Criminal's Death

I wrote this after this morning's message. May it affect you as it affected me.


Criminal's Death

The winds sweep cold across the hill
Noon draws quickly near
A man is hung in public shame
Let all who pass by see and fear

Three criminals strung up high
Come out and see their fate
Agony binds their limbs in pain
The crowds hurl stones and hate

Does no one feel pity for them?
Tried and guilty as they are?
Thieves and blasphemers all
For them, death is not far

High noon has come at long last
But dark spreads instead of light
As if the earth itself protests
When it's people mock and spite

Shall we leave this awful place?
Leave these criminals to die in peace?
Let us turn our eyes away
Before the crows begin to feast

But wait! The one in the center speaks!
And what he says, can it be true?
The words come low but ring out
"Father God, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Then he cries out in pain and suffering
As His spirit leaves this space
He has died, and with his death
The world seems a poorer place

Then the entire universe screams in pain
As the earth itself begins to shake
The wind begins to cry in grief
And the rocks their silence break

And so it becomes painfully clear
The center man was free of guilt
Perfect, blameless, the Son of God
Saving the world as He was killed

Jesus Christ, ruler of this world
Crucfied as a common thief
But even death could not hold Him
And he rose again from grief

Ressurected, ascended to on high
King over this world forever more
Saved me by his sacrifice and death
He holds my heart, my life, my soul