The man in the dock.

The day had finally arrived. I was on trial. Deep inside, I knew I deserved every punishment that could possibly be meted out to any human. I had the worst criminal record. I had lied, stolen and worse, I had even murdered someone. I knew I had no hope and I had reached the point of no return.

 

The guards came by, unlocked my cuffs and led me to the courtroom. Everyone I had ever wronged were there to witness my trial. I could see the fire of anger in their eyes. I quickly lowered my eyes. I was ashamed to the point wherin my own conscience deemed me to be the most wicked person to exist on earth.

 The courtroom suddenly became quiet with the announcement of the judge. I was overcome with shame. It was my father. My father was the judge. The one who had nurtured me as a kid, who had helped me take the first steps, the one who had  taught me right from wrong was the judge. Worser still, my lawyer was my brother. They were the two people I had loved the most, until I met my friends and spiralled downhill. My friends were fun-loving. They taught me things my family never taught me. I had grown resentful against my family for not telling me about how pleasurable life can be. Soon enough I had begun enjoying life and I craved for more. When I didn't get what I wanted I became all the more thirsty. I had finally resorted to murder and the day I dreaded had finally caught up to me. 

The courtroom was hushed. The judge ordered for the proceedings to continue. The one who accused me started the trial. I was furious inside. He was non other than the one person I thought was my closest friend. He was there. He was accusing me. Tears lingered in my eyes. How could I have been so naive? So foolish? I felt betrayed. He started to name my crimes from the start. He was my accomplice. A wolf in sheep's clothing. He knew everything about me, everything. He knew all the crimes I did but he also knew the good I did when we first became friends. But he chose to focus on the crimes. Standing in the dock, it felt like he was out to get me the death penalty. But even though he was my enemy, deep down I realised my worst fear. He was right. I had been taught what was right and I had done everything that was anything but right. As these thoughts ran through my mind, my accuser ran through the list of my Crimes. 

When he finally sat down after what seemed like an eternity, I looked up. I had no courage to look at anyone when my crimes were read aloud. I was filled with remorse, shame and guilt. The first person I looked at was my dad. His eyes were glistening. 

I slowly turned to look at my brother. A tear rolled down his face. He brushed it aside and he began his defence. He knew me inside out. He had seen how I was before I met my friends, he saw me spiral down the pathway to hell. He warned me but I cast them aside. And yet, here he was, still defending me. The realistion of the irony that my friend,who I had grown to trust, was my accuser and my brother,who I had grown to despise, was my defender was all too overwhelming. He fought for me knowing all my faults but even he knew he was fighting a loosing battle. Until. 

Until suddenly I felt someone tap on my shoulder. Turning around I realized I had been lost in my thoughts. My brother told me to step aside. Everything "logical" told  me this was crazy. No one has ever done in the history of mankind. No one has ever stepped in to take the place of a criminal. No one ever wants to be in the dock. But he quietly told me to go and sit down. He stood in the dock. My brother was in the docks instead of me. He fought for me all along. But even I felt this was too extreme. I was the one at fault. I was the one who deserved to die. Yet he stood in the docks. He looked at the judge and calmly said, " I claim liability for my client's crimes." 

The courtroom was in an uproar. This went against normal, this went against everything justice was supposed to stand for. An innocent man claiming liability for a criminal. For a criminal who was to receive the death penalty. My father looked at me and then at my brother. He slowly nodded. I believe history has never seen such a day in the past and neither will it ever see such a day in the future. I had expected him to vehemently disagree. I would have given anything in the world at that moment to get my brother off the dock. My accuser didn't care. His only aim was to assure himself of the joy of getting someone killed.

 My dad made the hardest decision he had ever made in his life. He sentenced my brother to die. My mind was reeling. How? Why? What? Questions overwhelmed me. That was the last time I saw my brother that day. I was let free. I didn't know where to go. I had been accustomed to being in prison for a while now and I was sick and I was tired. 

A small boy walked up to me and told me a car was waiting for me. Wondering who that could be, I walked with the little boy to the car. I opened the door and saw my dad. I did not have the heart to get into the car but my dad told me lovingly to get in. I had refused to obey everything he had taught me or told me to do till that day and I had vowed to not do the same mistake ever again. I got into the car, tears rolling down my face and my dad hugged me. I could not understand why. I could not understand this love. My brother was sentenced to die. The innocent one. And my dad hugged me, the criminal. My dad still loved me as though I was the baby he held the day I was born. He saw me as a new creation even when I felt like the biggest criminal in the world. He loved me, a sinner.

You lord,took up my case;you redeemed my life. Lamentations 3:58

This is the story of God, the father and Jesus his son. Because of love, God made his own. It was all okay for a point of time  but I loved the world far too much to care. I made friends with the devil and I enjoyed life. I enjoyed sin, until the day I was brought to task. The devil listed my crimes and god being the righteous judge he is, had to agree to send me to death. It broke his heart to send the one he loved to die, knowing full well that would mean an eternity in hell. Jesus stepped in. He took my place. He took yours. He took all of ours. He was the man in the dock. He died for the sins of the world so that the father can accept us despite our filthiness. He who knew no sin, became sin, so we can be set free. He died for you and me. But the story doesn't stop there. And that's the beauty of the story of the cross. And I could be wrong to call it a story because this isn't fictional. History talks about it. It truly happened. A miracle happened. Jesus rose again on the third day. And he went back to heaven. And he sent me a friend, a guide, a counsellor. To help me everyday to make the right choice. He sent the holy spirit. He still defends me in front of my accuser. 

Just because Jesus died for me does not give me the liberty to disregard a grace so great and sin(something that is very very very important). Every sin has its consequences. Sin can never be taken lightly. Why so? if you'd ask, it's because god loves us. He is a holy and righteous god. He hates sin. He is just. Every sin has its own consequences. But it doesn't stop there. There is punishment too. A murder can destroy a family, it lands the criminal in jail. The short term goals would be a revenge taken care of, but a long term life in prison would be the repercussion.   

Yet, When I choose to make the wrong choice and not heed the warning of the spirit,the guide and enjoy the pleasure sin offers, in that moment, I don't realize the gravity of the sacrifice that Jesus made for me. But when I'm reprimanded by reading his word, I know I've made him stand in the dock again and it kills me. I gave devil his highest gain yet again. The joy of taunting an innocent man. But as I kneel down to pray, to repent and ask for help a peace surrounds me. I know of Faith, hope and love. The greatest of all these is love.