The Passionate Path

Oh, Father, as I see Your Passion,
What response resounds, within my heart,
Of the purpose of the Lord
To journey down that lonely path.

We will not see a powerless victim,
Condemned to death by man.
For, from the beginning, the Son of God
Was chosen to fulfil the beloved plan.

They couldn't cast Him from the craggy edge
Or stone His soul to death.
Nor would they choose the hour;
As all occurred, exactly as He said.

From the time He summoned the betrayer
To, "Go, do as you will,"
That was the very day He chose to die;
His life impossible for man to still.

As Judas led them to the garden,
Where Jesus prayed in darkest night,
He arose to proclaim, "I am He,"
And the crowd fell back; stunned at the awesome sight.

Then, He walked to His divine appointment
(The perfect life in history's page),
Now, to be lifted up to die
On Golgotha's cruel stage.

Oh, how easily He could have renounced
Or collapsed, in languid fear,
As Pilate, controlled by God alone, had Him flogged.
Why did Jesus not call for angels to appear?

But, His love was stronger than all else;
His heart resolved with eternal care.
Although His body weakly staggered,
Our sin He chose to bear.

While our Savior hung between earth and heaven,
God turned His face away.
As the darkness plunged Him into sin,
His blood became the price to pay.

Then, with the weight of all our pain,
The fear, the bitter hurt of men,
Jesus cried, "Father forgive them,"
As He bowed in victory; His heart content.

Dying, exactly, on the strike of three
(When offerings were made by temple priests),
The veil was rent in two.
Now, man, with God, can be at peace.

"It is finished," was His cry
Never more will the grave demand decay.
Perfect love became the sacrifice
As He rose, again,
For us to know eternal day.

Oh, Lord Jesus, to You I give my life away.

Soft Whispers from
Derry's Heart Poems
© 2004 used with permission
heartwhispers@iinet.net.au
"I am the resurrection and the life,
He who believes in me will live, even 
though he dies."
John 11:25