And Exchange it Someday for a Crown

     On a hill far away stood an Old Rugged Cross.........When I was a kid that song was a staple in our little country church.  If it wasn't sung during the 'congregational singing' time, often an old retired minister would sing it during the special music time.  That old song touched his heart so much that he would often choke up and even cry as he thought about what Jesus did for us that day.
     What did Jesus do?  "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow."  Words from another old hymn.  Those words have been going through my mind today.  It's Easter weekend and of course I'm thinking about what Jesus did for us.
     Easter.  Wow.  When I was a kid we would get our new Easter outfits, usually a dress made by my grandmother.  We would dye one dozen eggs for the three of us to share.  Sunday morning church of course.  "The Old Rugged Cross"  "Nothing But the Blood"  "Power in the Blood".  Sometimes we would eat at church afterwards and sometimes at my grandparents'.  But there would always be at least one Easter egg hunt!
     Oh my those eggs!  I think dying eggs was one of my favorite things as a kid.  And then looking for them!  Just seeing the bright colors hidden in the bend of a tree or under the edge of a porch step or tucked down inside the leaves of a plant.  Even today just the thought of those bright colored surprises brings a smile to my face!
     When our kids were younger, even though we had plastic eggs to fill with candy and money, I still dyed eggs each Easter weekend.  In fact, I would not only dye the boiled eggs, I would dye every egg in the fridge and enjoy a rainbow surprise every time I needed an egg for the next couple of weeks!  Oh and the dozen I shared with my sister and brother as kids?  Well I always felt like that just wasn't enough.  Our kids had well over 100 and more added every year!  Of course that made it a little difficult for the adults to hide them all.  Lot's of creativity would be involved at first.  And then eggs would just be left laying around all over the place because there weren't enough hiding places.
     But the real surprise of Easter had nothing to do with the brightly colored eggs or the new dress or the good food.  It had nothing to do with the sun shining or even snow falling on that day as we've had a time or two over the years.  The real surprise, even though it was foretold in the Old Testament, was the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  And, that with all the sins I've committed, with all the sins you have committed, His blood still covers them, everyone, even today.  There is absolutely nothing you or I can do to save ourselves.  We are on our way to hell without Him.
     Before the beginning of time, before God even formed the earth, the sun, the universe.  Before Adam was given Eve.  Before they failed in the Garden of Eden.  Before anything ever, God already knew that we would need a Savior.  It wasn't an afterthought because man just got worse and worse.  He already knew man would fail before He even created one.  And He already knew we would need a Savior.  And......He knew Jesus was the only One who could fill that role.
     Is there anything you have done that you think God can't forgive?  Jesus was tried for crimes He did not commit.  He was beaten.  He was forced to carry His own cross, the one He would die on.  He was given a crown of thorns to wear, mocking Him.  He had already shed so much blood before He even got to that hill called Golgotha.  Yet He wasn't finished.
     Roman soldiers held him to the cross as others drove huge nails through his hands and his feet.  Then the cross was raised and dropped into a hole.  As it fell into place, the pain was excruciating for Him.  He endured it for me.  He endured it for you.  He had all power and only had to ask and God would have taken Him off that cross.  But Jesus knew what He must do for us.   Did He hate those who put Him through all this?  Oh no........He prayed "Father forgive them.  They don't know what they are doing."  He was their Savior too!  All they needed to do was accept Him for Who He really was.   Repent and follow Him.  As simple as that then.  As simple as that now.  The compassion He showed them.  The compassion He shows us.  The forgiveness He showed them.  The forgiveness He shows us.  Oh to be like our Savior!
     John 19:30 tells us that Jesus said "It is finished!"  and He died.  But did you catch that exclamation mark?  He didn't quietly say it.  He exclaimed it!  At that very moment He had done all that would ever need to be done to forgive our sins. He died for us.
     Yes, He was in the grave three days.  Yes He rose again!!!!!!  And oh yes!  He's coming back for us someday unless we go to meet Him before that day.    Until then, what do you think about the cross?  Is it a piece of jewelry sometimes referred to as 'bling'?  Is it something hanging from a chain or on a bracelet that you wear to compliment your outfit?  I must say that I never put on a "cross" necklace or bracelet without thinking about what Jesus did for me on that old rugged cross so long ago.   "So I'll cherish the Old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it someday for a crown."