SITTING AT THE CROSS

I stood at the edge of the crowd, watching the events unfold before me. I wasn't really sure just what was happening but I knew they were about to crucify someone who so many believed to be the Messiah. He had been betrayed by one of his own. The crowd murmured.
My curiosity was peaked and even though I didn't want to continue watching the gruesome scene I could not walk away.  I followed the noisy crowd as they chanted Crucify Crucify!!!
The man was bloody and beaten so severely that his body was a mass of blood and he had a crown made out of thorns, smashed onto his head, with blood dripping down into his eyes and they were making him carry the heavy cross beam of the cross they were about to hang him on.
He stumbled under the weight of the wooden beam, and struggled to stand and put one foot in front of the other. Each step sheer agony, the beating had been so severe his energy was sapped from his being. The soldiers grabbed a man out of the crowd and told him to carry the cross beam for the man, while they continued to mock and spit on him calling him the, "King of the Jews".
 Could this be the man who was called the " Messiah, the" Savior" the" deliverer", the one who was going to save us and defeat our enemies? It was a hope that so many had spoken of for years, how could this man be the one???
And yet, I saw his eyes, they were full of compassion, love, kindness he looked gentle and meek, he was not fighting against the soldiers like some of the other criminals did. What could this man have done to deserve this treatment.  I saw no fear in his eyes only sadness and compassion.
I watched the whole thing, my heart sad and filled with remorse. They took him to a place called "the Skull". There they nailed his hands and feet to the cross and raised it allowing him to hang, they offered him some sour wine but he refused it. Then, I saw the soldiers throwing dice and gambling for his clothes and they put a sign above the cross that read: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews" !!!
 I saw some women near by, weeping, crying, someone said one of them was his mother. Oh, how my heart went out to her, tears welled up in my own eyes, my heart was breaking for this man and for the woman who was his mother. All we could do was stand helplessly by and watch.
The people continued to mock and taunt him saying horrible things to him about how, was he going to raise the temple he spoke of in three days now?
There were two other men on crosses, one on either side of this man and one was mocking him, while the other was asking for him to remember him in his kingdom. I wondered what all of this could mean, did it have any impact on me?? Why should I stand here and watch this happening.
 It did have a huge impact and I could not leave the scene, I knew it would change my life forever.

Soon it was noon and the sky darkened, we all became afraid of what was going to happen,the earth shook violently, rocks fell, tombs opened,thunder and lightening clamored all around us, but I still could not leave. I was terrified but frozen just as were all the others around me~~
 I watched until  the man yelled out "Eli,Eli, lema sabachthani? He was calling to his God, and it was then I knew that this was truly the Son of God and He was enduring the most horrible moment that anyone could ever experience, He was paying the sins of human kind from beginning to end of time,because of the sin His Father had turned away from Him. What agony he must have felt, far more painful than his physical wounds. His heart was broken.
 I felt such shame, it was me that put him there, on that cross, my sins had crucified this innocent man, He had paid the price for me.
Later they took him down from the cross and someone had offered his place of burial in a tomb and they rolled a great stone over the entrance. Guards were placed near the tomb to watch over it, because they remembered what he had told them when he was still alive. He said," after three days I will rise from the dead".
My heart was heavy because how could someone come alive after three days dead???
 But, God the Father had this all in His eternal plan.

 It was three days later that angels in glorious dazzling white robes came to the tomb, astonishing the solders, rolling away the heavy massive stone and  announcing that this man who was so cruely treated was risen and He truly was the Son of God who saved the world from sin.



Jesus showed up in the flesh to some of the diciples as they walked on the road he talked with them but they didn't know it was Jesus, not until they sat down to eat, and Jesus broke the bread and opened their eyes. It was then they knew who He was!! He was the Risen Lord!!
Oh, the Joy, in the hearts of the believers to see Him once again and to realize He was truly the Messiah, the Savior of the world just like He said He was!!! He was alive !!!! The news spread quickly and the excitement could not be contained. All of the deciples became filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to preach the "Good News" 
And as for me, I quietly know in my heart that He is God and He did come to save, just as He said He would.