Why? By David Harsher, Christ
crucified. Why does the Lord of life and
glory suffer? Why does he endure that piercing
agony and that bloody sweat in gloomy Gethsemane? Why is he
condemned to the death of Calvary? Look at the crucified Jesus.
Why does he hang on that bloody cross? Why are those blessed
hands and feet nailed to the accursed tree? Why is that dearside
pierced with the soldier's spear? Why does the Immaculate Lamb
of God thus bleed? Ah! Believing sinner, it is for
you. For you Christ endured that indescribable
agony in Gethsemane and those excruciating pains on Calvary. For you the blood trickles down
those pale cheeks and streams from that pierced side. For you,
the Son of God endures the hidings of His Father's face, until He
is led to exclaim in the bitterness of His soul, My God, My God,
why have you forsaken Me? For you, His last breath is drawn,
and His last cry uttered, It is finished. O could you but
see with faith's vision what Christ has done for you, Surely
your whole heart would burn with love to such a Savior, who, to
ransom your precious soul from eternal woe, shed His own blood. That precious blood was poured
out to cleanse you from the guilt of sin. Sin, then, was the cause
of the sufferings and death of God's dear Son. Ah, sinner, you
have slain the innocent Lamb of God. You have caused those
wounds on Emmanuel's glorious person. Your sins pierced him
to the very heart.