The Whip
Crown of Thorns
Nails
Die
Spear
Tonight's was a weighty family time. Our church is hosting a simulcast of The Secret Church, so KJ is away. I made the decision to open five eggs and cover all the events of Good Friday. As you may imagine, we have told Ella on several occasions that Jesus died for our sins on the cross, but I've never sat down with her and talked through each event on its own. I silently pleaded for the right words to explain this night to my daughter. I told her that Jesus was God and that He could have made the people stop whipping Him. But He didn't. As I've been memorizing in Philippians, "He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." And as badly as it hurt to be nailed to a cross, the most important thing, and the worst thing, was offering Himself as the punishment for all of my sin and all of her sin and bearing God's wrath. And as many times as I've heard people say that, my heart understood it more tonight than it ever has previously. I told her that Jesus bore all our punishment, and then He said, "It is finished," and He died. The soldiers came to make sure He was dead and stuck the spear in His side.
We ended on that solemn note, with Jesus' death. I prayed that our hearts would believe this story, and we sang Amazing Grace. It was a sweet sound to hear Ella singing those words. I think this is the best Good Friday observance I've ever known.
It is such a different thing to be the bearer of the story to our own children. It is weighty, and I wrestle over timing and the right words and then I realize all I have to do is tell the story and He does the rest. This post was sweet to read and O so encouraging to know we are all walking the same path...I feel less alone:) Love you.
ReplyDeleteHow precious, sweet Lynn.
ReplyDeleteThis is so beautiful, Lynn. I just read it aloud to David, and he appreciated it, too.
ReplyDelete