I've always wondered what it would have been like to be present at Jesus' crucifixion.    I wondered if I would have joined the disciples and disappeared.  Or would I be like the only disciple, John, who stayed to witness Jesus death.

I was fortunate to be granted the opportunity to see Jesus being crucified.  However, having been a participant in the Easter Musical, I became, at times, a little complacent about Jesus' crucifixion.  It became a matter of rehearsal and the actor playing Jesus was a friend.  However, one practice, I was struck with the reality of Jesus' compassion and love, how He died for me.  

I walked onto stage and Jesus was on the cross.  I looked up and just at that time, Jesus was looking down at me.  I forgot that this man was an actor and my friend.  I felt transported to the time that Jesus' was actually on the cross.  I felt so overwhelmed.  Jesus was looking at me and I was the only person there even though the stage and the audience was filled with people.  

It was Jesus and me.

Nevertheless, I  was overwhelmed by two competing emotions:  1) I felt ashamed at my sin, and 2) I felt pure love.  I felt no condemnation.  A flood of tears came to my eyes and at that night's performance, I didn't have to pretend to cry.  My complacency vanished.


My tears were real.  

Jesus was real.  

My sin was real.  

The love I felt was real.

The forgiveness Jesus offered was real.


Salvation is real.


BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Yesterday, I posted about how a young man used the retelling of the crucifixion of Jesus so that he could sin and take others with him in his sin.

Today, I want to share something beautiful from my experiences with the Easter Musical.  In this church that annually would share the Easter story with its community, there was always a special private showing of the final dress rehearsal.  

The final dress rehearsal was an invitation to individuals who were physically as well as mentally challenged.   The church would clear out much of the seating so that people using wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and canes could easily navigate into the auditorium.  This was a fun tradition in this community because these individuals got to see the musical before anybody else.  

In this final dress rehearsal that I am remembering, Jesus was being taken down from the cross. This is a very solemn and quiet scene, taking a good ten minutes or so.  Jesus is carefully removed from the cross, given to Mary, Joseph of Arimathea, John and Nicodemus.  They lovingly prepare Jesus' body for burial, wrapping him in cloths.  

Well, during this scene, one man in the audience who couldn't speak or walk due to his challenges, started weeping uncontrollably.   It was quite a poignant scene that was enhanced by this man's sensitivity.   I firmly believe that this man was so touched by this reenactment that he said yes to God's invitation to accept Jesus as his Savior.  Needless to say, this man's behavior affected many others not only in the congregation but many of the actors and orchestra members as well.  In my own heart, I felt a revival of my own commitment to serving Jesus.  I'm sure that many had a similar experience.  An unspoken revival of sorts happened right there because of this man's sensitivity to Jesus' gift of salvation.

I want to tell you that the man that was weeping was so much more of a man than many men I have ever met.  Especially, more so than that young man from yesterday who wanted to have sexual conquests to prove his manhood.  That weeping man allowed God to transform him.  Outside he was still the same but I believe that man left the church a new creation.

You may be wondering how the above picture of the extreme mountain climber fits into this story.  Well, I'm thinking that when this guy gets to heaven, he's gonna want to do the things he always wanted to do but couldn't because he was  in an earthly body that didn't work as he wanted.  I'm gonna find him and we're gonna do some extreme mountain climbing.  When we get to the summit, I'm gonna ask him, "remember when you were at that private showing of the Easter Musical?  I want to know what you were thinking."  I anticipate he will share with me his love for God and how the Holy Spirit worked in his life that night.

Together we will agree with the Roman Centurion, "Surely, this man was the Son of God!"  and we will spend a couple hundred years on that summit praising our Savior and recalling all the wonderful things that God did.  

Do you want to experience something beautiful?  

You can right now as you ask Jesus to lead your life, turn from your sinfulness and allow God to transform you. 

We want you to join us on that summit in eternity.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.