He Knew Me

An Easter Allegory

He knew me.
I mean really knew me.
Knew everything that I had done
Or failed to be.

Yet, I found myself wrapped
In His warm embrace.
My eyes closed, and I rested,
Filled with His love and grace.
  
He covered my tattered rags—
Took away my shame—
With His white woolen robe
And gave me His name.

My skin had changed.
It was so clean.
Cleaner than if I’d bathed
In a cool mountain spring.

His skin was covered
In what used to plague mine.
This thick oily substance,
Blacker than grime.

His stride was determined.
He didn’t relent.
His destiny, his burden
His face set like flint.

In the distance, clouds parted
To reveal the sin-stained man
(though not His sin but mine)
On the lonely mountain.

At the peak stood a tree
On each side
A long branch,
(I rubbed my eyes).

It wasn’t a tree.
But two beams set
At cardinal points
North, south, east, west.

The robe, I pulled tighter
And beheld the sin-stained man
Now, fastened to the cross
By his outstretched hands.

Streams of red flowed
No! Don’t die.
From his hands, his feet, his brow—
Blood poured from his side!

The sky, black,
Rain splashed.
Thunder rolled.
Lightening flashed.

Huddled against a rock,
Trembling and weeping—
Exhaustion overtook me,
Until I was sleeping.

Then there was light,
Bright as the sun
Within the mountain,
Shining from a cavern.

Within the cave,
The sin-stained man
Had risen
And took his stand.

In the light,
His body clean
No blood, no stains—
What could this mean?

"It is finished,
Your sins are paid."
He turned to go—
He walked away.

My Savior, my King.
I don't want to be alone.
Please don't leave me.
Please take me home.

His voice spoke within me,
Deep in my heart.
“You’ll never be alone again—
We'll never be apart."

"Remember, you are mine,
And you have work to do.
Tell others about me,
And I'll always be with you."

"He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us
that we might have the righteousness of God in Him."
2 Corinthians 5:21