What the Son Endured (#188 of 365+)

This morning my teen son woke me with a cheerful “Mom, are you awake yet?”

He knew I had to get up. The company I work for is closed only on
Sundays and a maximum of two additional special days per year. Christmas is one of the holidays we observe but Good Friday is definitely not the other.

I felt like a prizefighter who just got knocked down to the mat and might not have enough determination to get up again. I mumbled a response that must have sounded unintelligible to everyone except me. I felt my husband’s hand reach out for mine in sympathy. He just learned yesterday that a client wanted him to do some work for them today.

Wanting a little more time to separate myself from my pillow I asked my husband, “Do you want to get in the shower first?”

He sweetly declined and insisted that I go first. Our Chihuahua came to my side, her tail wagging fiercely, as if she was going to help me get up. I sat up, hugged her tightly, and finally found my bearings.

“Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse” (Deuteronomy 21:23)

In my subconscious, while I was still in the midst of getting ready for the day, I began to think about the Lord Jesus. Over 2,000 years ago on this day he endured more than anyone has ever had to endure. He bore all the sin of the entire past, present, and future of the human race. Joni put it this way: “The apple of the Father’s eye began to turn brown with the rot of our sin.”

We ate barbecue and slept well last night yet this morning I was so hungry I couldn’t even start my devotional note until I'd eaten a banana for breakfast. My Lord Jesus was able to survive an entire day’s worth of torture after a sleepless night and on an empty stomach. In the movie The Passion of the Christ, I remember how Jesus looked up at a white dove before things got really ugly. I know in reality the Holy Spirit must have helped our Lord to get all the way to the cross. The same Spirit who helps me live today…

Lord, the next time you want me to do something difficult or inconvenient may I remember all you did for me. Give me strength when I am weak. Amen.