The Cross

When I think of the cross, I envision my Lord hanging there with blood dripping to his feet for me. I think of the humiliation I would have felt had it been me hanging there in front of the crowd of many. But, for Jesus, the cross was not about Him. 

The Cross 

 

The cross was not where just a good man was nailed.

It was where those who hated failed.

The cross was not where a troublemaker was eliminated;

Its story was written down in history, never to be outdated.

The cross was where the Son of God died for me.

It was how Jesus set me free.

The cross was not the end;

It paid my sin debt and provided a forever friend.

The cross was not where my Savior died for a shameful crime.

It was where Jesus gave His life for mine.

On the cross there was a death-

A final breath!

On the cross Jesus was nailed,

But, in time, salvation was unveiled.

The cross stands forever in my mind,

For I was saved, where once I was blind.

The cross was a rugged one,

Where Jesus paid the price- once and done!

 

Mary Crisp Jameson. 10/14/2025 

 

“Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose…Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.’”  Matthew 27:50-52, 54

 

Wonder-Working Power

I must say there are some days when life seems lonely and sad but, mostly, I am uplifted, happy, and content. 

     I am sure that the disciples felt lost and alone after Jesus died upon that cross. Yet, three days and Jesus returned! There was joy, gladness, and amazing, wonder-working power. 

     When I feel lonely and discouraged all I need to do is think of the cross and know that joy is coming in the morning! In lonely, dark days I know that there is still life all around me. God is there! He is behind me, beside me, and in front of me. I cling to the words of Hebrews 13:5, “For He hath said, ‘I will never leave you, nor forsake thee.’”

     Joy comes in the morning! There is always wonder-working power in which to look forward, upward, and outward because Jesus Arose! 

 

Palm Sunday

With Palm Sunday comes memories of a chain of events about to happen. 

     First, Jesus was cheered by the crowds as He rode a donkey into the city. There were shouts of “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

     Next comes the turning of events. I envision Jesus upon the cross dying for me, but then the darkness of this event turning to a glorious one when Jesus rises to live forever. It took only One God to send His One Son, but God used a diverse number of people to put Jesus on the Cross and a host of others who were witnesses to this event.

     There were people who waved palm leaves and cheered as Jesus entered the city on a humble donkey. There was the one who betrayed Jesus. There were the chief priests, the elders, the scribes, and the whole Council who held a consultation and bound Jesus. There was Pilate who questioned, “Are You the King of the Jews.” There was, again, the chief priests who stirred up the crowd. There were the religious leaders, also stirring up the crowd. There was the crowd who shouted, “Crucify Him!” There were the soldiers who placed a crown of thorns upon His head, mocked Him, and hammered the nails into His hands and feet. There were the believers and the unbelievers standing there watching, some laughing and some crying. There were the thieves on each side of Jesus, in which one was saved. There was Jesus’s own Mother and His disciples weeping.  There, in the crowd, was also a man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who would ask for Jesus’s body and dress Him for burial. 

     It took all of these people to set the stage for the day of Jesus’s crucifixion, but there was One other in attendance; the One who planned it all, and He was the One in charge. When Jesus cried out in a loud voice “It is finished,” God send a mighty earthquake. The rocks split, tombs broke open, and the dead were raised to life.

     Finally, I envision the angels attending the tomb, the rolling away of the stone, the resurrection., and the nail-scarred hands of my Jesus. 

     All of this was done for me! It was a planned event orchestrated by God and His Only Son. And, a mighty victory occurred!

 

Christmas Love

Christmas is about love!

 

     Love did not just start at Christmas, “for God is love,” (1 John 4:8), and God has always been. 

 

    Yet, God showed me His love even more so at Christmas when my Savior was born. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us (me), because that God sent His only begotton Son into the world, that we (I) might live through Him.”

(1 John 4:9)

 

     Again, when Jesus was born God had a loving plan for me. He planned the Cross! “Herein is love, not that we (I) loved God, but that He loved us (me), and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our (my) sins.” (1 John 4:10)

 

The Nails and Instructions

You know, I honestly do not know why anyone that is a billionaire would want to run for President of the United States of America. There is just too much drama for me. I guess, if I were rich, I would simply relax in luxury, and that is probably why I am not wealthy. 

