"But with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."
-  1 Peter 1:19

My wife arrived in the sanctuary well after the worship service had already begun.

She looked a bit upset, but never said a word.  She sat down beside me and we spent the remainder of the service listening to the preaching of God's Word during the first night of our Church revival.

It was after the evening offering that she pulled out her white sweater and showed me the drops of blood that were stained in bright red on many places throughout it.

She began to explain that Jacob had fallen and busted his nose.  His blood had been spilled and now stained the sweater that she often wears to church.

I listened in horror, envisioning my boy lying on the floor of the nursery, crying out in agony, his nose beaten and bruised, his blood spilling out from his wound.

I wanted to run to him, to pick him up, to hold him close and tell him that everything was going to be ok.

And I had this sick feeling in my stomach.  Pain swept through me and I began to hurt, knowing that he hurt. And knowing that there was nothing that I could do to change things from happening as they did.

And then, my eyes began to tear up.  And for the briefest of moments I forgot about my son, and I thought about another Father's Son.

I thought about that Father, looking down and seeing His Son on the Cross.  His Son, being beaten and tormented and mocked.  His Son, in pain and hurting as no one has ever hurt.

I saw that Father, watching in horror as His Son cried out in agony, His body beaten and bruised, His blood spilling out from His wounds.

Oh, I know that Father wanted to run to Him, to pick Him up, to pull Him off that cross and hold Him close, to comfort Him and tell Him everything was going to be ok.

But, He didn't.  As much as he HURT for Jesus, He LOVED you and I even more.

Can you even imagine such love?  As much as He wanted to ease His Son's suffering, He wanted to give us the gracious gift of salvation even more.  As much as He wanted to stop it all from happening, He wanted even more to let that blood spill so it could cleanse us from our sins.

Instead of pulling His Son off the cross, He pulled us up from the pits of sin.  Instead of putting an end to Christ's suffering, He put an end to the curse that had us bound for hell.  Instead of running to His Son, His mercy came running to you and I.

Can you even imagine such love?

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

Have a "Wonderful DAY in Christ,"
Jimmy D. Brown
\o/ Praise Jesus!