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Because He loves me, he traversed, climbed, descended to find me so that he could then extend, suffer, atone, and substitute himself for me in the place of my sin, suffering, abuse, neglect, sickness, illness, disease, death, eternal hell, self, pride, ego, loneliness, depression, fear, lack of knowledge, pain, and injustice…so that I can know God.

Because He loves me.

Martin Smith wrote it like this: Over The Mountains Over the Sea Here You come running my Lover to me When I feel the cold of winter And this cloak of sadness, I need You All the evil things that shake me All the words that break me, I need You Over The Mountains Over the Sea Here You come running my Lover to me Do not hide me from Your presence Pull me from Your shadows, I need You Beauty wrap Your arms around me Sing Your song of kindness I need You Over The Mountains Over the Sea Here You come running my Lover to me All through the valleys Through the dark of night Here You come running to hold me till it’s light   In the garden of Gethsemane, the night that Jesus was betrayed and sent to his execution. They came after him with clubs and swords. Yet, Jesus did not fight arrest in Garden. He willingly went.

Matthew 26:55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.

They took him before the Religious leaders of the day. He did not fight the accusations, nor defend the truth.

Matthew  26:59 the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death… 62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven. 67 Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”

Jesus could have been released by the Roman Govenor, Pilate. When given the opportunity to plead his case and be released, Jesus traversed that temptation, he rejected the easy route. Jesus knew that in order for us to be in relationship with God, that there was a price to pay. The bill was much too expensive for me and you. But…Because He loves us, He searched and found us. You see our separate from God is much more than a long distance or a tall boundary or wall. We actually are close to God, yet we hide from him. Yet, he looks for us, because he loves us.

Matthew 27:13 “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. 14 But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.

Jesus never fought with the soldiers, instead he fully complied.

Matthew 28:27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. 31When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.

At each turn in the story, Jesus is making his way to you. He is searching the valleys and ascending the high mountains. Where is Pete? Where is Monica? Where is Robin? Where is James? Where is Sharon? I hear them crying. I know they are hurt. I know they are separated from me and are afraid. Afraid of life. Afraid of me. But, I’m looking for you! You are my love.

Song of Solomon 3:1… I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not. 2 I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not. 3 The watchmen found me as they went about in the city. “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?” 4 Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go Song of Solomon

Matthew 27:32 Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. 33 And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 34 The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it. 35 After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there.

Matthew 27:40 “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”…42“He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!

Instead of answering the accusations, he spoke to us. His actions on the cross speak volumes to people across the world. Transcending every nation, gender, race, and creed. Instead of answering his critics, His actions on the cross whisper across the timeline to you as you cry and mourn, as you suffer, as you celebrate:

Song of Solomon 1:8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. 9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice.

As we read through the Story of Jesus’ sacrifice, we hear him call to us

10 My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, 11 for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.

Today, let’s answer back. Today, let’s respond with our acceptance. Today, I have faith in Jesus. My hope is in his Resurrection. I love Him.