3.22.10_Isaiah 53_Would and/or could

 Praise the LORD!!!

     With just a few weeks  till Easter, and this being a Sunday morning for me, my mind flowed to the day of the cross! Much was there as a river of thought flowed freely, yet there was an idea that seemed to be caught in an eddy before my eyes. Would I of been standing there among the on lookers that morning? Would I of been able to of been one of those that stayed around until HE took HIS very last breaths? These and many other questions came up, some I may ponder for days.

    I'm not going to put any verses up today, but will have a full chapter here that you can mouse over and go to the Bible.Logos.com site and read or your own Bible will work just as well.

  Isaiah 53

    In the early years of my walk with the LORD, I was blessed to be given a copy of an article written by a doctor, about the trauma CHRIST suffered that day. Now this was while I was in prison and it was a shared copy from the internet, which a brother had been sent in through his mail. It was written by a man that was seeking to dis-spell the Christian faith. When in the end, he ended up turning to the faith that he'd sought so eagerly denounce!(I always love reading this type of story.!!!) But this isn't the reason for my reflection back to this article and truly is far from it.

    In the article it broke down all the different traumas that the LORD went through and in very graphic set of details, brought to light the truly gruesome treatment of our LORD. From the sweat mingled with blood at Gethsemane,  to the piercing of HIS chest cavity after HIS last breath. All that he'd explained, seemed to  cement my faith even more. I'm not sure of the actual time frame that this had happened, but I'd place it in about my third or fourth year as a Christian. Most of my time was being spent in reading the Bible and studying as much as possible, I had a tremendous hunger for the WORD. I was working a forty hour week, plus putting in forty to sixty hours into study on top of this.

    What came to me this morning though,was built on top of this article. With knowing all the truly gruesome details of the crucifixion,I wondered if I would of been there to watch my dear SAVIOR and friend die that day. My trail of thought, seemed to be placing me in one of the disciple's shoes. Of having walked with JESUS for those three and a half years, witnessed to all the wonderful signs and miracles, spent many a long hour sitting with HIM and talking about the kingdom of heaven and other great mysteries. Would I of been able to stand there and looked upon that body of HIS so terribly disfigured from the abuse that had been inflicted. If this were to happen today, it would be a 'closed casket' funeral. People can't stomach this kind of trauma, without suffering ill effects from it. So I'll not go into the details here, about the truth of the matter, but let me say that even with how graphic the "Passion" was considered, the actual suffering would of been far worse!!!

     Could I of stood there and looked upon the one, that had so greatly changed my life in the last several years, as HE suffered a most agonizing, slow and torturous death? Or would I of even wanted to of been there, knowing that all of the religious council were possibly looking for those that had been HIS disciples? Very little is mentioned about those that were able to witness this first hand, especially of those that were HIS closest of friends or family. There were few there that  were from this group, HIS mother and several other women stood at a distance and but one disciple (John) had braved to witness it and to be seen there. Just thinking about what this would of been like, sends shivers up my spine and tears into my eyes. I really don't think I could of watched any of this tragic days events and I've personally been witness to some pretty nasty things. This one though, would of been far worst then anything else. For here, we have the ONE that has change our lives totally around, not as others may have tried, but this change was coming from within. HE had begun to change us at a level much deeper then any we had ever experienced before and most likely ever would again. HE was more than a man to us, HE was the very SON of GOD, our MESSIAH, the ONE that had come to change our nation forever. Little did we know, to what extent these changes were going to effect the whole world, and not just our tiny nation. Not just immediate changes either, but ones that would transcend time as we knew it. So think about this deeply, for with Easter just weeks away, a day that we celebrate HIS resurrection, it would possibly give you a great appreciation for what actually happened this fateful day in HIStory. A day that we can only fathom the beginning of all that it has changed and will continue to change in people's lives. This is perhaps the greatest day in all of human HIStory. Could/would you of been there???


Read the crucifixion accounts: Matt. 27:32-56; Mark 15:21-41; Luke 23: 26-49; John 19:17-37
 More though then just reading these scriptures, reflect deeply on the facts of the crucifixion and all that it brought to light in the world and realize this was all done willingly for you and I out of HIS great love for us!!!

Use these verses, but don't stop with them, cross reference and seek out GOD from within HIS WORD!!!


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GOD bless and good day,

Rev. Marshall Barth

Vine of CHRIST Ministries

Vine Ministerial Network International