Father, forgive them

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
Are the words of our Lord, and His words are true.
He was despised and rejected, by those He loved so much,
yet His love is everlasting, and as children, we feel His touch.
They parted His raiment and kept them as trophies,
not knowing His love, nor His many mercies.

 "Woman, behold they son!" (and to John) "Behold thy mother!"
Were the words of our Lord, to one and then the other.
Though in pain and anguish, knowing He was soon to bleed,
He left them with comfort, and provision for needs.
It was our sins, the reason for His hurt,
yet in all this, He still thought of us first.

 "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise."
were the words of our Lord, for a man soon to die.
Words of comfort they surely are,
to a vessel of mercy, yet bearing a mar.
This child of God, had done nothing deserving,
these reflections of grace, Christ's work was serving.

 "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"
were the words of our Lord, as He hung on that tree.
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
is what it meant, and in the darkness, was His only plea.
This was the winepress, and He trod it alone,
in the wrath of the Father, the Son would atone.
He had known Him as "Father," in all His addresses
but in this great darkness and dire distresses,
His plea was to "God," His comfort was taken,
in the great darkness, our Lord felt forsaken.

With all things accomplished, our Lord said "I thirst"
victorious was He, the last for the first.
A sponge filled with vinegar, lifted up with a reed,
for He continued to hang, upon that cursed tree.
He waited till now, to talk of His thirst,
with work to be done, His loved ones came first.

 "It is finished" were some last words He spoke,
as He bowed down His head, and gave up the ghost.
Most do not know, what these words really mean,
a most glorious hope, few blessed to glean.
Men work so hard, they toil and strive,
trying to earn, a place in God's eyes.
He said It is finished, clear and direct,
eternal redemption, for all His elect.

 "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit"
were also, some last words He spoke,
as He bowed down His head, and gave up the ghost.
The sweetest of hope, a child may see,
for to depart from this earth, is with the Father to be.

Lift up to God, all glory and praise,
this is what we, may do in our days.

 Elder Chuck Campbell 11-06-2004