i am finished.
“Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him.
When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross.
And the criminals were also crucified–one on his right, and one on his left”
Luke 23:32-33
I am finished.
I’m dead to rights.
I’m debtor,
Doubter,
caught, and crucified.
I should’ve seen this coming.
This end.
This gravity.
Final bow,
Final breaths
on calvary.
oh, I see the irony.
We knew each other, you know.
together to the end
we schemed and stole together.
were gonna take on the world together.
Thick as thieves.
friends.
but here we are.
a splintered tree between us.
I’m on the right, he’s on the left
we’re waiting for Barabbas.
So who is this man?
Barabbas I know.
Barabbas, the fiend.
Barabbas, the liar.
Defiler
Unclean.
He’s like us
And like us,
he’s scheduled to hang
So where is he?
And who is this man?
We earned this.
We deserve this.
Each slash on our sides
Each nail in our wrists
Each mocking thorn—-
even the names that they called us were true
But this stranger--
Replacing a criminal
Who are you?
But wait
Now that he’s closer,
I know who this is
I’ve heard the stories
of the things that he did
Who else could it be that gives sight to the blind
And makes crippled men leave their crutches behind
Who else sends the guilty back home in peace
And showers compassion on sinners like me
Oh god, what if everything they’re saying is true?
What if he’s dying for what he said that he’d do?
Wasn’t it his voice that made the ocean obey
Weren’t they his hands that took sickness away
Weren’t they his words that spun light from the dark,
That commanded from whirlwinds and powered the stars?
Whose clothes are compassion?
Who lifts up the shamed?
Who is this mercy--what is his name?
I hear what they’re shouting:
“For a rabbi, you look good in a crown!”
“Show us a trick, teacher, get yourself down!”
“Make way for his highness coming through:
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the king of the jews!”
You know, I’ve seen the kings that they kill,
and it’s odd:
They all mock them with thorns
but they don’t call them God
I’ve seen what their faces look like
before the axes comes down
So How could a guilty man
Pardon the crowd that kills him?
What king goes to his death as a lamb
Who could pray for the hands that beat him - is he more than a man?
They’re calling you Jesus but there has to be more
They have to remember they’ve seen you before:
Unchanging creator
Compassionate King
Our faithful redeemer
Pursuer
Our peace
The conquering warrior
Our refuge, our lamb
The coming messiah
Eternal I Am.
I’m left here with nothing,
cause death is my end
But you suffer beside me
you still call me a friend
I can’t imagine a future
where I deserve to be free–
I should be forgotten
But You said you’d remember me.