The latest UNSEARCHABLE RICHES  caused me to think about the two-fold meaning of faith in Chrtist.

         Certainly,  it means that  we believers have  faith in Christ, and what He means to us and what  expectations   are to come.   It also means  that it was the faith IN Christ that enabled Him to undergo  His horrendous ordeal and death.

          Let’s explore the latter  example of what Christ  experienced  due to the faith He had that God would ultimately deliver Him. 

           Paul starts it all by saying that “Christ emptied Himself”,  descending from that grand, lofty position He held in the heavens, and became  a mere mortal as Jesus.  

           While on earth he underwent  similar experiences  of all humans,   and apparently   lived  in modest  means, with a “father” who was a carpenter, in whose trade he learned..., just as any Jew of the period  apprenticing under  the father. 

           We read in the gospels how He traveled throughout the Holy Land,  no doubt  sleeping out-doors, teaching, most often,  out of doors and in general  what would be considered  “roughing it”.  His was a life of service and  as a result, not one to any degree of luxury.           

           Now, we’ll skip to that fateful last year.  

           In my book, JESUS: THE FINAL JOURNEY, Chapter III FINAL JOURNEY BEGINS, Jesus tells his followers of what is to come, how he will suffer and die.  Now, imaagine starting  on a journey, when you know that your destination will  definitely bring about your death.  Knowing this ahead of time,  there’s not much doubt that you, like I, would choose to forego the trip.

           He takes off with His disciples, choosing  the “road less traveled”, following the Jordan for awhile  and then detouring around  Decapolis.   He undertook a circuitous route, avoiding the usual “pilgrim’s” road to Jerusalem from Nazareth, because  He knew that both the Roman and Jewish leaders  were intent on preventing Him from  getting to Jerusalem.

          He was considered, a threat to good order, due to His many miracles and  great follwing.

          Chapter VI of my book,  BETHANY,  I try give the reader   an idea of what the authorties  might feel,  “He is coming, leaving a trail of miracles in His wake..You have to prevent his coming and stirring  up the people..But, despite your efforts he keeps coming.  There was the blind man  receiving sight in nearby Jericho.  He is coming.   And now he’s raised a man,  named Lazarus from the dead..He’s here! “

          I choose not to detail the ordeal that He underwent, sufficeth  to say, His was  a torturous and enobling   experience, undergone by few if any human,  which ultimately led to the crucifixion, where He not only underwent great agony prior to death,  but was ,made to literally “take on” the sins of the world!

           (On my visit to Israel in 1991, where I went to get site-senses of those places experienced in my religious one-man plays, I was able to  walk the "Stations of the Cross", there were 13 at the time, although I understand the numbers chage from time to time.)

          In Gethsemane, despite agonizing over what’s to come,  sweating blood and, humanly, asking to be relieved of  the burden,  He acceeded to the Father’s wishes. .”not my will but yours be done”.

          Even when it appeared that Herod after torturing Him and Pontious  Pilate  would’ve been  willing to release Him, because  they couldn’t find fault in Him,  He kept His silence, and when possible  said things that would  enrage  onlookers,  especially the leaders of the Jews.   So, He was crucified.  

         The Father  turned away from Him,  and Jesus cried out,  “My God, my God, why hast thou forsken me”.. On expiring He exclaimed  that “It is finished”,  that mission  for which he was sent to earth , sacrifice Himself for mankind,  so that all sins would be removed, the last being DEATH,  had neen accomplished..the skies opened with a great torrent of rain..God wept , the tombs opened, and the temple veil was rendered assunder.

           On the third day, He arose and joined the Father in the heavens..paulnbob