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Diary of a Criminal

DIARY OF A CRIMINAL

Dear Diary, something happened that’s hard to be believed:
Today I faced a sentence; instead I was reprieved.
They’d brought me to the platform for all the crowd to see,
And as I looked, I trembled because there stood by me
A man whom I’d seen often--they called Him Christ the Lord,
And then we faced the people as Pilate spoke the word,
“I have stood here together two men, now make your choice:
Which shall I release for you?”  The crowd cried with one voice,
“Release Barabbas, Pilate!”  I scarce believed their cry,
But found it still yet harder when they said, “Crucify
That man who says He’s God’s Son, His servant, and a king;
We have no king but Caesar!  How dare He say such things!”
And I knew of whom they’d said this--that man there next to me,
Who’d done so many great things; so good and pure was He.
I could not understand it!  Why would they let me go
And put this man through torture and there mistreat Him so?
That was the gruesome sentence I rightfully deserved,
And then I saw the lash marks that on His back are served.
I watched in horror and anguish as up the hill He climbed,
And once again I realized this cross should have been mine.
I saw the shiny hammer as it came crashing down;
I saw upon His eyebrows a rugged, thorny crown.
I heard His words of suffering, but compassion I heard, too,
As He cried, “God forgive them, they know not what they do.”
I saw His loving mother as she observed her Son,
And heard Him as He uttered, “Please take care of her, John.”
And then the darkness covered the earth with eerie night,
And lightning and loud thunders became the sound and sight.
I heard again this Jesus cry out in agony,
“My God, My God,” He cried out, “Why hast Thou forsaken me?”
And then it seemed triumphant as His life ebbed away,
A loud cry, “It is finished!”  I heard Him clearly say.
Yes, I watched as He died there along with other men;
One mocked, the other trusted this man to save from sin.
I thought this over, Diary, and realized just why
This man whom they called Jesus had come to earth to die.
And as I thought it over, how crowds chose Him instead,
And how I got my freedom from that punishment and dread,
I knew there were more reasons than just the crowd’s demand
Why I, a helpless sinner, was now a set free man.
This Jesus took my judgment and suffered for my crime,
Though through the others’ choosing, still in that quiet time,
I realized I needed forgiveness for my sin,
And I asked for salvation and let this Jesus in.
Today I sit here, Diary, a free man twice today:
Once through a legal pardon, and once through Calvary’s way!

Copyright © Clarence Billheimer | Year Posted 2019

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