Excerpt from my journal this morning:
Today Jesus Christ dies on a cross for me. For me. For
me. He was humiliated and tortured. The man, also fully divine, came from
the Heavens. He came from the throne room where God dwells in His
“completeness”. He surrendered the omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence
of the Father. He came to earth. He became a poor carpenter. He endured years
of ridicule and persecution. People laughed at him. They threw rocks at him,
spit on him, cursed at him. He became a laughing-stock, even before the cross,
for me. Not to earn anything. Not to receive anything from me. But to give me
something. Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of the Most High God became
nothing just so that he could give me a gift. He went through unimaginable pain
and agony for me. He endured beating after beating, lash after lash, for me. As
they nailed him to a cross, piercing through the flesh he humbled himself to
take on, he thought of me. He pictured me in his head and, without hesitation,
thought “She’s worth it.” He saw my sin, my disobedience, all of my
transgressions. But he still endured it. That’s why he endured it. As
they shoved a stabbing crown of thorns on his head, he knew that through his
pain I would have a chance to endure less. As he hing on a cross, crying out to
his Father, our Father, he thought of me, his sister, and it pushed him,
it spurred him on to complete what God, our God, had sent him to do. He
died for me. He gave everything for me. For me. For me...
On a day like today I’m confused. A day like today, so
filled with sorrow, a remembrance of ultimate sacrifice, should be filled with
mourning. I want to sit alone, put on sackcloth and ashes, and simply weep.
It’s all I can think to do. But that’s only half of it. This time is also one of
love. Growing up in the Catholic Church, the season of Lent was always one of
preparation for today. A time of sacrifice and fasting. But as I sit here, I
realize that it is this season that I also feel the most loved. The constant
reflection on what Jesus went through for me – how can I not feel loved?
Knowing that on this day almost 2000 years ago, the Son of God gave up
everything (as his everything was a lot more than my everything) to endure pain
and die just so that I have an opportunity to be with God, our Father, is
indescribable. This day is one of weeping, but not simply of sadness, but also
of unending gratitude and realization that I am so loved.
Today Jesus Christ dies on a cross for you.
For you.
For you.
He was humiliated and tortured for you.
The man, also fully divine, came from the Heavens for you.
He came from the throne room where God dwells in His
“completeness” for you.
He surrendered the omnipotence, omniscience, and
omnipresence of the Father for you.
He came to earth for you.
He became a poor carpenter for you.
He endured years of ridicule and persecution for you.
People laughed at him. They threw rocks at him, spit on him, cursed at him.
He became a laughing-stock, even before the cross, for
you.
It wasn’t to earn anything or to receive anything from you.
But to give you something.
Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of the Most High God
became nothing just so that he could give you a gift.
He went through unimaginable pain and agony for you.
He endured beating after beating, lash after lash, for
you.
As they nailed him to a cross, piercing through the flesh he
humbled himself to take on, he thought of you. He pictured you in his head and,
without hesitation, thought “He/She’s worth it.”
He saw your sin, your disobedience, all of your
transgressions. But he still endured it. That’s why he endured it.
As they shoved a stabbing crown of thorns on his head, he
knew that through his pain you would have a chance to endure less pain.
As he hing on a cross, crying out to his Father, your
Father, he thought of you, his sister/his brother, and it pushed him, it
spurred him on to complete what God, your God, had sent him to do.
He died for you.
He gave everything for you.
For you.
For you.
