He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty.
From thence he shall come again
to judge the living and the dead.
(The Apostles Creed)
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Luke 22:44)
In the Garden of Gethsemane, He bled from every pore and died on the cross to atone for billions of sins, so that we may, only in our choosing, be at one with Him. He forever gracious, never pressing.
If He did not die as He did, we would all die in body, in spirit, in bondage to the evil one and his minions.
How do we honor Him? He who is marred with each of our sins. For does He not only desire the best of worlds for each and every one? Worlds to come without end. Amen.
Recognition is honor. Doing with frequency is best yet. Looking to see Him, feel Him, to come to a greater personal relationship with Wonderful, Counselor, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Unto us a child was born, and as Lord his life was given. In return, at best, we look to his offering daily in all we do.
We see Him, His sacrifice and Glory in His Resurrection, now ours, in sleeping and waking, in the taking and giving, losing and finding, despair and hope, sickness and health, trial and gain in compassion, comprehension, a remission of pain, and perhaps much sin.
Keeping our eyes on Him above the horizon of the fallen world in which we live, we too will live again. But if our gaze should fall below to the worldliness within, here also we have our just reward.
Three years and out. But an eternity He comes in, if we decide to open the door at his knock, at his behest, the door with only one handle . . . on our side. Our freedom to choose His greatest gift in this greatest country of choice.
Let Him in. Do His bidding. Follow his commanded desires. Not as restrictions but as negations of fallen character. For only in our small way may we atone and replace the temporal for the eternal. And as we give up, give of the self, in giving, only in giving, to give in we win. In a world stuck on self and sin, only in giving, giving in do we win.
We sacrifice a modicum of want to honor Him who gave all to enable us to come unto His love, to come home. And when we arrive . . .
First your hand, a gentle squeeze, an emotional embrace, a celestial smile on His face and then . . .
"I've missed you, friend. Please, come in."
