Crying At The Cross

At church on Sunday there was a big cross up on stage (we meet in a school auditorium).  Marcus wanted to know why there was a cross on the stage, so I told him how Jesus died on a cross to pay the price for our sins.  I told him how the "wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23) and since we all sin someone had to die to pay those wages.  Then I told him how Jesus, because He loves us, paid the wages for us and died on a cross.  Well, Marcus thought about that for a few moments and then he burst out crying, sobbing.

I comforted him and asked him why he was crying and he said, "because Jesus had to die."  As I was holding him and comforting him I was thinking that we all should cry sometimes about that.  Jesus' death can seem so distant to us, so historical, but not heart-wrenching.  Marcus, realizing for the first time what price had to be paid for his sin, was cut to the heart.  Oh, that we would all know that feeling more often.

I tried to encourage him that Jesus didn't stay dead, that he conquered death and rose and that's what we were celebrating on Easter.  I'm not sure he grasped the resurrection part (death he's already familiar with, but this coming back to life thing, that's a new concept), but after talking for some time he went on to enjoy the Easter service and the rest of the day.

I hope you all had time this weekend to reflect on Jesus' death - for you - and his victory over death - for you.  And if you didn't reflect on it yesterday, there's always today...