“You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:31-33

Keith and I just returned from Rome. The Pieta is my favorite piece of art. While tourists are pointing and snapping photos, I work my way through the crowd to stand next to the barrier that separates us from Michelangelo’s meditation in marble. Each year that I’ve returned, I’ve cried or I’ve hugged another woman who could not control the tears.

Mary’s grief became our grief.

I wonder if she was thinking about Gabriel’s proclamation about her son, the One who would be the Son of the Most High, Jesus who would reign on David’s throne.

From a mother’s eyes, I saw a woman who had experienced everything miraculous about her Son, her Savior, her Lord … from His birth, to the turning of water into wine, from raising the dead, to healing the lepers, restoring sight to the blind and song to the deaf. This was the Man who was slated to save Israel. In her lap was her Messiah. Here was all her hope, all her love, all her dreams. Beaten beyond recognition. Dead.

As she holds her Savior, her hand asks “Why?”

Why?

You and I are sinners.

Why?

The cost of our sin is death – complete separation from our Holy God.

Why?

Jesus paid the cost of our sin by living a perfect life and dying in our place – the perfect sacrifice.

Why?

Jesus’ death on the cross cleansed us from our sins and made it possible to live forever with Him – if we become His followers.

Why?

Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death.

Why?

Jesus now sits in heaven at the right hand of God speaking on our behalf when Satan accuses us of sin.

Why?

Jesus loves me. Jesus loves you.

Why?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

My prayer

Father, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for giving Jesus to the world as our Savior. I pray that You will fill readers with a deeper knowledge and appreciation of Your sacrifice and bring those who do not know You to a saving belief in Jesus. I love You, Lord.