That Rugged Cross

We are in the midst of one of my favorite weeks of the year. Spring is upon us and although it lacks the deep beauty of last spring due to our drought, spring always brings with it the promise of new life and beauty. I went today and looked at the cherry blossoms and basked in the glow of the beauty of nature. Today however heavy on my heart is not life, but death. The death of my precious savior. Today is Good Friday. That name has such irony because the day we remember was a day that had all the appearance of evil. The Son of God beaten, mocked, tortured and crucified for all of the evil we possess. It was however inherently good because with all of that suffering he purchased for us what we could never obtain ourselves, forgiveness. I have been reading and focusing my heart this week on the enormity of this day. It is so packed full of the unthinkable.

This year I come to the cross with a heart more heavy and full then it has ever been. My Savior and this gift of love He offers have never been so precious to me. Because this year I approach the cross, not just with knowledge of the weight of my own forgiveness, but also with that of my son. This week my son's guilt was nailed to the cross. He obtained something that I would have died to give him if my death could have paid the price. But there was nothing I could do to settle his debt, for all my righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:2) With his horrible death Jesus purchased for my son the one thing i could never give him, no matter how much I wanted it, eternal life. My son in childlike faith knelt this week at the foot of that cross, confessed his guilt and his need for a savior, and received complete, total, and free forgiveness. He is young and knows nothing of suffering or the enormity of what it cost Jesus to be crushed for him. In reality neither do I. But childlike faith is all that is required of us. God asks us almost nothing in return for the most precious gift ever given. The weight of what I owe this Savior floods my soul with an overwhelming rush of love, sorrow, and gratitude. I have spent much time at the foot of the cross my eyes flowing wet and hot with tears, my heart full up with love. I am so unworthy, unfaithful, ungreatful, but yet He loves me. The fact that He loves us is unthinkable. The fact that He died for us is unfathomable. That beautiful old hymn has been playing over and over in my heart, "But drops of grief can never repay the debt of love I owe. Dear Lord I give myself away. It's all that I can I do."

Colossians 2:13-14 "And you who were dead in your sin, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven all of our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside nailing it to the cross"

Romans 5:6-8 "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

John 3:15-16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved
through him."

On a hill far away
stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suffering and shame
and I love that old cross
Where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain

In that Old rugged cross
Stained with blood so divine
A wondrous beauty I see
For twas on that old cross
Jesus suffered and died
To pardon and sanctify me

To the old rugged cross
I will ever be true
It's shame and reproach gladly bear
Then He'll call me some day
To my home far away
Where His glory forever I'll share

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it someday for a crown

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