Were you there? No doubt many sang this beloved hymn on Good Friday. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Of course, you were. Though not physically, your sin, my sin, our sin was there. It is what nailed him to the tree. It is the reason Jesus had to die.
Or what about when they laid him in the tomb? Were you there? Surely you were. The wages of sin is death, and we are all sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory. We have not kept God’s commandments, and we have not even come close to loving one another. Jesus paid the price for our disobedience. He died. We buried him.
Yet, today is the day of resurrection. Were you there when God raised him from the tomb? Were you there to meet the risen Lord Jesus as the great stone was rolled away? Though not physically, you were. God had you in mind when Jesus died, and he had you in mind when he raised him up on the third day. You were there, and so was I. In fact, all who call upon Christ as Lord were present in the eyes of God the day Jesus was raised. Because you are precious in God’s sight…you were there.
Prayer: O Lord God, in my heart, I give you thanks and praise. For you have saved me from my sin. Amen.
In the Beginning 