When He Was on the Cross – Entry #6 of 7

Today I want to review the following lines of the song:

Though his eyes were on the crowd that day
He looked ahead in time
For when he was on the cross
I was on his mind

Jesus was hanging on the cross in pain that fateful day. He was between two criminals with the crowd jeering at him, but he was able to block all of this out as he focused on the next steps in the Father’s mission for him.

As Jesus looked across the crowd, I don’t believe he saw a mass of people. I believe he saw every face, every heart, and every emotion. He saw the hatred of those who had scorned him his entire life, joy on the faces of those who were just tired of hearing what they believed to be false teachings of a false king, and also those who came just to see the crucifixions and the suffering and didn’t really care who was on the crosses. A lot of these people were the ones yelling “crucify him.”

Maybe most of the people fell into groups above, but there were also the people who knew him and loved him. He saw sadness on the faces of the people whom he healed and given a much better quality of life. Some of these were the people who were once lame, once blind, once invalid, and even once dead. Those who truly loved Jesus such as his family, especially his mother Mary, had watched Him grow up and now see him leave this earth so young and in such agony. His disciples had been with Him almost 24-7 for three years and He had been their leader and friend. All of those who loved him were probably devastated and wondering how they could go on with their lives. They did not truly understand that he was coming back, even though he had told them He would return.

While he saw the faces, perhaps he was looking at the future of each person as well as his part in each of their lives to-date and what was ahead for each of them. Jesus may have shed tears of sadness for leaving them distraught, but he also knew what tomorrow would bring for each one there. He knew his purpose and perhaps even shed some tears of joy because of the future he was preparing for all of those who loved him and would accept him as their Savior. Jesus knew this was the most painful part of this journey, but it was just a blink of an eye in the Father’s grand plan. Jesus knew that he would be rising from the grave in three days. He would calm the fears of those loved ones he left, wipe their tears away, and secure their future. He saw the stone being rolled away from the garden tomb, the resurrection, surprising his followers, ascending into heaven, and preparing a place for us.

I often see paintings depicting what it might be like when we enter heaven’s gates. My favorites are ones showing the people falling into the arms of Jesus as they start life anew. I can’t imagine standing there in the arms of Jesus, he died a painful death for that embrace.

When he was on the cross, I was on his mind.