     Regardless, as President Trump said, “I took a bullet for this country.” That being said, what is much more striking and memorable than Jesus taking the nails for me? Nothing compares to the blood pooled around His feet! Nothing compares to His sacrifice! Nothing compares to the pain He endured! There was not even one to help Him off the world’s stage. Why did He do this for me? He did not do it for power or gain. He already had that!

     There is even more to be learned from the nails and the Cross. With the grace (salvation) Jesus gave me, hanging there on the cross, He also gave me learning instructions. He is saying as He hangs on the Cross, “Believe in me”, and He is also saying, “Deny ungodliness and worldly desires. Live sensibly and righteously.” 

     I find this in Titus 2”11-12, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.”

     To take this post one step further, Jesus sat on the throne. He did not have to come to earth to be persecuted, and killing Jesus was not to be. He arose to fight for me. With the calm command of His voice, Satan will flee. 

Jesus Loves

Jesus Loves…and He gave me quite a few examples of what it means to love like Him. These examples are found all throughout His earthly walk as well as when He was on the Cross. 

 

At the last supper, I imagine I was there with Judas. When Jesus fed Judas, He fed me. When Jesus washed Judas’s feet, He washed and cleaned mine, as well. Jesus had such love for me, He was willing to feed a deceiver. He allowed me a choice just as He was willing to forgive for the act of betrayal.

 

At the last supper, I imagine I was also with Peter who said, “I will never deny you. Peter did and I have too. Yet, I was fed, my feet were washed, and I was forgiven just as Peter was loved and forgiven. 

 

When Jesus was arrested, I imagine I was there among the crowd when they mocked and spit upon Him. I was there when one of the criminals asked to be remembered. I was there when Jesus said, because you asked, “today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus was talking to me. I imagine I was at the foot of the Cross when Jesus took His last breath just after He cried out in agony and pain, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus was praying and interceding for me. In death, He was loving me.

 

To say I love Jesus is easy, but loving Him and others the way Jesus loves is not so easy. To do so, I must follow in Jesus’s footprints – His example- and strive to love like Him.

 

On Display

     In past years, during school, when children acted out the teacher might sit the child in a chair facing the corner for a "time out." Or, she might draw a circle on the bulletin board and have the child stand with his nose in the circle for a "time out." It was done to discipline the child. It was for his good. However, the child was also put on display in front of all the other children. Maybe the display was for the benefit of the other children, as well, so they would not "act out" in kind. 

     Have you ever thought about Jesus, hanging there on the cross? He was on display. He knew no sin, yet He hung in front of the crowd. His display was to show the world He cared. It was for our good. 

   We all sin. We all fall short. Yet God in His grace makes us right in His sight. "for God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin." Romans 3:25

Easter 2020

     Because the Covid 19 virus has people staying at home and away from the church building, it does not mean that the body of Christ is not celebrating Easter.  We are!  The tomb is empty and Jesus is alive!

Jesus is Alive! 
    He died on the Cross for
 A ll
    He took our sins upon Himself in
 L ove
    He ascended as Christ
 I dentified
    He arose in
 V ictory
    He is the King
 E ternal

The Murderer

     Jesus chose to die on the Cross.  He did it to save all people from the sin we continually choose to place in our live.  So, even though Christ chose to die for us in order to provide grace and an eternal life to His people, we placed Him on that Cross.  I am so very grateful, that though it all, He planned it, knowing who I really am, and still loves me.

The Murderer

Who was enticed 

to kill Jesus Christ?

Who did this heinous crime,

rejecting a love so sublime?

Here was an unjustifiable death, 

drawing blood and the Savior's very breath. 

Imagine a painting, a picture;

a hate-filled mixture;

A mob yelling, screaming,

tears streaming;

A Savior on the Cross, bruised and bleeding;

God's Son, in pain, forgiving

while taunters chose pretentious living. 

Look at the tortured Man within the scene, 

 yet willing to wipe sins clean. 

Who was responsible for this brutal act

upon a Savior, come to keep life intact? 

Who did this deed?

Who took the lead? 

Who was this murderer, 

this cold-hearted slaughterer?

It was me, it was you, it was all of us

in our sin, standing thus.   

