Reflections on Easter 2010, An ORIGINAL WORK BY SARAH EARLENE SHERE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW.

 

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I Dreamed

 

I dreamed last night I was in a throne room.

I dreamed I was asking to give water to a prisoner.

I dreamed my wish was granted and I stepped outside.

I dreamed with glass of water in hand

I approached a man tied to a pole.

I dreamed His skinny body was limp in weakness.

I dreamed men were gathered ’round

with weapons of torture in hand.

I dreamed all was still as I came face to face with Love.

I dreamed I dipped my fingers in the glass

then caressed them on His lips.

I dreamed His closed eyes opened

and He looked at me with weary thanks.

I dreamed I placed the glass to His lips

and He drank most willingly.

I dreamed now He and I were outside.

I dreamed I brushed the hair from His forehead

and kissed the scars that were there.

I dreamed we walked hand in hand,

His so slim and smooth would soon be pierced for me!

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And so, this is what I dreamed in early January of 2002.  Yet, it was no dream!

Almost 2000 years before I was born, an innocent man was tied to a pole in the dirt below a scorching sun!  His back was ripped open by strong men skilled in the art of torture.  Blood flowed from his brow beneath a crown of thorns pressed down upon His head.

But this was no ordinary man; this was the God-man, “Heaven’s Darling”, as Rev. Charles Spurgeon so beautifully describes Him…and might I add, Our Darling! Our Love Incarnate! Our True Glory of Easter! Our Prince of Everlasting Peace!

Yes, “I dreamed”. God granted me a brief vision of myself in His awesome presence! And yet, I wonder…might Jesus, our Christ, almost 2000 years ago, being God in flesh, might He have opened His weary eyes as He was tied to that pole and, looking about Himself through blood and sweat blurred vision, mightn’t Christ have seen me there…mightn’t He have seen you?

Perhaps He saw Hitler, Bin Laden, Hussein and others join the mocking, torturing throng as Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and the like stepped forward with tears and a glass of cool water in their hands.

If this be so, where were you…where was I? I dare say most of us were hanging on the crosses around the Savior of our world, joining in the mocking and taunting chants of the throng below us!

But then we seem to hear a cry, breaking above the rest.  One of our own kind, a thief hanging with us suddenly strains to speak above the roars, through, most likely, his own weakened condition and even, perhaps, through tears,  “Don’t you fear God since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.  But this man has done nothing wrong…..Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  Luke 23:40-42 (NIV)

At that point, many of us are cut to the quick and join our comrade in his sudden silence of mockery. Then, after a whispered,  “It is finished”, from the pale lips of Innocence, we find ourselves suddenly released from our crosses, falling to the earth as it shakes beneath us.  Looking up, we see this Jesus take His last breath, and somehow feel as if we our taking our first!

Three days later, we are still lying face down in the dirt, feeling no reason to rise, and no right to rise to better!  But, then we hear footsteps and voices coming closer. Perhaps they are soldiers coming to place us back on the crosses to which we deserve to be hung!  But, wait!  These are voices of women we hear; they seem anxious, excited, joyful! What’s that they say? “Risen”? Jesus Christ has Risen from the grave? Can that be true?

Still, we bury our faces. But what difference does it make?! We are still so sinful and wrong!  Our fears were that the soldiers would come and give us the death sentence we deserve.  Now, we hear that God Himself in human form has returned to our midst. Most likely to see that we receive our just punishment for our sins.

We then feel a hand upon our head. It is strong, but gentle. We then, each of us, hear our own name being whispered, tenderly, earnestly! Looking up we see the face of our Lord. There are no lines of anger on His brow, but scars from a crown of thorns! His lips are not tightly drawn down, but a smile seems to be playing across them!

His eyes are not shining from tears, but from an inner light that glows like a flame!

He whispers, “I live so that you might live! In me is Life everlasting! I have come that you might have life to the full!  Your sins are forgiven! Go, and sin no more!”

So our sins required a sacrifice. The penalty of death had to be paid! So, out of a deep, passionate love from Love Himself, God sent His only Son to pay the debt we could never afford! And now, “because He lives, all fear is gone”!

People will probably be surprised to know, I have never seen Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ”, although, I supported it wholeheartedly from the first day I heard of it’s beginning stages of filming!

