Unveiled...a Good Friday story

Imagine this, you decide to go to the movies with your friends, your special someone, or with a group of people you know. The movie is titled “Unveiled” and is described as being the most intense, raw, and real movie ever released. The ads tout that you will never be the same after seeing this movie. You are so excited for it as you grab your favorite seat in the theater.

After the previews conclude, the main feature begins. At first it seems to be sporadic and senseless, yet intriguing. Then embarrassing and raw, yet strangely familiar. You begin to realize that this is dealing with real life issues, boldly depicting shameful struggles and desires. It begins to show the character’s struggle with temptation and giving into sin, the justification and rationalizations that he uses are sickenly familiar, like they pulled them right out of your head. You all of a sudden feel small and want to disappear, but remind yourself that this is just a movie.

That’s when it hits you like a ton of bricks. This is YOUR story! This movie has “unveiled” your secret sins, your private struggles, the darkest corners of your soul for all to see! A spot light suddenly shines into the middle of the theater and points directly at you. Your friends, family and even your girlfriend all look at you with disgust. “You pervert!” “You are so disgusting!” “How can you call me your friend if that’s the way you feel about me?” and they all begin to leave one by one. You feel disgusted with yourself, ashamed and desperately alone.

Yet the movie keeps rolling. Suddenly a new voice enters the scene. A kind compassionate voice. You can’t seem to figure out where it is coming from or what it is saying. Is it in the movie? Or is it someone in the back of the room? Or is it in my head? Yet it is a real voice! You can’t quiet make out what it is saying above the chaos of your life in the movie, so you strain to hear it. You begin to make it out. “I love you!” What! “I love you!” Did you just say that you love me? Me the one that this movie is describing just how disgusting I am?

All of a sudden the screen goes blank. You hear a heart beating. You hear labored breath. A quiet whispered prayer says “yet not my will but yours be done.” Rapidly the screen begins to flash scenes before your eyes. Scenes of a trial, of a beating, of a crown of thorns. Everyone as real as if you were there. You can feel the intensity of the story increasing with every scene.

A large crowd. “Crucify Him!” A man carrying a cross. He falls. Another helps Him. A mocking crowd. A hill that looks like a scull. A hammer and nails. As the hammer strikes you can almost feel the pain of this new character. The cross is lifted and you see Him hanging before you. He begins to speak “it is finished!” and He dies!

The screen fades to black, and you are all alone. You just now realize that you are weeping uncontrollably.  At first you think it is because of how embarrassed you were that your sins were shown to all, but then you realize you aren’t weeping for yourself. You are weeping for Him. Something about the look in His eyes have captured your heart. What did He say before those scenes started? After all my sins were shown openly? That’s when it hit you…He said “I love you!”

At that moment it is as if the whole theater is filled with an awesome light, a bright white light. The kind that is warm and full, feels like it goes right through you. You try to protect your eyes but nothing can keep you from the light. You just sit there enjoying the feeling, the awe and wonder at what is going on. It may have lasted a moment, or hours, your not quiet sure. That’s when you see Him there beside you!

“Wait, you died! I saw it happen!” you say. He replies, “Yes! I did that for you!” “For me?” He begins to explain to you that your awful sins have separated you from God, you were dead in your sins, but He loved you so much He gave Himself for you. “I know every sin you have every committed, every evil thought and imagination and I still love you,” He says. “I showed you this so you would know how much I truly love you and give you life!”

You fall on your knees before Him, humbled by His great love for you. He tells you of His plans for you, your future and a promised home forever. All you need to do is love Him. “How can I refuse this great love?” you ask yourself. “Yes! I love you!”

Truly you will never be the same!

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins… We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:10, 19 ESV)