The End of the Beginning by David Phelps
I was taking a trip on a plane the other day
Just wishin’ that I could get out.
When the man next to me saw the book in my hand
And asked me what it was about.
So I settled back in my seat.
"A best-seller," I said,
"A hist’ry and a myst’ry in one."
Then I opened up the book and began to read
From Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
"He was born of a virgin one holy night
In the little town of Bethlehem.
Angels gathered ‘round Him
Underneath the star singing praises to the great I AM.
He walked on the water, healed The lame
And made the blind to see again.
And for the first time here on earth
We learned that God could be a friend.
And though He never, ever did a single thing wrong
The angry crowd chose Him.
And then He walked down the road and died on the cross
And that was the end...of the beginning."
"That’s not a new book, that’s a Bible," he said,
"And I’ve heard it all before.
I’ve tried religion, it’s shame and guilt,
and I don’t need it anymore.
"It’s superstition, made-up tales,
just to help the weak to survive."
"Let me read it again," I said,
"But listen closely. This is gonna change your life."
"He was born of a virgin one holy night
In the little town of Bethlehem.
Angels gathered ‘round Him
Underneath the star singing praises to the great I AM.
He walked on the water, healed the lame,
And made the blind to see again.
And for the first time here on earth
We learned that God could be a friend.
And though He never, ever did a single thing wrong,
The angry crowd chose Him.
And then He walked down the road
And died on the cross and that was the end...of the beginning."
"The end of the beginning?" he said with a smile.
"What more could there be? He’s dead.
You said they hung Him, put nails in His hands
And a crown of thorns on His head."
I said, "I’ll read it again, but this time there’s more.
And I believe that this is true:
His death wasn’t the end
but the beginning of life that’s completed in you.
Don’t you see, He did all this for you..."
"He was born of a virgin one holy night
In the little town of Bethlehem.
All the angels singing praises to the great I AM.
He walked on the water, healed the lame,
And made the blind to see.
And for the first time here on earth,
did you know that God could be a friend?
And though He never, ever did a single thing wrong,
He was the one the crowd chose.
And then He walked
and He died,
but three days later,
three days later,
three days later...
He rose! Three days later He rose!
You see, He came, He lived, and He died....
but that was the end of the beginning.
End Of The Beginning - David Phelps
