A sower went out to sow....

Let me share with you the following reflection from the book HE CHOSE THE NAILS, by MAX LUCADO. It is my hope and prayer that his insights may help deepen our appreciation and understanding of Christ’s passion and death.

We are at our best when giving gifts. In fact, we are most like God when we are giving. Have you ever wondered why God gives so much? God’s gifts shed light on God’s good and generous heart. every gift reveals God’s love… but no gift reveals his love more than the gift of the cross. It came not wrapped in paper, but in passion. Not placed under the tree, but a cross. And not covered with ribbon but sprinkled with blood. The gift of the cross. Much has been said about it, but what other gifts: of the nails and the garment taken by soldiers. Have we ever taken time to open these gifts? Could it be that the hill of the cross is rich with God’s gifts? Let us examine them. Let us unwrap these gifts of graces as if for the first time.

GOD’S PROMISE IN THE NAILS

Come to the hill of Calvary. Watch the soldiers shove the carpenter to the ground and stretch his arms against the beams. One pressed a knee against a forearm and a spike against a hand. Jesus turns His face toward the nail just as the soldier lifts the hammer to strike it. Couldn’t Jesus have stopped him? With a flex of the biceps, with a clench of fist, He could have resisted. Is this not the hand that stilled the sea? Cleansed the temple? summoned the dead? But the fist does not clench… And the moment is not aborted. The mallet rings and the skin rips and blood begins to drip then rush. Why didn’t Jesus resist? Because Jesus loved us, we reply. But there could be something more.

Jesus saw something that made Him stay. As the soldier pressed His arm, Jesus rolled His head to the side, and with the cheek resting on the wood He saw: a mallet, yes. A nail, yes. The soldier’s hand, yes. But He saw something else. HE SAW THE HAND OF GOD. It appeared to be the hand of a man. Long fingers of a woodworker. Callous palms of a carpenter. It appeared common. It was, however, anything but:

• These fingers formed Adam out of clay and furrowed truth into the tablets.
• With a wave, this hand toppled Babel’s tower and split the Red Sea.
• From His hand flew the locusts that plagued Egypt and the raven that fed Elijah.

THE HAND OF GOD IS A MIGHTY HAND

• Hands of incarnation at His birth.
• Hands of liberation as He healed.
• Hands of inspiration as He taught.
• Hands of dedication as He served.
• And hands of salvation as He died.

Through the eyes of the scripture, we see what others missed: what Jesus saw. He cancelled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross (Col 2:14). Between His hand and the wood, there was a long list of our mistakes, our sins. He saw the list. And since we cannot bear the thought of eternity without you, Jesus chose the nails.

• The same hand that stilled the sea stills your guilt.
• The same hand that cleansed the Temple cleanses your heart.
• The hand is the hand of God.
• The nail is the nail of God. And as the hands of Jesus opened for the nail, the doors of heaven opened for you.

GOD’S PROMISE IN THE GARMENT

Scripture says little about the clothes Jesus wore. we know what His cousin John the Baptist wore. We know what the religious leaders wore. But the clothing of Jesus is nondescript: neither so humble as to touch hearts nor so glamorous as to turn heads. One reference to Jesus’ garments is noteworthy: they divided His clothes… (Jn 19:23-24). It must be Jesus’ finest possession. Jewish tradition called for a mother to make such robe and present it to her son as a departure gift when he left home. Had Mary done this for Jesus? We do not know. But we know the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom. Why is this significant?

Scripture often describes our behavior as the clothes we wear. garment can symbolize character, and like His garment, Jesus’ character was seamless. Coordinated. Unified. He was like His robe: uninterrupted perfection. Woven… from top. Jesus was not led by his own mind; He was led by the mind of His Father (Jn 5:19-30). The character of Jesus was a seamless fabric from heaven to earth… from Father’s thoughts to Jesus’ actions. From Father’s tears to Jesus’ compassion. From the Father’s words to Jesus’ response. All one piece. All picture of the character of Jesus. BUT WHEN JESUS WAS NAILED TO THE CROSS, HE TOOK OFF HIS ROBE OF SEAMLESS PERFECTION AND ASSUMED A DIFFERENT WARDROBE, THE WARDROBE OF INDIGNITY.

• The indignity of nakedness. Stripped before his own mother and loved ones. Shamed before his family.
• The indignity of failure. For a few pain-filled hours, the religious leaders were victors, and Christ appeared the loser. Shamed before his accusers.
• Worst of all he wore the indignity of sin. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.

The clothing of Jesus on the cross: sin of all humanity.

Every aspect of the crucifixion was intended not only to hurt the victim but also to shame him. Death on the cross was usually reserved for the vilest offenders: slaves, murderers, assassins and the like. The condemned person was marched through the city streets, shouldering his crossbar and wearing a placard about his neck that named his crime. At the execution site, He was stripped and mocked. While on the cross, Jesus felt the indignity and disgrace of a criminal.

Though we come to the cross dressed in sin, we leave dressed in Christ Himself: It was not enough for Him to prepare you a feast. It was not enough for Him to reserve you a seat. It was not enough for Him to cover the cost and provide the transportation to the banquet. He did something more. He let you wear His own clothes so that you would be properly dressed. He did that for you.

I WILL LET YOU CHOOSE

God gives eternal choices with eternal consequences. Isn’t this the reminder of the Calvary trio? Ever wondered why there were two crosses next to Christ? Why not six or ten? ever wondered why Christ in the center? Could it be that the two crosses on the hill symbolize one of God’s greatest gift? The gift of choice. The two criminals have so much in common. Convicted by the same system. Condemned by the same death. Surrounded by the same crowd. Equally close to the same Jesus. In fact they begin the same sarcasm. But one changed (Lk 23:39-43).

Much has been said about the prayer of the penitent thief, and it certainly warrant our admiration. But while we rejoice at the thief who changed, dare we forget the one who didn’t? What about him? Wouldn’t a personal invitation be appropriate for him? Wouldn’t a word of persuasion be timely? The sheep was lost innocently. The coin was lost irresponsibly. But the prodigal son left intentionally. The Father gave him the choice. Jesus gave both criminals the same.

There are times when God sends thunder to stir us. There are times when God send blessings to lure us. But there are times when God sends nothing but silence as He honors us with the freedom to choose where we spend eternity. You did not choose your gender, siblings, race, or place of birth. But the scales of life were forever tipped on the side of fairness when of planted a tree in the Garden of Eden. Any injustice in this life is offset by the honor of choosing our destiny in the next. Think about the thief who repented. However, we know a little about him. He is enjoying the fruit of the one good choice he made. When one prayed, Jesus loved him enough to save him. And when the other mocked, Jesus loved him enough to let him. He allowed him the choice. He does the same for you.