                      Mary Crisp Jameson

The Final Hour

The Final Hour
     It's the final hour!  What do we see?  What do we hear?
     We see a man who was faithful to His mission.  He hung on the cross.  With His very life slowly seeping away, He listens as the thief makes His appeal.  Here is a sinner asking forgiveness; a sinner recognizing the status of the Son of God.  Jesus answers his plea showing His continuing desire for the rescue of the souls of men. 
     It's the final hour!  Jesus sees His mother standing nearby grieving.  He sees John and, with love and compassion says, "Behold your mother!"
     It's the final hour!  Pain is excruciating.  Yet, Jesus cries outs, "Father, forgive them."
     It's the final hour!  What was in His thoughts?  Love, compassion, forgiveness, and concern for souls even though He was suffering greatly. 
     It's the final hour!  What and who will be on our minds when our lives are seeping away? 
   

Innocent?

     Shakespeare quoted:
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exists and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts..."

I stopped here as I considered Pilate, his part, Jesus' part, and our part in the stages of life.  Pilate was a man who set the stage, and he played his part well, or so he thought, when he proclaimed, "I am innocent..."

Scene 1:  The stage is set as Pilate makes his entry.  He stands above a jeering and angry crowd.  Not far away is Jesus and another man, named Barabbas.  Barabbas is a murderer while Jesus is only being imprisoned for telling the truth; however, the crowd wants Jesus released to them to be crucified.  They care nothing about punishment for Barabbas.  Pilate, fearing not pleasing the people, takes water, washes his hands and states, "I am innocent of this man's blood."  Pilate then commands Jesus be flogged and given to the people to be crucified.  Jesus is allowed to not only be beaten until his flesh is torn and bleeding, but is mocked, spit upon, patronized, and then nailed to a wooden cross. 
     The curtain falls, but where am I in all of this?  I wish I could say, "I wasn't there.  I am innocent."  However, in reality I was there.  I was among the crowd.  I was an unbeliever.  Even as a Christian today, I have the ability to crucify my Lord by not acknowledging Him and by going my own way apart from Him.

Scene 2:  The curtain opens and the stage is set with three crosses, the center one illuminated.  Jesus, the innocent Son of God, is there upon that center cross.  He is in agony and pain.  His blood flows freely and jammed upon His head is a crown of thorns.  Yet, He is enduring it all as he shows mercy to one of the thieves hanging on the cross beside Him.  He shows love as He instructs one of His disciples to care for His mother.  He forgives all when He prays, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."  He shows obedience to His Father by finishing His task here on earth.  He actually takes on the sin of all mankind as He cries out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Then as the curtain falls, a loud voice is heard again crying, "It is finished!"
     What, again, is my part to play?  I wasn't there. "I am innocent of Jesus's pain and suffering."  Or was I?  Or am I?   What options do I have in the character I must play?  I can either turn away in unbelief and add to the stripes on Jesus' back.  I can insult and mock Him, or I can choose to believe that Jesus died for me.  I can choose to believe that Jesus was and is the very Son of God.

Scene 3:  The curtain opens.  There is darkness and silence.  Why?  Could it be that the Light of the World was given up in death?  Then suddenly an eruption occurs.  The earth begins to quake and shake, the rocks split, and the temple veil splits from top to bottom.  Graves open up and many bodies of the saints arise.  This brings terror to the faces of His persecutors.  I see tears of grief on the faces of those who loved Him.  There is a sense of awe all around.  The curtain falls, but not before we hear the truth spoken, "Truly, this was the Son of God."
     The part I have to play is obvious.  I am no longer blind to the truth.  I am not innocent in all that has taken place.  Jesus took the beating and the pain for me.  He took the mocking for me.  He took the nails and hung there on that cross for me.  He didn't just die; He died in my place.  When He went to the grave, He lifted me up out of the grave. 

Praise God, Jesus rose the 3th day and is Alive! 

Memorial Day and the Fallen

     Memorial Day is a time for remembering the people who died while serving in our country's armed forces. 

     I do not know the validity of the following, but I found these interesting, historical statistics on the internet: 

Fatalities from U.S. Wars and Conflicts

American Revolution (1775-1783)	4,435
War of 1812 (1812-1815)	2,260
Mexican War (1846-1848)	13,283
Civil War (1861-1865)	620,000
Spanish-American War (1898-1902)	385
World War I (1917-1918)	116,516
World War II (1941-1945)	405,399
Korean War (1950-1953)	36,574
Vietnam War (1964-1975)	58,220
Gulf War (1990-1991)	383
Afghanistan War (2001-present)	2,381
Iraq War (2003-2012)	4,500



"Let Us Never Forget"
Freedom Reigns ....

