Is it because he loves us?

Tomorrow is Good Friday. For many years, churches in Doncaster have marked the day with a Walk of Witness through the town centre on Good Friday morning. Good Friday is a hugely significant day, when we remember the crucifixion of Jesus on a cross, and its significance for us today.

One hymn-writer puts it like this:

We may not know, we cannot tell
What pains he had to bear,
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.

Of course, the vast majority of people in Jerusalem on that day did not understand the significance of Jesus' death. And there will be many people, I am sure, who will see us on the Walk of Witness and wonder why. To some, Good Friday holds no meaning.

A young mum was telling me recently that her 6 year-old daughter asked her to explain why Jesus died on a cross. It's difficult enough explaining the cross in plain English to an adult, never mind to a 6 year-old! The mum was struggling to find the right words when her daughter said, "Mum, was it because he loves us?"

Thank God for children!