sin tainted – I was stained by sin and yet my Lord came to this earth from His home in glory to save me from myself and I was there.
It’s Thursday night, Jesus has finished eating with His disciples, He shares a last communion meal with them and proclaims one of them would betray Him, each of them asks “Lord is it I?”, I was there, I know the answer.
He leaves and goes to the olive groves and the garden of Gethsemane, and asks Peter, James and John to watch and pray with Him, to pray for Him, they could not and when Christ returns to find them sleep, He asks “Could you not pray one hour?”, I was there, I know the answer.
He goes and prays even the more, He asks His Father, “If it’s possible to let this cup pass from me”, I was there, I know the answer.
He returns, finding His disciples sleeping again, He tells them to get up, for His betrayer is coming. Judas comes leading the mob, kisses the Savior on the cheek, Jesus asks “Would you betray a friend with a kiss?” I was there, I know the answer.
They take Jesus by force, the beat Him in the face, they spit on Him, they pull His beard, they level false accusations against Him and ask Him mockingly “Tell me prophet who hit you?”, I was there, I know the answer.
They dragged Him from hall to judgment hall – six mock and false trials in all – three before Jewish religious leaders and three before Roman civil leaders – in His final trial before Pilate, - the Roman governor asks Jesus are you the King of the Jews? I was there, I know the answer.
Pilate can find no wrong in Him, and yet He asks the blood thirsty crowd, what evil has this man done? I was there, I know the answer.
They took Jesus, they brutally whipped Him, they made Him carry the cross, His cross through the streets to a place called Golgotha. They pressed a crown of thorns on to His head, they stripped Him of His clothes, they nailed Him to the cross and they hung Him high for all of those who passed by to mock Him and scorn Him, yet He never said a word, Why? I was there, I know the answer.
His first words from the cross, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Two thieves were nailed beside Him to share the agony, and one of them cried out to Him – O Lord will You remember me? I was there, I know the answer.
He hung there, between time and eternity, paying the ultimate price for the ultimate rebellion, enduring the cross, despising the shame, for the joy that was set before Him, why? I was there, I know the answer.
When it was all said and done, Jesus bowed His head and gave up the Holy Ghost, they pierced Him in His side, It is finished! The Heavens were silent, the earth quaked in pain, the veil of the temple was torn in two, the centurion received a miraculous revelation, that surely this was the Son of God. Why Jesus? Did you do this….
You told Your disciples one of us would betray You, we all asked ourselves, Lord is it I? I know the answer, It was me, I have betrayed You when I would not follow in Your footsteps, when I failed to treat my brother and my sister with love, when I looked past the poor, the unwanted, the unloved, the hungry, the downtrodden, when I concerned myself more about myself than I was concerned with others – even though I call on Your Name – It was me – I did it, but You still did it for me…
You asked Your disciples, could we not pray with You one hour? I know the answer – it is no! When I need more time for football games, than I do for God, when I have 4 hours for facebook, and no time for the Good book, I have failed You – Yet you know this about me – but You still did it for me
You ask Your Father if it was possible for the cup to pass by You. I know the answer, No – because I was in the cup – all that I did to grieve the Father’s heart was in the bitter cup that You asked to pass by You, and in spite of my bitterness, the distaste of my sin – You drank it for me
You ask me in the garden, would I betray You with a kiss? I know the answer – Yes – every time I failed to do what I knew what right, all the while giving You praise, Jesus I betrayed You – but You knew this about me and yet, You still did it for me.
When we took You by force and leveled false charges against You, when we slapped You and demanded for You to tell us who hit You – I know the answer, it was me! Oh Jesus, I am so sorry, for taking Your call in my life for granted – yet You knew this about me and You still did it for me.
Lord I dragged You from judgment hall to judgment hall, and I finally ask if You are really who they say You are? I know the answer, You are more than the King of the Jews, Oh Lord, You are the King of Glory, strong and mighty and Jesus is Your Name. You knew I did not always trust You, and You still did it for me.
You took the beatings, I could never bear, You carried the cross that was too heavy for me, You paid the debt You did not owe and I could not pay, You took the thorns to be pressed in Your head, for my evil thoughts, You allowed them to strip You naked, because of the shameful things I did, You took the nails in Your hands, for the things I took that weren’t mine, You took the nails in Your feet, for the places I went that I should not have gone, You took the sour wine, for the mean words I have spoken, You hung there bearing the shame, for me – You even asked the Father for my forgiveness because I would not do it while I was in rebellion, You even made a home for me in glory – You became what I was so I could become like You are – You came to me – when I could not go where You were – Lord, You came to me -- You did it all because You love me – because You care for me – because You want me to be where You are – You who knew no sin, became sin for us so that we may become the righteousness of God – and now Lord, I know what the cross of Jesus means, its more than words we sing, it so much more than this emblem on this chain, but it means I am free from the chains of slavery and the blood You shed won’t let my sins remain –Wounded for me – pierced for me – You did it all for me – You knew me, yet You loved me, You whose glory makes the heaven shine, I am so unworthy of such mercy, yet when You were on the cross I was on Your mind – Where You there, I was there – He came down from heaven just for me – just for You -He endured the cross, despised the shame for the joy that was set before Him, just as our sins were in the bitter cup, it is the joy of our salvation that is the result of the Cross – the joy of our healing, the joy of our restoration, the joy of our deliverance, the joy of us being reunited with the Father, through Jesus Christ – I know the answer – for God so loved – for God so loved – for God so loved --- Amen Amen Amen – Your choice today is to choose to love Him back – while He was on the cross You were on His mind. Won’t you choose Him today.