      As we join together to remember the fallen war heroes and to pray for their families, let us not forget to remember another who offered His life up for everyone's salvation.   Jesus fought the battle of the Cross and won.  Let us also not forget those who have fallen for the sake of Christianity and those who continue to put their lives in danger by taking upon themselves His call for the Great Commission, " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

The Thread

     A Facebook post showed a quilted craft project someone had completed which incorporated special baby clothes from sleepers to t-shirts to special activity clothing.  What a visual scrapbook of clothing threads this was!
     When I thought of the threads that have been sewn into my life, I remembered how my parents knitted the threads of God into my life.  I remembered the threads of events that led me though life with God at the helm.  If I had to do a scrapbook of the thread of events in my life I would have a difficult time ever completing this project, for I would have to admit that God has shown up in my life even when I have not known it. 
     In fact, God has shown up and been faithful from the beginning of the Universe through time and still shows up today.  He is constantly weaving and knitting the threads that tie and connect His people to Him.   
     When we accept Christ, He rips out the threads of our sin.  He then stitches in new threads and seals them with the Cross.

Colossians 2: 12-15 " When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,  having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

 

The Heavy Load

     I am sure there are times we all say, "Life's not fair."  Our burdens are too heavy, or others have more.  Yet, how we handle our hardships define our character.  Jesus was a perfect example for His people.  He chose to leave His heavenly Father for us.  He carried a heavy load, and, I believe, He knew about the cross as a very young child.  All that He did, He did for us.  He could have said, "I don't want to do this.  It is not fair that I have to die for others."  But He didn't. 
    

    The Heavy Load

 

The cross, a heavy load;

  In Him, a promise abode.

 Born with no bed to call His own,

  A King, without an earthly throne;

A babe, in flight, among the multitudes,

  A child, Herod sought with fortitude.

 

The cross, a heavy load to bear,

  but God was with Him there.

 

The Son, baptized, yet tempted;

A heart Satan couldn't break or empty.

A teacher, wandering the land,

 scorned by those who knew not God's plan.

 

The cross, a weight, a heavy weight

  for the One, so great!

 

A man praying alone in Gethsemane,

  "Let this cup pass from me."

A soul sorrowful until death,

  asking God's will with labored breathe.

A Savior, denied, rejected by the world;

On His shoulders our sins were hurled.

A man upon the cross, opening up heaven's gate

  to seal the believer's fate. 
 

Oh yes!  The cross, a heavy load to bear,

  but God was there. 

                                      Mary Nell Jameson

 

           God is here for us, too, if we will just call upon Him and place our trust in Him.  One of my favorite chapters is Psalm 23.  "The Lord is my shepherd;...Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me...."

 

 

 

The War Within

     I believe we all fear war.  We don't like to think of the useless loss of lives or the unknown outcome.
     Yet, I have to admit, I fight, as we all do, a battle everyday.  It is a war within myself because of my sinful nature.  I praise God that I do not have to struggle the battle alone.  I praise God for His grace which takes away my fear.  His grace is greater than my sin, and I am justified by my faith in Him.
     There does not have to useless loss of lives in order to win the war.  All any of us need to do is trust God and believe in Him.  Accept Jesus as your Savior.  Accept the Cross and His mighty grace. 

Romans 3:10 "...There is none righteous, no, not one."
Romans 3:24 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

