"Jill!" Tanya greeted her with a smile. "It is so good to see you."
"Late as always" Dawn teased.
"Fashionable late by only five minutes. I am getting better." Jill laughed
As Jill sat down a man who had been following behind her watched her closely and sat down nearby. His eyes never seemed to leave her. He didn't look at her with malice; in fact he seemed to be looking at her lovingly.
Tanya and Dawn noticed him and asked in a low voice, "Jill, who is that man that followed you in?"
Jill glanced over at him. "I don't know. I never saw him before."
Tanya persisted, "You sure? He seems pretty intense on watching you."
Jill shook her head. "I told you, I do not know him."
Dawn looked Jill in the eyes questioningly.
"Dawn, I do not know him. OK? He is just some creepy stalker."
Dawn shook her head. "No he is not. I have known you since kindergarten and I know when your lying. Now tell us the truth. Who is he?
Jill hung her head with a sigh. "That's my finance."
"What?" They both said together in shock.
"It's true. You can see why I don't want to be seen with him. His clothes are all bloody from being tortured. They whipped his back with 39 lashes. They beat him, slapped him, spat on him and even pulled his beard out. They mocked him as a king and put a crown of thorns on his head. Then they took him to a hilltop, stripped him and nailed him on a cross. When he was dead they made sure by thrusting a spear through his side."
"Oh my God!" Dawn said in shock.
Jill continued, "No Dawn, he is my God and I am ashamed to be seen with him by my friends."
Tanya asked, "Why did they do all those terrible things to him? What did he do to deserve all that?"
Jill shook her head. "Nothing. He was totally innocent. He could have gotten out of all the torture and being executed, but he was silent."
Dawn couldn't take her eyes off the man. "Why?"
Jill's eyes started to tear up. "I was the one who was condemned. I was the criminal sentenced to death. He took my place on the cross."
Dawn looked back at Jill with disgust. "He took your place? He was tortured and killed so that you would not be? He took your whipping, your beating, your place on the cross and you are ashamed to be seen with him?"
Tanya stood up. "It is plain to see that he loves you Jill. He does all that and you no longer want anything to do with him? What is wrong with you girl?"
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus laid down his life for us...." 1 John 3:16a
"Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the son of man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory..." Luke 9:26
