Cocoa and Jesus

By: Paige Almond

Last week my cousin told me this sad story that happened to her dog. She has a cute chocolate lab named Cocoa. She loves to run around and be crazy. She barks at everything; squirrels, cars, people, you name it and she barks at it! Well my cousin has a neighbor and he is a grumpy pants. He is always complaining to her of how her dog is too disruptive and is driving him crazy. Lately he began threatening to shoot it if they didn't do something about the noise. So one day my cousin was out with her family and Cocoa was left home pinned up. She saw some squirrels and birds and just went crazy. My cousins neighbor walks outside and is so angry with her dog. So he has had enough and is going to quiet the dog himself. So he takes her and chains her up to a tree. He hits her in the head with a piece of wood and then starts whipping her with a twig. He beats her several times and then takes her and chains her up to the back of his truck. He then drags her along down the long gravel road. The rocks dig into cocoa's skin and cut her flesh while a trail of blood follows. Cocoa wails and hollers but my cousin's neighbor only goes faster causing her more pain. Soon Cocoa is about to pass out and near the point of death, she gives one more squeak as the neighbor hits the gas and that is the end of Cocoa. My cousin comes home to find her dead body in the yard and the trail of her blood on the road. Such a sad story.
Here's another one:

Mark 15:12-39 "Answering again Pilate said to them, 'Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?' They shouted back 'Crucify Him!' But Pilate said to them, 'Why what evil has He done?' But they shouted all the more 'Crucify Him!' Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; and they began to acclaim to Him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him. They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross. Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take. It was the third hour when they crucified Him. The inscription of the charge against Him read, 'THE KING OF THE JEWS.' They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. [And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And He was numbered with transgressors.'] Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, 'Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross! In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, 'He saved others; He cannot save Himself. Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!' Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him. When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice 'Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani?' which is translated, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, 'Behold He is calling for Elijah.' Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, 'Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.' And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, 'Truly this man was the Son of God!'

Both of these are horrifying stories. However the difference between them is that the second one isn't just a story, it's a reality! Jesus died on the cross for us and it was REAL and continues to be real for those of us who have decided to give our lives to Him. If you felt more sad while reading the first story and began drifting off while reading the second one then WAKE UP!! That first story didn't even happen, I just made it all up. But Jesus' death on the cross DID happen! What will you do about it?