Through the Flashes of Lightening I Saw

I find it hard to write this post, but that’s because I find it even harder to look at the Man on the Middle Cross.

It’s dark all around Him, except when the occasional flash of lightening gleams. I turn my eyes away and look down because it seems --it is-- such a terrible disgrace that He had to hang there exposed for all the world to see. Why Him? Crucifixion was meant to shame; to embarrass and humiliate the worst of sinners but He was pure---and guiltless! It seems like such a wrong, such a terrible wrong was done to that Man on the Middle Cross. (And I don’t want to think of how guilty I am of putting Him there.

How can I bear to look at Him? If anyone deserved to die such an ignominious death it should have been me. But I do steal a peek into His eyes and what I see is hard to comprehend. I knew there would be compassion there, and pain, lots of pain, but there is something else that you would never believe unless you saw it for yourself.

There is joy! Can we even grasp it? The light of pure joy is mingled with the agony. But why, why you ask? Why would there be joy, of all things, when the sins of the whole world have been laid on Him? It is because Jesus knows, He knows He has given the Ultimate Sacrifice to redeem us from our sins! He loves us so much that He despised the shame in order to give us His All!

Lord, I to, can despise the shame if I know I am giving my all.