THREE CROSSES ON THE HILL

Luke 23:34  "Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

There were three crosses on the hill at Calvery.  Two of the crosses held robbers, criminals flanking the cross of One who knew no sin.  Three crosses, three men, but only One was guiltless.  So often, and I am included also, focus is made on the cross.  But you see, the only thing that makes the cross we come to time after time, for redemption, for rememberance, for reflection is that our Savior, Jesus, the Christ was on that cross.

The cross was not made any differently than the other two, rough, slinters that would dig into the skin, just the same, but for the blood.  The Bible does not say if the other men had been beaten, I believe had they suffered the same treatment as our Lord, it would have been mentioned.  But they were just hang on the crosses to die, as was the custom with criminals.  But our Lord, Jesus, He was beaten, He was treated with such contempt, mocked, spit upon, despised by those that knew Him not.  His blood flowed down on that cross, the blood that would be for the cleansing of our souls, the redeeming blood that would eternally change the lives of those that would call upon His Precious Name and ask His forgiveness.

This is so difficult to write, as whenever I look at the cross, the one in the middle, and remember those days preceeding the day when He hung there, I just weep.  Where were those that would cry out, "No, not our Lord, save Him, save Him.  He is Jesus, He is our Savior, He is our Friend".  But no one cried out.  There were afraid of the political, religious powers.  And yes, you might feel rage rile up in you as you think why didn't someone stand up for Jesus, why didn't they protest, how could they have let Him die like this, how could they let Him be beaten like this.   And yet, here we are today.  Where were these protesters when abortion was made legal; when prayer was taken from the schools, when the Ten Commandments was abolished from the court houses, when nativity scenes were against the law to put in public places.  We see people go make tent cities to protest politics, tea parties to do the same, to bring about change...but where are the protestors to the crucifying of our Lord again and again, to lift up the Name of the only One that can bring real change.  Are we so afraid of the leaders of this country that we will hide our Christianity, our love of the Lord (and this can become questionable now).  Do you openly talk about the Lord at your workplace, to your friends (other than those you go to church with) and to people you meet on the street, at the store?  Do you walk by someone mistreating another and say nothing, but hurry by?

The three crosses, standing on the hill.  Two of the crosses with criminals, one so enraged that he had to be next to a man he knew to be innocent, instead of feeling the pain of His innocence he mocked Him instead telling Him to save Himself and him also.  Arrogant, spiteful, thinking of his own self, wanting the Man he knew was a King to save Himself only so he also could be saved.  The other man, humbled by the very Presence of Jesus, asked to be remembered when He came into His kingdom.  Jesus felt his sincerity and saved him.  Three crosses, only one Savior, only one Righteous.

The cross means nothing without the knowledge of the Man who hung there, who bled there, who died there.  Only our Lord Jesus makes that cross anything of note.  Today it is a symbol of the place of death to self, as our Lord died there in human form and rose again in three days making it possible for death to our sinful nature, and a rebirth taking place to live in Christ, a victorious life in Christ.  If you do not know the Man who hung on that cross; if you have not taken the time to develop a relationship with the King of kings that died for your sin, who was beaten for your infirmities and your disease, who endured all the sin on the world upon Himself so you could be free of sin; take time now, take  a new look at the cross in the middle and see the Man that died there, see the Savior that loved so much, that as He hung there, His thought was to ask forgiveness for those that did not know what they were doing. 

When we let the things of this world pass by us without making our protests, without standing for Jesus, our Savior,without protesting against the putting down of our Lord, our God, do you wait to hear those words again?  We know better.....we have His Word.....we know where we should be standing.  There is a line in the sand....on which side will you stand?  Will you stand on the side where you can clearly see those crosses, and focus on the one in the middle, the one with the blood stains, and shout "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, our Lord is Jesus"; or will you be on the other side, eyes shielded from the cross, as you slowing but surely say "crucify Him" again.

Father, again, You led me to a different place, but I pray Lord You make it the words You wanted to say.  Just You, my God, just You.  I will lift my eyes to that hill, where the cross stands still, and I will say to my Lord, I love You, and always will.  I will never let the things of this world whitewash the blood off the cross of my Savior, the blood that saved me and gave me eternal life.

01-30-12