Simplicity

     Our Sunday School lesson today was taken from 2 Kings, chapter 5. I will try to sum up the simplicity of the lesson.  It is about proud, turned into humility, and the simplicity of healing. 
     As the story goes, Naaman, a commander of the king's army, highly regarded and a brave warrior had a skin disease of leprosy.  In one of his raids he brought back from the land of Israel a young girl.  Instead of resentment, she cared enough to tell of a prophet, one who represented the one true God.  She said, "If only my master would go the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his skin disease."
     Naaman was so desperate to be healed that he made the journey loaded up with "750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 changes of clothes."
     Upon arrival at the prophet's home, he was met by the prophet's servant and told to "go wash in the Jordan and you flesh will be restored and you will be clean."  Naaman became angry. You see, the healing process seemed too simple, the river was dirty and beneath him.  He also lacked humility and faith.   He obviously was expecting the prophet, himself, to meet him and perform some type of ritual.  How dare he just sent out a lowly servant to give him instructions.  Secondly, the Jordan river was dirty and nasty unlike many others which were clear and clean.  Why choose this one? 
     However, with encouragement from his men, Naaman finally did as the prophet's message instructed and, to his surprise, "his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean."  Whereupon, Naaman returned to the prophet in order to present him with the gifts of riches he had brought in exchange for this healing, but the prophet would not accept them.  He simple said, "Go in peace."
    What is the point of this story, you may ask.  Healing for Naaman turned out to be a simple humbling process.  There were no demands and no request for payment.  This is much like the spiritual healing which God provides.  
     God's plan, the cross, is one of humble simplicity.   God send His messenger, Jesus, to give us the healing we all need.  If we will simple accept the name of Jesus and His cross, God will say, "I am well pleased, go in peace." 

Easter- Killing Jesus! and the Resurrection

     Easter weekend is here, so I am taking a moment in "A Friendly Shade" to think about the anguish my Lord suffered for my sake. 

Killing Jesus

 “Let Him die,” was the decree,

    yet killing Jesus was not to be.
“Kill Him! Kill Him!” followed the cry,
    but no reason why.

The mob moved within the crowd

    shouting in voices angry and loud.

“He’s spreading rumors all abroad,
    a common man, liar, and fraud.
“Kill Him! Kill Him!”
Oh! So much mayhem!

Soldiers took the whip to thresh,

    bringing blood and tearing flesh.
A vine of thorns became His crown;
To a splintered cross His hands were bound;
Nails pierced His hands and feet.
The crowd came alive and began to repeat,
    “Kill Him! Kill Him!”
People watched with faces grim.
Mockers spit in His face-
    beneath them, was His place.
The cross, slammed into the ground,
    anguish was profound;
Agony and pain
    doubled from bodily strain.
Blood covered barren skin,
    or what had been.

“Father, forgive them,” was heard by those standing there,

    just before the heavens opened, a Son to declare.
Rejected, mocked, battered, and shamed;
    a King, unnamed-
In death, the temple rent in twain.
The earth did quake the valley and plain.
Over it all, light turned to darkness,
    shouts ended in quietness.
Fear appeared on the witness face
    in that very place.
All was silence

     after the violence.

Kill Him! Kill Him,” had been the cry.
They did not know He would not die-
    nor why.
"Arise! Arise!" was God's own cry.
Salvation was the reason why.
A resurrection was God's decree;
    a plan foretold to set the sinner free.
The Son of God, a Savior, missing from the grave.
He arose to live! Souls to save.
A coming day for all to see-
Killing Jesus was not to be.
                              Mary Crisp Jameson

Easter- Jesus Is Not Dead!

     He Lives! is a great song.  Jesus is truly a risen Saviour and He lives!  It would be good to remember this Easter Sunday that Jesus lives, but a person has to know Jesus to give Him the praise and the glory He so deserves.  I watched Watters' World last night on Fox News and was so saddened when Watters asked the people on the streets questions about Easter. 
  Watters asked, "What Holiday is this?"  One answer was, "Memorial Day." Another was "Father's Day."
  Watters asked, "What are you doing this Easter?"  Answer was, "Do laundry, maybe."
  Watters asked, "What does Easter involve?"  There was no answer. She had no idea.
  Watters asked, "What happened on Easter?"  Answer was, "Not sure what happened."
  Watters asked, "What do we celebrate on Easter?"  Answer was, "Jesus was born."
  Watters asked several questions about the Easter bunny, and finally, "Was the Easter bunny found in the New or Old Testament?"  The answer was, "The Old Testament, I guess."
   Watters asked one person  a question about the crucifixion, and his answer was.  "He was crucified as the story goes, but I don't do that scene."

It would be good to remember the Cross, Death, and Resurrection. As the song goes:
"He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!"
"I serve a risen Saviour,
He's in the world today;
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy,
I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him
He's always near."
     Jesus paid a great price when He came to earth to walk among men and then to allow himself to be beaten and nailed to a cross, and then to take on our sins so we also could live.   

Jesus Is Not Dead

His wounds ran blood red!

Skin torn and pierced-

Body whipped-

Friends stood and wept in dread!

Darkness fell-

The ground shook-

Hanging on the cross, Jesus bled!