I did not see it as I felt the graphic contentment would not help my spirit but, rather, it would be unhealthy to put such images in my head.  Again, I am speaking for myself. I have never been known to be as sensitive as others when it comes to the physical portrayal of pain and suffering.  So, much so, that I have often felt guilty; “what’s wrong with me that I seem cold and unmoved when others are weeping around me?  Am I so cruel?”

Then God revealed to me something about myself;  some of you know the story.  In October of 2002 I attended a performance of Godspell at a local church.  When the crucifixion seen came, the young man portraying Jesus was stood against a board, his hands were tied to the crossbeam.  There was absolutely no accuracy or authenticity in the portrayal of Roman crucifixion.  No one really thought the young man was going to die by standing beside a board with his hands loosely tied.

But I sat there in the pew, overcome with emotion!  Here was the most accurate portrayal of the crucifixion of Christ that I had ever seen! The idea that God can be killed by beating Him and nailing Him to a cross is as ridiculous as someone in that audience believing that young man was in any real danger!

We as humans use graphic imagery because physical pain is what we identify with the most.  But, I think we need to be careful when it comes to portraying Christ’s crucifixion. I feel we seem to want to dwell on the physicality of the crucifixion more than God wants us to.  After all, the Bible portrays it, all be it accurately, rather short and to the point. We can tend to miss the awesome beauty of what it means to “walk by faith and not by sight”!

So, why was I so moved by an unmarked, healthy, young man standing by a thin board with his hands loosely tied, singing at the top of his lung power? Because, I went back in my mind and saw God, in human form, standing beside a thin tree with hands He created loosely tacked to a stick crying out at the top of His lung power, “Come unto to me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest”!

I realized, in that moment, no amount of beatings, lashes, scars, blood, mocking and torture could ever make us fully understand the depth of pain our Lord felt! Oh, we can’t fathom the physical pain He felt! But, even less is our human ability to know the depth of pain He felt inside the depths of his soul from heartache and betrayal; to be suffering a sinner’s death and have never committed one sin; to feel God the Father place the iniquity of us all, past, present and future, and then turn His back and step away!

And so, we come to another Good Friday, another Easter.  We, once again, take a moment to step up to the cross and look up at the face of Love as He breathes,  “Father, forgive them!”.

We take another journey into the night and watch the sun rise on yet another Easter Sunday and recall the Son who has risen!

But, as people often urge in regards to Christmas, I urge you, and all of us, to keep Easter in your heart everyday! Recall that God’s mercies are new every morning!

Christ died once and for all; every time we rise from bed, we should recall that He is Risen, Indeed! We can rise each day knowing that He arose! “As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free”!

And now, take a moment with me to, again, look into the face of Love as it bleeds for me and you!  He is a Savior for us all!

He was strong in heart, resolute with a commanding spirit that compelled men to follow in His footsteps.  He is every man’s example of how to live, love and lead!

He was tender, gentle and compassionate, compelling women to draw near and worship at His feet; welcoming them in His presence and making them feel valued!

He had a childlike faith and innocence that drew children to Himself. He spoke simply, so that they might understand!

No one is excluded at the cross; all are welcomed, all are offered the free gift of Salvation and Everlasting Life. It is our choice to make, God will not force us to choose His Son.

Look, again, dear Christian! Look deep into those eyes that are windows into the most beautiful of souls!  Jesus has set us free from the chains that once bound us by the law. But as we watch our Beloved Darling sacrificing all for us, how can we consider doing less for Him?  Does not love compel us to do more than is required by law?! Surely anything we give up on this earth can’t begin to repay our Loving Christ the debt of gratitude we owe!

Oh, Lord, “no mortal man would dare to stand before Your throne, before the Holy One of heaven! It’s only by Your blood and it’s only through  your mercy, Lord I come!”

And so, we come to worship and bow down!  The cross bows us down while the empty grave raises us with Him!  We live because He lives! Rejoice and Be Glad! Salvation is at hand!  Life everlasting with our God in Paradise is promised if we only believe!

He is risen. He Is Risen, Indeed!

Have A Very Happy Easter, My Loves, and Know You Are Always Loved and Payed For!

Wishing You God’s Abundant Blessings, in Christ Jesus Our Risen Lord, Sarah