Never lose the wonder / May I see it as the first time

Wonder

• something or someone that is very surprising, beautiful, amazing
• a cause of astonishment or admiration
• a feeling of amazement caused by something remarkable or unfamiliar
• a surprising event or situation

A few years ago when Bethany was only a few weeks old I led a small youth group meeting in church on Good Friday evening. I told a story of a bus driver who was taking a group of kids home after a school trip. The bus gets to a steep descent and half way down the driver realises that his breaks have failed and he cannot slow the bus down. The bus gets faster and faster as it heads down the hill.
The bus driver spots a small gateway to the side of the road. He knows that if he can make it through the gate then the bus will have lots of room to slow down and the passengers will be safe. The only problem is that there is a small child in front of the gate. The driver has to decide whether to stay on the road which will probably lead to all the passengers dying, or to run the small child over but to save all the other children in the process – an impossible decision.
The driver swerves to the left, towards the gateway, runs over the small child, and the passengers are all saved. The parents of the children are called to collect their children and take them home.
On the way out, a few of the parents see the bus driver sobbing by himself, one remarks ‘I’m not surprised he is upset, he has killed a child’. The policeman on the scene overhears the conversation, comes over to the parents and says ‘that was his own child he killed’.
I told this story holding Bethany in my arms when she was 4 weeks old, and it was the first time that I saw Good Friday from the perspective of the Father.

This was God’s plan right from the start. He knew there we were all headed for death and eternal life separate from Him unless drastic action was taken. God was prepared to sacrifice His own son to save us.

Each year when Good Friday comes around I always struggle to comprehend why God chose this plan. There must have been another way, right? I just don’t get it … wonder.

Unless you stop and think, today might just pass you by. Let wonder be a part of your Good Friday. What happened on the cross was horrific, ugly, disgusting, humiliating, degrading, destructive, beautiful, freedom-bringing, and life-giving. I don’t understand it, I don’t think I ever will, but I don’t think I need to understand it. I don’t want to look at the cross, but my eyes linger there. All we have to do is let the wonder sink in a little bit. Don’t be numbed because you’ve seen it before.

May we see it as the first time.

Take a minute today to think about what He went through for you. If you were the only person on the bus, He would still choose you.

Song for the week:
The wonder of the cross – Vicky Beeching

Wonder – Amanda Cook

Because of Your love – Phil Wickham

If any of this has grabbed your interest and you want to chat about it, then you can reach me on Twitter @peterjshort. I’d love to hear from you.

Worship Archive

Subscribe There are a few easy ways to keep up to date with St John's.
	For each blog click on the icon on the left to get the address for the RSS newsfeed. For more information on RSS Newsfeeds please click here.
	The second way is to click on the Email icon on the left and subscribe so that you receive an email each time the blog is updated.
	The third way is to become a fan of us on Facebook.
	The final way is to follow us on Twitter