X-Envelope-to: christia@ASUACAD.BITNET
X-VMS-To: CHRISTIA
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Tue, 14 Apr 1992 22:49:00 EDT
From:         The List Minor <VCHAI@SMITH.BITNET>
Subject:      An (early) song for Good Friday

    WATCH THE LAMB  (by Ray Boltz)

    Walking on the road to Jerusalem,
    the time had come to sacrifice again.
    My two small sons--they walked beside me on the road.
    The reason that they came was to watch the lamb.

    "Daddy, Daddy, what will we see there?
     There's so much that we don't understand."
    So I told them of Moses and Father Abraham,
    and then I said, "Dear children, watch the lamb.
    For there will be many in Jerusalem today,
    we must be sure that the lamb doesn't run away."

    And when we reached the city, I knew something must be wrong;
    There were no joyful worshippers, no joyful worship songs.
    I stood there with my children in the midst of angry men,
    and then I heard the crowd cry out, "Crucify Him!"

    We tried to leave the city, but we could not get away;
    Forced to play in this drama, a part I did not wish to play.
    Why upon this day were men condemned to die?
    Why were we standing here where soon they would pass by?

    I looked and said, "Even now they come."
    The first one cried for mercy; the people gave him none.
    The second one was violent, he was arrogant and loud.
    I can still hear his angry voice screaming at the crowd.

    Then someone said, "There's Jesus!" And I scarced believed my eyes;
    a man so badly beaten, He barely looked alive.
    Blood poured from his body from the thorns upon His brow,
    running down the cross and falling to the ground.

    I watched Him as He struggled, I watched Him as He fell.
    The cross came down upon His back, the crowd began to yell.
    In that moment I felt such agony; in that moment I felt such loss.
    Until a Roman soldier grabbed my arm and screamed,
    "You carry His cross!"

    At first I tried to resist him,
    and then his hand reached for his sword;
    And so I knelt and took
    the cross from the Lord.
    I placed it on my shoulder
    and started down the street;
    The blood that He'd been shedding
    was running down my cheek.

    They led us to Golgotha,
    they drove nails deep in His feet and hands;
    and yet upon the cross I heard Him pray,
    "Father, forgive them."
    Oh, never have I seen such love
    in any other eyes;
    "Into Thy hands I commit My Spirit."
    He prayed, and then He died.

    I stood for what seemed like years, I'd lost all sense of time
    until I felt two tiny hands holding tight to mine.
    My children stood there weeping; I heard the oldest say,
    "Father, please forgive us, the lamb...ran away."

    "Daddy, Daddy, what have we seen here?
     There's so much that we don't understand."
    So I took them in my arms and we turned and faced the cross,
    and then I said, "Dear children,...watch the Lamb."


  "But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our
   iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
   and by His wounds we are healed...He was oppressed and afflicted,
   yet He did not open his mouth; He was led like a lamb to the
   slaughter..."  Isaiah 53:5,7a
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU