Were You There?

Were you there, when they crucified my Lord? That is the title of a well-loved old hymn. Imagine standing on that hill 2000 years ago witnessing the nailing of Jesus on the cross. Here he is already near death after a heavy crown of thorns had been sunk deeply into his skull. His back is covered with deep, oozing stripes caused by merciless flogging, and his strength had completely waned under the weight of the cross, which he had been forced to drag outside the gate of the city of Jerusalem. This Jesus they crucified with three nails; one through the middle of each hand, and one through his two feet. They needed to make sure that this guy would not escape! Why? Because he had claimed to be the Son of God. Just one week earlier multitudes thronged around him as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, waving palm branches and shouting: Hosanna: Blessed is the king of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord!” They had been witness to and/or recipients of the thousands of miracles Jesus had performed in their midst. They knew he was no ordinary man. Although they did not understand the hundreds of prophesies about what the messiah had to go through and why, they knew he was a man of God, and they wanted to crown him king. (John 12) Here now on the cross: “he is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isa. 53: 3) This is no pretty picture. This is the portrayal of one man on whom was placed every sin and every sickness that ever would be committed! “Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses” (mat.8: 17) and: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; ...but he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we ARE healed.” (Isa. 53: 4-5). Yes, this prophetic verse foretold his crucifixion hundreds of years earlier. Yet, there in print it tells you that you ARE healed – in the present tense, as if it had already happened! They then pierced him with a sword to ensure that he was dead, fulfilling the scripture: “They shall look on him whom they pierced.” (John 19) Many other scriptures were realized that day, including the power of forgiveness, as he spoke over his persecutors: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) At the moment of his death the heavy veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom, giving us a symbolic direct access to the God. No more do we need to go through a mediator! (Mat. 27:51-53). Standing there in your mind’s eye surveying the cross and looking upon his scarred, unrecognizable face and body, thank Him for your healing, and believe that you have it. Now you can look straight into his glorious face as, subsequent to his descent into hell, he was raised up by the Holy Spirit and is now reigning on high! He “spoiled principalities and powers (the devil), he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it” and He did it all for you! You can now live a victorious life here and with Him in eternity. He did it once and for all, summing it up with His very last words: “It is Finished.” (John 19:30)