I was struck by some thoughts of the season
Easter 2014
As the season came I first was hit by the powerful example of faith
Shown in the prayer of Jesus from the cross.
“Father, into thy hands I commit my Spirit.”
But why was it spoken in a loud voice?
He was talking to his Father. There was no need for loud voice.
Perhaps the message was not for the Father
But for us!
He was demonstrating a model of faith to which we all must come,
Faith that believes in the character of God.
Faith that relies on Him to deliver us!
Even through death
To life!
I was then led to think of another prayer from the cross.
“My God my God why hast thou forsaken me.”
The previous prayer of faith was in the shadow of this prayer.
Even with God”s back turned,
Christ believed and turned over his spirit
To God in the worst of circumstances!
Christ trusted God to recover Him from the grip of sin and death!
He believed in the character of God!
He yielded up His life, his very eternal being to God!!!
And He became the first born form the dead!!!
Now the other prayer of Faith came to mind,
The prayer of the thief on the cross.
The circumstances –
Thief on the cross –
Christ on the cross –
Both doomed to death –
Yet the thief had faith in the one on the cross
And committed his spirit to Him.
(a most amazing example of faith)!
One more thought -
The rocks shook as our Savior turned His Spirit over to the father!
This was the Word who spoke light into existence.
This was the Word through which God brought light and life!
At His death, the earth shook.
The rocks split apart.
The veil of the temple was torn top to bottom.
The light from the sun failed.
And I wondered
“Why did creation survive the death of the creator?”
“How could it be that the rocks only shook and split?”
“Why didn’t creation just cease?”
It is the Word by which all things are held together!
And the Word has gone dark for a season.
And I was reminded of another prayer from the cross.
A Word from the Word early in the process,
“Father forgive them for they know not what they do.!”
What if Jesus had not prayed that prayer?
What if Jesus had not prayed to the Father that we might be forgiven?
The rocks, I have come to think, would not just shake and brake,
They would have ceased to exist -
But for the prayer of Jesus from cross –
Creation would have ceased
At the death of the creator – sustainer – the Word of God!
What great power,
What great examples of faith,
There is demonstrated,
In the prayers
From the cross!!!!
Billy Reese Masten
05/04/14
