The diadem of pain which sliced your gentle face,

three spikes piercing flesh and wood

to hold you in your place.

The need for blood I understand.

Your sacrifice I embrace.

But the bitter sponge, the cutting spear,

The spit upon your face?

Did it have to be a cross?

Did not a kinder death exist

that six hours hanging between life and death,

all spurred by a betrayers kiss?

“Oh Father,” you pose,

heart-stilled for what could be,

“I’m sorry to ask, but I long to know,

did you do this for me?”

Author unknown.

Dare we pray such a prayer? Dare we think such thoughts? Could it be that the hill of the cross is rich with Gods gifts? Let’s examine them, shall we? Let’s unwrap these gifts of grace one at a time. And as you touch them, as you feel the timber of the cross and trace the braid of the crown and finger the point of the spike, pause and listen. Perchance you will hear him whisper,

“I did it just for you.”

I was playing with my dog and he was very very hyper like pouncing around and going crazy, then after awhile he just came up to me (i was sitting down) and he sat on my lap then he curled up and just rested. Then it hit me, God is the perfect father, the absolute father, like how sometimes you can be rough with him (as all young boys are with their fathers) all in good fun, and after all that just curl up and rest. I remember reading in the book Wild at Heart that the writer, John talked about him and his 3 boys. He starts off by saying that the boys were in the house when John was preparing lunch. But one of his boys wanted to play, and the boy snuck around quietly, as if stalking prey, then he pounced onto John and they started to wrestle. The boys arm came up and accidentally struck John in the corner of the lip, causing John to bleed a little. The boy drew back in fear thinking about what he did, but John said, “Wow, Good job there tiger.” Then the two other boys came to see what the commotion was about and saw that their brother had drawn blood. He paraded around like a conquerer (which he had every right to). And at night, the boy came up to his father saying, “Daddy, can we cuddle? I can’t sleep…”

“Alright tiger”

And theres a perfect example of how good God is as a father.

Kind, but not soft.

Loving, but not punishing.

Violently they grabbed his arms,
As they tightly strapped each wrist,
With a hellish look stood a strong armed soldier,
Whip clenched in his fist,
Laced with chips of bone they beat him hard,
From his shoulders to his feet,
And it sliced right through his olive skin,
Just like razors through a sheet,

Countless times the blood splattered,
As each in-human lash was given,
Several times his knees gave way,
As his flesh just hung like rivets

And surprisingly he turned his head,
Though the words he used were few,
The soldiers face turned pale,
When he said “This blood is for you”,

Uncaringly they tossed a garment,
Across his weakened form,
And his blood pressure fell deathly low,
As the crowds began to swarm,
They forced him to carry his cross up-hill,
As his face they punched and smacked
All the splinters from the criss crossed beam dug deep into his back
Through lack of sleep and dehydration,
His tongue began to swell,
And weakened by his loss of blood,
This prophet-teacher fell,
When he did some blood splattered
On a man named Simons shoe,
As he bent to wipe it off,
The prophet looked and said
“Simon this blood is for you”,

This blood can save the soul,
Heal the sick, mend the heart,
This blood can give you access,
To the very throne of God,
And it still can go the distance,
From the pain to where you are,
This blood is for you,
The blood of the lamb,

Then they pounded a spike,
Through the bones in his wrists,
Bursting arteries, and veins
And as they dropped the cross in the hole they dug
His body convulsed with pain
Through the agony and torment
That never a soul shall find
He tilts his face towards heaven
With full control of his mind
With more love then any human heard
Before that time or since
He made a statement that to this day
Makes the strongest skeptic wince,
He cried “Father, God forgive them for they not what they do.”
And as he gave his life for those lost in sin
He was saying
“This blood is for you!”

This blood can save the soul,
Heal the sick, mend the heart,
This blood can give you access,
To the very throne of God,
And it still can go the distance,
From the pain to where you are,
This blood is for you,
(If you’re lost and alone, and your mind is confused)
This blood is for you,
(If you feel like you have been hurt and abused)
This blood is for you,
The Atoning cleansing blood of the Lamb

This blood can save the soul,
Heal the sick, mend the heart,
This blood can give you access,
To the very throne of God,
And it still can go the distance,
From the pain to where you are,
This blood is for you,
The blood of the lamb,

This Blood is for you,
The Blood of the Lamb.