YOUNG HARRY had a bad temper and often got angry. Oftentimes he would use bad words and do naughty things. His mother had to punish him each time but this did not change Harry.
Then one day he hit his little sister with a big stick and Mother saw him. “Harry,” she said, “bring me that stick.”
Harry brought the stick, his head bowed low, sure that Mother was going to punish him with it. But to his surprise she said, “Harry, you have been a bad boy again. You hit your little sister with that big stick. Now whenever you sin, your sin has to be punished.
“But, Harry,” she went on, “I love you so much that I’m going to take your punishment instead. I want you to hit me hard with that stick.”
Tears came into Harry’s eyes and he began to cry. “Mother,” he said, “I love you! I can’t do that to you. I’m sorry I hit sister. I won’t do it any more. Please forgive me.” His mother’s love had broken him down and won his heart.
And this is just what the Lord Jesus did when He came into this world. We were sinners and deserved God’s punishment. But Jesus loved us; He died in our stead. He bore our sins in His own body on the tree.
Has His love won your heart, dear young reader?
He knew how wicked man had been,
And knew that God must punish sin;
So out of pity Jesus said
He’d bear the punishment instead.
And so He died. And this is why
He came to be a man and die;
The Bible says He came from heaven
That we might have our sins forgiven.
ML-09/29/1974