Christ's Mind on the Cross

This morning during our sermon I took some heavy notes. The message was simple, yet so challenging to my heart of stone. Two rather pointed questions stood out to me all afternoon. The first was: How do you describe the life that Jesus laid down when he died on the cross? There are many answers, but some that our pastor gave were: perfect, holy, enlightening, everlasting, enlivening, innocent, and peaceful. You may wonder why Christ died for all of us. We are nothing and so unlovely compared to him. The truth is that Christ laid down his life so that he could take it up again.

John 10:17-18 tells us why God loves Jesus so much. Jesus says, "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." This is so encouraging to me, that Christ would do this. It was by his authority from the Father and he does it of his own accord.

The second question was more of a challenge. He said to IMAGINE Jesus on the cross. What was he thinking? Well, Psalm 22 gives us a glimpse into his mind as he suffered through death on the cross that he might take it up again. I wish I could put the entire Psalm here, but I really do not have time because we have communion tonight. Take the time to read it, please!

Lastly, this afternoon I took a nap. I wanted to prepare for communion tonight, but my body and mind were so tired, so I rested for a little over an hour. Hart woke me up, "Rise and Shine, my love." And all I could say was, "More time." haha. Well, I woke up from a dream and I told it to Hart and it was really silly, at first, but the more I thought on it I realized that my dream prepared me for communion (along with all these thoughts).

I dreamed that our church (Christ Church of the Carolinas) was nestled deep into a little green valley with yellow flowers blooming up around. Behind the church was a higher flat mound. After Sunday School everyone started walking out to the flat, green mound behind the church. Hart had his guitar and other men had their guitars and musical instruments, and all the women and children followed. As everyone gathered under this huge shady tree together, everyone got more and more excited to be there and soon they all started jumping up and down, almost like we were at a sporting event about to play baseball. I saw so many Christians from my church there, like Julie Armstrong with this huge smile on her face screaming as she jumped all around praising God. There were others too, but I won't name them all. Well, I was wanting it to go on, but thats when I heard, "Rise and Shine, my love."

Wouldn't you want more time in that? lol. Hart made me the best chai in the world as he left to go to church already and he handed me my Bible because I complained that I had slept and hadn't prepared or communion tonight with the Lord. As I read through Psalm 22, I kept thinking of my dream and the excitement as all of the Christians drew nearer to the tree.

Then I got to verses 29-31 and it says, "All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bown down all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it."

I am leaving my house in 27 minutes to go commune with my God, my Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. I am getting more and more excited as I draw closer to the living tree with my brothers and sisters worshiping God. Won't you bow down to the dust, you people yet unborn, and realize that the Righteous One, has done it!?!?! Come eat and worship!!!!!