When He Was On The Cross

We Were On His Mind

When He Was On the Cross

A popular song says," When He was on the cross, I was on His mind.”
So were you! As was every person who has ever lived on this earth.

One of the hardest things for my mind to grasp is that His mind was on me at this most crucial time in His life. I can visualize the eyes of Christ looking at the masses and
seeing the sin-laden world and giving His life to redeem them, but me? Who am I that I would claim His attention while He hung on the cross dying for the sins of the “world.”
I am not a notably important person, not known in influential circles, never held a political office or accomplished a great feat that brought the world’s accolades. So, why would the King of Glory think of me, when His body was wracked with pain, His heart saddened because His Father from whom He had never been apart had forsaken Him? Did He
think about heaven’s splendor that He had left to come to this earth—to die? Its magnificence is beyond the realm of imagined vision.

Moses asked God, “Who am I” to go to Pharaoh to deliver the children
of Israel (Exodus 3:00). He knew of others whom God would do well to consider for the job.

David asked that question when the prophet Nathan informed him of the prophesy of David’s unending kingdom (1 Chronicles 17:16). The prophesy reached forward into time and saw Jesus hanging on the cross to free mankind of the bondage of sin and its penalty; it reached out to the empty tomb and resurrection of the “Son of David” who would show mercy, grace
and judgment as King of Kings.

Is it any wonder then that I would wonder? Another gospel song says, “Who am I that
a king would die for?” I still don’t have the answer—except that He loves me! I will
have to filter that thought through my renewed mind as the
Holy Spirit enlightens me, because it is beyond human understanding.

“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds”
(Psalm 147:3).
Though wounded Himself and broken in heart, His concern was for me!

I did nothing to earn His Love nor can I do anything to achieve salvation; it was astonishingly all done by Grace as Mercy reached my repentant heart. All I can do is “work out my salvation” (Philippians 2:12) to maturity by that which God has already worked in me. Can you see how easy this is for me; but look
what it cost God! It’s free to me, but it surely wasn’t cheap!

Jim Elliot, a missionary killed by Indians in Ecuador on a mission to them said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” What God has given
us who receive His Love is security; it is secure because He is the Agent guaranteeing
it. We can’t save ourselves; we can’t keep ourselves saved; it is completely in God’s hands as we accept that incomprehensible Love. Our part is to receive. What is hard about that?

So, as I wonder, the question lingers of how Jesus could have me on His mind when He was on the cross. The answer? Because it was I for whom He was dying! I was the
object of His affection. It was for me that He endured the suffering and shame of the cross. It was my sins that held Him there, not the nails! He could have called a
multitude of angels and annihilated those who framed Him in an illegal trial, those who ordered His death, and He could have just walked away from it all. But, thank God! He didn’t! Why?
Because I was on His mind, and He knew my terrible fate without His help.

Because of Him, I am now “innocent” in spite of all my failures. They were all nailed to His cross as He pleaded “Guilty” of my crimes against God. And
God heard Him and accepted it! Not only did He accept the substitute for me, He pronounced me “innocent”! The “Lamb of God” took away my sin and
the sins of the whole world. Yes, you were on His mind, too. You see,
He took our place.

One could take another’s place for a capital crime, and the guilty one go free; but he
would still be guilty. His pardon didn’t take away his guilt. What Jesus did for us is to “take away” our sins, obliterate them, erase the slate as if they had never occurred and declare us to be innocent. Hard to digest, isn’t it? We might still ‘feel’ guilty, but that’s because “the accuser of the brethren,” Satan, wants us to remember our sins so we will forget what Jesus did for us.

Consider the cross; consider your sins under the nails, consider the Love that held the Man there. Then with grateful heart and thanksgiving, remember that “You were on His mind when He was on the cross” and; because of that, you are innocent! You are loved!

Yes, He saw us from the cross; and, indeed, we were on His mind!

“…the Lamb [that’s Him!] shall overcome them [that’s Satan and his hordes]; for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him called, and chosen, and
faithful [that’s us!]” (Revelation 17:14).

Hallelujah!