"Were you there when they crucified the Lord?
Were you there when they crucified the Lord?
Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified the Lord?"
"Were YOU There?"
When first I heard it, as a child, I knew its message was written for ME. The author may never know the impact of his words, never know the depths stirred in a soul ... words so simple, so complete, yet, they echoed thru the chambers of my heart.
Like Isaiah, crying out His unclean lips, I, too, am undone in my lowliness. My humanity screams to be saved. Sin sweeps across the Heavens, east to west; bathed in the Blood of a Lamb, then slowly fades and disappears.
"Were YOU there?" (I hear the faintest whisper.)
"YES," I cry. I see I WAS there, standing along side, with hammer clenched in my fist; pounding nails into His flesh, pressing thorns into His brow, thrusting sword into His side. His blood and water splashed on my dirty hands. I saw Him sweat in agony. I heard Him cry His thirst, "Forgive them," (a tender, gentle, prayer).
I stood, there, watching Him die (felt no pulse at His throat); helping to drag His body from the cross. I rolled the stone to seal His tomb. "Finished,"ÊHis words, reverberated thru my soul and I knew it WAS!
The shame, that was me, is my reality. I am aware of nothing else. The Grave swallowed His lifeless form. BUT, the Grave had NO power to keep HIM entombed. HE AROSE! JESUS WAS ALIVE!! CHRIST TRULY HAD RISEN, that FIRST Easter Morn in the Garden!!!
The Light of Life in His piercing eyes, the LAMB preparedÊBEFORE the world was created; the LAMB, sacrificed on a crooked tree, stood there (in the garden) ALIVE ... beckoning to ALL who passed by, speaking words of Love - even to ME!
"If YOU had been the only one," Jesus said, "I STILL would have come. I would have laid down My life, shed My blood, to ransom a child like YOU. If YOU had been the ONLY one, I STILL would have come."
I bent my knee. I bowed my head. Tears began to flow. I confessed how GREAT my need. I welcomed HIS SACRIFICE on that crooked tree; that crooked tree on Calvary. I repented of my sin, welcomed His cleansing touch, realized NOW my life would begin, andÊmy Eternity was sealed in HIM!
"Thank you, LORD JESUS," I whispered and I gave Him ALL of me.
Today, even today, when I hear, "Were you there?", the gratitude (enveloping my soul) causes me to answer, without the stain of sin in my voice, "YES! I WAS THERE!" Ê Today, even today, I continue to weep when I remember ALL He has done for me and ALLÊthat I owe (but can NEVER repay) to HIM!
© Revised 2001 by Roberta Lee Wilcox
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