Love was found in a little manger in a lowly stable, and then love grew to be a man.
Love was found in a few loaves and fishes, in the widow’s mite, in His healing hands and love was found in a lonely garden and a heart rendering cry of ‘Father let this cup pass from me, however, not my will but thine be done.’
In this garden of Gethsemane proof of love was sweat mixed with blood caused by the anguish and grief He felt as He prayed. **

Love is an arrest in the middle of the night after a betrayal of one of His own. Love is the taunting and mocking of soldiers as they blindfolded Him and struck Him in the face.

Battered, bruised, dehydrated and exhausted, love arose early the next morning amidst cries of release Barabbas as love was prepared for scourging. You see love endured a short whip, a cat of nine tails with small balls of lead and glass tied to the heavy leather thongs at the end of a whip. And love continued to love the very ones that brought the whip down again and again across the shoulders, back, and legs of Jesus. From the first blows that ripped the outer layer of skin to the continual blows that cut into the muscles and inner layers until the back lay open, bleeding torn and unrecognizable…love continued to love.

Love was a robe thrown in mockery across those bleeding shoulders and a stick for a king’s scepter placed laughingly in His hands. And love was a crown of thorns placed on an humble bowed head, a small bundle of flexible branches with two inch thorns pressed down tightly to pierce this loving head. More bleeding, more agony, more mocking, more striking, more piercing and pressing and more humiliation, more pure sadistic sport and then ripping the robe off the back where the blood and skin had adhered causing more oozing blood and fluids and excruciating pain…YET love continued on.

Love was a 110 pound cross tied to those weak bleeding shoulders and forced to walk a long agonizing 650 yard journey down the Via Delorosa, the Way to Calvary. Love made the effort to walk erect, but the weight of the cross combined with the blood loss sent love often to its knees. The rough wood making the open cuts almost unbearable and finally love in that last effort to rise, but the human muscles were already pushed beyond endurance…so love…..love

Love was a man named Simon who was compelled to carry the cross as a weak, bleeding, sweating, cold, clammy and almost in shock, Lamb of God follows to the slaughter.

Love was the humiliation of being stripped of all but a loin cloth…

Love was a cross set firmly in the ground…

Love were 3 heavy, square wrought iron nails being driven into the wrists and feet…. You see the legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives that spike through the wrist and deep into the wood. Then repeats on the other side. The cross is lifted into place and a sign saying ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews’ nailed to the top. Then the left foot is pressed backward against the right foot and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each leaving the knees slightly bent. As He slowly sags down, the weight of the nails on the wrist sends excruciating pain through the fingers and arms. Then trying to push Himself upward to relieve that pain, puts pressure on the feet causing unbearable pain to rush up the legs. As love grows weak and tired, Lovc whispers, “It is finished”.

LOVE HAS BECOME THE ULTIMATE BLOOD ATONEMENT AND THE LAMB OF GOD, THE LOVE SENT TO THIS WORLD CRIES, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.”

And Love lays down His life. And love grows even stronger where the blood of this perfect sacrificial Lamb fell.

Love was a tomb and a body wrapped in linen cloth. Love was a Saviour decending into the pits of hell to take the keys of death, hell, and the grave and set the captives free.

Love was an angel coming three days later. Love was a stone rolled away. Love was the voice of the Father as he cried, “Arise my Love, death no longer has a hold on thee.”

And love, love is the gift of salvation He offers in His outstretched hands.

Love is blinded eyes open. lame men walking, the sick and diseased being made whole.

Love is being set free from bondage.

Love is knowing that at Calvary, there was a stripe for each of us.

LOVE IS JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD.

**It is medically possible- tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break when under great emotional stress. It can produce weakness and shock)