If I Had Been There
If I had been there, I think I would have yelled at the man carrying the beam. I would have rooted on the Romans who were meting out His punishment. I may have laughed when He fell under the weight of a not-yet-assembled rough wooden cross. I may have thought that He should save Himself if He was really God.
But, when He looked to one of His friends and said “take care of my mom,” I would have felt an ache in my gut. And, when the thief next to Him began coming clean with His faults, I would have felt guilty for my horrible thoughts about this good man. When the skies darkened and the earth groaned, I may have wondered if we killed the wrong man.
When He asked His Father, “Why have you forsaken me?”, I may have felt incredibly confused and afraid. Then, when He died, I may have gone home feeling dirty and ashamed to face my family for participating in the brutalization of an innocent man.
Its funny- in the face of all the horrible brutality removed by a couple thousand years, we look back and call this day Good Friday. It is good…good for me. The pain and crucifixion He endured has now given me life, forgiveness of sins, healing for sickness, and a life full of meaning. All shame is gone. The price has been paid.
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[...] Travis wonders what would have happened if he had been there when Jesus suffered for us. [...]
Will we ever be able to appreciate the pain He went through? I know the physical pain was unspeakable, but try to imagine the rejection and sin he took on himself.
I have tried to imagine, but really cant fathom that HE chose…thats why that song “Amazing Love ” litterally brings me to my knees.
I wonder if Pilate watched or went away and tried to forget. I find it hard to keep the reality of the crucifixion fresh in my mind outside of Easter but it’s really helpful to just go back there again today.