Poetry

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He Lives

As it is written, on the third day He rose
From the painful death, out of love, He chose
Not for personal glory nor for any fame
But to save all those who call on His name

Delivered to sinners by one of His own
By a traitor’s kiss He was made known
To the soldiers who took Him into captivity
So Pharisees could stop His rebellious activity

Before religious leaders He was made to stand
To hear the false witnesses they had on hand
The crime of heresy, Guilty, He was found
For the sentence of death He was bound

Into soldiers care He was given once more
For humiliation and beatings they had in store
He was spat upon and ridiculed by them all
"King of the Jews" was the mocker’s call

Whipped again and again with cat-o-nine tails
His flesh and blood to the floor fell
He was beaten and bloodied beyond compare
Such indescribable pain was His alone to bear

Pilate asked the people which prisoner to free
Barabbas they chanted, we choose him to be
Then claimed I am now free of the blood of this man
As he symbolically washed clean his hands

Humiliated and battered He carried His cross
Down the Via Dolorosa for all who are lost
Up to the place that is called the Skull
He was made to stagger and to crawl

The mound on Calvary the path had ended
So the broken spirits could be mended
"Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do"
He prayed this for them, as well as me and you

Three spikes were driven into His skin
So the steps of Salvation could begin
They raised Him up on that same hill
With their heart’s only intention to kill

"Free yourself and us" cried a thief
Who hung there clinging to his unbelief
"Remember me, Lord" the other thief cried
He was promised to be in glory when he died

In bloody flesh hanging on the tree
He took all sin, for you and for me
The noon sky became dark as the night
As witness to what took place in God’s sight

“It is finished!” He called with a loud cry
“Into Your hands I commit my spirit” His final sigh
A soldier’s spear was used to ensure He had died
Water and blood flowed from His pierced side

In this manner so painful and cruel
For God’s grace to redeem every lost soul
On Calvary’s Cross the prophecies fulfilled
The blameless Christ, for our sins was killed

A stone sealed the opening of a borrowed tomb
There laid the body that came from a virgin’s womb
Fear not, I say, for this is not where it ends
Because three days later, Christ rose again



I prayed the Lord give me a Easter message to share and this is what He gave to me. It is easy to visualize some of the physical pain that Jesus suffered on that day (especially with the help of movies like "The Passion"). Scriptures says He was no longer recognizable He was beaten so fiercely. But no matter how many stripes He received, no matter how many times He was struck with soldiers staffs, no matter any of that He received by men. His most painful experience is delivered in His painful cry..."Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani?" My God, My God, why have You forsaken me? It was in that ninth hour that came the most pain a body can experience, separation from God the Father! This was the part that He prayed for in Gethsemane. Jesus knew in order for Him to take our sins and redeem us before God, He would have to endure the full force of God's wrath which included that very separation. Jesus died physically and spiritually on the cross that day almost two thousand years ago. He chose to experience this indescribable pain and death out of love. From His love and obedience victory is assured because not only did He die for us, but He rose again for us. To God be all glory, honor, and praise. All my love and God's blessings.

A servant in Christ,
Christian

© Christian Coutts

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