He is Risen!

       Resurrection 

           Sunday

                                       

Gentle footsteps, slowly walking, stopping not upon the way

 

Ere the dawning of the sun

gentle footsteps softly come

to the place where Jesus lay.

 

Gentle footsteps, walking onward, gentle faces sad and gray

toward their master laying dead

wrapped in cloths now stained blood red

in the place where Jesus lay.

 

Gentle footsteps, gentle ladies, hasten to their master's side

with the task that lay before them

perfumed spices to embalm Him

on they walked and sadly cried.

They walked along and wondered who would roll away the stone.

With the dawning of the sun

gentle footsteps softly come

to the Christ of flesh and bone.

 

Coming closer, footsteps halted - what is it our eyes betray?

Is the scene that has arisen

just a shadow or a vision?

Has the stone been rolled away?

 

Gentle footsteps running onward to the tomb that Joseph gave.

As they stopped and looked within

sitting where the Christ had been

was an angel in the cave.

 

His appearance was like lightening and his clothes a snowy hue.

Then he told them have no fear

He is risen,   He's not here.

Before too long you'll know it's true

 

Gentle footsteps, still and quiet, listen to the angel's plea.

Quickly go and tell the others.

He has risen, tell his brothers.

He's gone ahead to Galilee.

 

Gentle footsteps of the women walk away as in a dream.

 

Is it true -- what the angel's say, or have they taken him away.

And who will believe what we have seen

 

But they told.

We thank God for those words.

He is Risen!

 

Diane Gruchow rev 2022

He could have called ten-thousand angels

"The night that Satan thought he had me,

the night he planned his victory,

as his servant Judas kissed me

I walked the road to Calvary."

"The rough arms came,

reached out, and seized me.

My dear friend drew his sword to fight.

Put back your sword, I had to tell him.

It has to be this way tonight."

"Oh don't you think I could withstand them

without your help if I did try.

Oh don't you know ten thousand angels

would be at hand with just a cry."

"But lead me on that way to Calvary.

It's time.  

It's God's appointed hour.

I'll walk along, no need to drag me

for I won't use my heavenly power."

"Oh I could call ten thousand angels

if I wanted to be free.

Oh I could call upon my Father,

but my love won't let that be."

"Oh I could call ten thousand angels, 
but I will not, don't you see?    
 I have come to die in your place. 
 I have come to set you free."

For love of us, He died on that Good Friday.

Separation

 

You may have been separated from someone you love deeply, or the people who love you, at some time in your life.  It may have been restful – for a short time, maybe a time to get your bearings and to think about important or unimportant things – or just a time not to think, or do, or be.  But more than likely, if the separation was unplanned, or permanent, or unwanted - you felt as if it was almost impossible to bear. 

That's one of the things I’ve been thinking about during this time as we remember our Savior's crucifixion.   I've been thinking of the words of His cry on the cross. 

In Matthew 27:46 we read. “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,

 “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (ESV)

The terms used in other translations, such as “why have you abandoned me,” “left me,” “deserted me,” may tell of your own personal separation.  But they truly describe to us the pain of THAT cruel separation – Jesus was alone on that cross.  Not only was He alone, but He was carrying a burden that was not meant for Him, it was ours.  He didn’t deserve to be there – we did.

“My God, My God,
why hast thou forsaken me?”
He cried aloud from that cursed tree.
 
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”
words of despair men heard Him cry.
 
The cry rang out!  Feel the pain - the cost
to the Father who’d given His Son on that cross.
 
He could have stopped it.
 
He could have held that soul in His arms protecting Him from this terrible harm.
 
It could have been that Christ felt Him there
easing the burden of the sins He would bear.

No! That wouldn't pay the price that was due -
the price for salvation for me and for you.
 
For the only price
that could save the lost was the separation
of God on the cross
from God in his heaven - the Father and Son
to be torn from each other - a tearing of one.
 

That day on the earth,
the darkness that reigned,
came not from the soldiers,
came not from the pain.
 
It came from God's heart tearing in two
hurting much more than any could do.
 
Loving so much, that it broke his own heart,
The Son on the cross, and the Father, apart.
 
Separation!

The price that was due 
as He died on the cross
alone, just for you.

 

Diane Gruchow rev 2022