Wide Open
Jesus died with open arms.
Pinned open, yes, by spikes driven through His flesh by skilled executioners.
But He allowed it.
I can almost hear the fear and frustration in Pilate’s voice as he questioned Jesus a second time. This Roman, governor of Judea, recognized the innocence of the Man before him.
Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!”
When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
“Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”
The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”
When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”
Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” John 19:4-11 (NLT)
And so the arms that reached out to children and lepers and the lame and the blind and the hungry and the demon-possessed were extended again, this time on an instrument of torture.
Reaching for you.
For me.
Jesus welcomed me into His embrace even though He knew—He knows—every careless thought that has skittered through my brain, every filthy scrap of pride and selfishness I’ve clenched in my fists. He did not demand that I hang on a cross. He did not toss me a sponge and tell me to clean up my own mess.
Because I couldn’t. The dirt ran deep.
Instead, Jesus nudged me to open my heart and fall into His arms. To accept His payment for my sins.
To stop grasping for what I couldn’t achieve on my own. To realize that the self-improvement I practiced was only worship of my self.
To give up this life and become part of His.
Eternal, abundant Life.
For you.
For me.
Forever.
