“Then came the horrible day, the amazing day, that He made His way to Jerusalem to be crucified, knowing full well what it would be like, because He was and is omniscient God. He agonized over doing it, but He knew He would (Matthew 26:39).

“After the farce of a trial, they beat Him until His back was raw so we are healed.

“Then He lay down and allowed them to nail His hands to wood, perhaps watching them, providing for even their forgiveness. As He lay there, His raw open wounds on His back against the rough surface of the wooden cross gave Him intense pain. Still, He lay there.

“Then, they raised Him up and dropped His cross into the hole in the ground with a thud that most likely ripped His flesh in His hands and feet.

“To catch a breath, He at times had to lift His weight by pushing up with His feet. The pain must have been almost unbearable, and the urgency to breathe even greater.

“He hung there, humiliated at His bareness (Matthew 27:35), with untold people watching, but also with so much love that He stayed there.

“He could have asked the Father for twelve legions of angels to rescue Him (Matthew 26:53), to prevent the literal sacrifice of His flesh, to annihilate everyone who had a part to play. After all, He was and is Jehovah Sabaoth, the Commander of the armies of heaven. Still, He stayed.

“He stayed until He fulfilled every prophecy about His life and how He would die (John 19:28-30).

“He stayed until He fulfilled every type and shadow of Him in The Old Testament.

“He stayed because He loved the whole world.

“He stayed because He loves me.

“He stayed because He loves you.

“He stayed because He loves our prodigals” (Winkelman, Trust God As, pp. 128-129).