Hope sprang forth-

Promises fulfilled-

 Lying upon His death bed!

Angels stood nearby-

The stone rolled away-

Word spread!

“The tomb is empty!”

Hearts lifted-

 He arose the Living Bread!

Lives changed-

Brokenness healed-

In resurrection, Jesus became the Thread!

The Way-

The Deliverer-

He is not dead!

Souls are saved-

Eternal life proclaimed!

                                                    Mary Crisp Jameson-    3/30/2014

 

Easter and The Comforter

     Easter is a remembrance time of the Savior who died on the cross and rose to live the third day. However, Easter is celebrated different ways depending on the culture.  In America, we celebrate Easter with our children by Easter baskets, colorful Easter eggs, new frocks, and sometimes sunrise services.  The Easter baskets often include an Easter bunny or baby chick and chocolate coated candy. 
     I was interested in how Easter eggs and baskets came to be, so I looked up Wikipedia which stated that the Easter egg was the symbol of the empty tomb, and the Easter lily was the symbol of the Resurrection.
     Then I was interested in baby bunnies and chicks.  I didn't actually research how that tradition started, but I did see a sign posted at Atwood's which stated it was unlawful to sell baby chicks in quantities of less than six.  "Why?" I wondered.  So, I looked up Arkansas state law and found that baby chicks are a flock bird.  Within a flock there is comfort, companionship and contentment for each member of the flock.  Since baby chicks have a natural instinct to flock together, a single baby chick could possibly die from loneliness.
     Now that I have given the trivia for the day, let's consider what is said in the Scripture about what happened just before Jesus was betrayed and later denied.
     Jesus called his twelve disciples together for a final breaking of bread.  This Last Supper was to give instruction to His disciples.  Jesus took the bread, blessed it, brake it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."  Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, "Drink ye all of it, for this is my blood which is shed for many for the remission of sin."  Although this was final instruction for remembrance of what Jesus was to do for us all, I believe it was also a time of great fellowship together.
     Afterwards, all but one disciple journeyed with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus was in great agony, and He needed to pray alone, but He also needed the companionship of His disciples. He wanted them to watch and wait with Him.  Matthew 26:38, "Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me."
     I find that I often need human contact, much like the baby chicks who have a natural instinct to flock together.  Yet, Jesus gave me more than this when He died on the Cross for me.  As a Christian, I have a natural tendency to flock to Him, especially in my times of trouble.  There is no other One who can truly fulfill or comfort me like Jesus can.  
     John 14:16-17, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

The Carpenter's Foundation

     We studied about the foundation and the cornerstone set by Jesus last Sunday.  It reminded me of how precise a carpenter has to be when he constructs a home.  However, no matter how solid man sets a foundation, there is only one which will truly stand, and that is the foundation and cornerstone set by Jesus.   No other can raise a temple in three days, but when Jesus died on the cross He raised a temple in three days, and he established Himself as the very cornerstone of life.    Ephesians 2: 20b "...Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone."  John 2:19 "Jesus answered  and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

The Carpenter’s Foundation

Wham, wham, wham!
Tap, tap, tap!
You could hear the echo of the hammer
  as the boy worked along side his dad-
  a simple life portrayed.
It was just a carpenter’s trade,
  one the boy had come to do.

Wham, wham, wham!

Tap, tap, tap!
The foundation soon to be hammered in place;
  the cornerstone set!
A death to cover mankind's debt.
This Carpenter would build the way
  with blood and sweat.

Wham, wham, wham!

Tap, tap, tap!
Do you hear it pounding in your ear-
  the nails being set in place,
  see His pain, sweat, and blood
  dripping with His labor of love?

Wham, wham, wham!

Tap, tap, tap!
One cross with 3 long nails-
  the people's anger unfurled.
A foundation set before the world.
Behold the tender embrace
  of a Carpenter come to build a dwelling place;
A cornerstone set by His nail-scarred hand,
  unshakable as the earth quaked and rocks rent the land.

Wham, wham, wham!
Tap, tap, tap!
The final nail in place;
  the Cross slammed into the ground.
Darkness fell and silence was the sound-
  a death, a resurrection, a call!

Listen! Rid your doubt,
  heed His shout,
  “It is finished! Come unto me."
By the Carpenter's nail-scarred hand,
   He has set us free.
                             Mary Crisp Jameson