The Door

We don't usually have poetry on the Bible illustration blog, but as it's getting close to Easter I thought that I would share with you an Easter poem that I wrote back in 1999. It has sat on my desk for ten years waiting for me to do some illustrations to go with it!
It's a poem with an Easter theme and follows a small group of children who are watching Jesus working in the carpenters shop. The children want Him to stop working and tell them a story, but Jesus wants them to learn something special about 'The Door'. The words of Jesus are in green. I hope you like it!

'The Door'
An Easter poem
by G.D.Kennedy.

As children we sat on wood shaven floor,
our questions to Jesus we cried.
“What are you making?” we fervently asked,
“A door” He softly replied..
“What is a door?” the youngest one asked,
we laughed, but Jesus sat down.
“Through a door you can enter into a place
where once a way was not found”.

“Have you finished the door now Lord Jesus?
will you tell us a story now please?”

“The work of the door is not complete
til it’s taken away to the place,
where it’s final purpose will be fulfilled,
where it’s final task it will face”.
So He lifted the door high up on His back
it’s heavy weight weighing Him down.
We followed Him through the onlooking crowds
til we reached the edge of the town.

“Have you finished the door now Lord Jesus?
will you tell us a story now please?”

The work of the door is not complete”
sighed Jesus His eyes lifted higher,
“until it hangs upon a frame
held by nails, forged in the fire”.
So He picked up His hammer & three iron nails
and held up the door to the frame.
Blow followed blow as it sank into place,
in the silence we called out His name.

“Have you finished the door now Lord Jesus?
will you tell us a story now please?”

“The work of the door is not complete”
said Jesus His eyes full of pain,
“un-til it’s stained with crimson stain
to protect it from strong wind & rain”.
So He plunged the stiff brush deep into the dye
and stained the olive white wood.
The dye ran down to the palms of His hands,
for a moment we thought it was blood.

“Have you finished the door now Lord Jesus?
will you tell us a story now please?”

Many years passed, and now a young man,
in a crowd I met Jesus once more.
His eyes met with mine, He smiled and said
“Behold, I am the door”.
Jesus?...the door? What did He mean?
a riddle I could not unwind,
Until I stood at the foot of the cross,
then two questions came into my mind.

“Have you finished the door now Lord Jesus?
will you tell me the story now please?”

It was then I recalled being sat at His feet,
as a child I remembered Him say,
“The work of the door is not complete
til the door is taken away.
til it’s hanging on that destined frame,
held by love,not nails so cold,
til it’s stained with sin....not it’s own”.
til it’s paid the price that I owed.

“Have you finished the door now Lord Jesus?
Is the work of the door now complete?

“It is finished” cried Jesus looking down from the cross,
the work of the door is complete.
the way back to God has swung open wide.
in tears, I fell at His feet.
I now understood ,there's only one way.
“I am the way” Jesus cried
“I am the door”, the way back to God,
“I am the crucified”.

“Now the work of the door is complete Lord,
will you bid us come enter now please?”

© G.D.Kennedy. 1999-2009.