Good Friday?

It is a day of remembering. It is a day to step back and really look at what we tend to take for granted, even as the beloved of Christ.

I look at the cross, and I see love. I see the love that came through time and matter and transformed into my own weak likeness for one simple mission. To bring me out of my helpless circumstance. Sin held me captive, forcing me like a slave to do its work. With love as a constant motive, he let weak humans beat him. Spit on him. Mock him. Nail him in shame to a cross for all to jeer at him. He had the restraint not to call down their doom. He had the patience to ask for their forgiveness. He had the love - for me - to stay there on that cross until the very last sin had been atoned. He bore the weight of all the horrific crime that mankind has been capable of in a few thousand years of history. All of that rested on his shoulders. How strong my beloved is!

I look at the cross, and I see peace. This world is a frightening place. There are earthquakes, tornadoes, murder, hatred, warring, cancer, disease, depression and addiction. That's just today's news. But in all of that, the sweet peace of Jesus is a constant balm to troubled souls. His peace exceeds my understanding. I only know it is there, and there is nothing that I should or must fear.

I look at the cross, and I see hope. Hope for those who have been bound too long in sin. Hope because he stands before every one of us, holding out his heart, his life, his love. There is hope that we don't have to stay where we are. That we will be eternally safe by simply reaching out and taking his hand. Hope is real, because we don't have to be clean or right or secure before he will accept us. He takes us as we are, and makes us beautiful by his touch.

What do you see when you look at the cross? Do you see an awful tale of woe? If you do, you don't understand. When you look at the cross, you are looking at your remedy.

Here we are
Here we are
The broken and used
Mistreated, abused
Here we are

Here You are
Here You are
The beautiful one
Who came like a Son
Here You are

So we lift up our voices
We open our hands
To cling to the love
That we can't comprehend

Oh, lift up your voices
And lift up your heads
To sing of the love
That has freed us from sin

He is the one
Who has saved us
He is the one
Who embraced us
He is the one who has come
And is coming again
He's the remedy

Here we are
Here we are
Bandaged and bruised
Awaiting a cure
Here we are

Here You are
Here You are
Our beautiful King
Bringing relief
Here You are with us

So we lift up our voices
And open our hands
Let go of the things
That have kept us from Him



He is the one
Who has saved us
He is the one
Who forgave us
He is the one who has come
And is coming again
He's the remedy

Oh, I can't comprehend
I can't take it all in
Never understand
Such perfect love come
For the broken and beat
For the wounded and weak
Oh, come fall at His feet
He's the remedy
He's the remedy

So sing, sing

You are the one
Who has saved us
You are the one
Who forgave us
You are the one who has come
And is coming again
To make it alright
Oh, to make it alright
You're the remedy
Oh, in us
You're the remedy

-David Crowder Band