On Tuesday, I read three places in Scripture that had some of Jesus’ last words.  In each of those instances, he focused on the needs of others.  Today, some of the words he uttered in his last days show his vulnerable side.  It is evidence as him being fully human, fully God. 

Mark 15:34 records Jesus saying “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  For Jesus’ perfect sacrifice to be complete, God had to abandon the Son.  These words remind us that of the agony that Christ faced on the cross because of the wrath he had to face to take our sins upon him.  This is sacrifice…Jesus died for our sake, not his.  Because he faced that abandonment, we will never have to.  He is with us until the very end of the age!

John 19:28 says “I thirst.” 

These words of Jesus remind us that again he had a human side.  He did all the things that we had to do…including drink water.  Though he was the Living Water, he still felt everyting that came at him that week.  Whips, nails, and the weight of the cross.  He even felt thirst.

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”  Luke 23:46

Jesus is completely surrendering to God.  He realizes that the ultimate sacrifice must be done and commits to God’s will.  He knew that God’s plan is perfect in every way.  So, he surrendered his will completely to God.

“It is Finished” John 19:30

In these words, Jesus spoke into every believers’ heart past, present, and future.  He simply said, “It is Finished”.  These must have been powerful words because at that same time, the mighty temple curtain, which separated God from man was torn in two.  This curtain was more like a barrier than what we think of as a curtain.  It was thick.  But, when Christ uttered these words, salvation was spoken into the hearts of all those that believe that Christ died and rose.  Jesus conquered death…the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God is complete.  Salvation has come to all who believe.

Here is our lesson for today:  Christ came and suffered a grueling death.  God took the form of one man, lived a sinless life, and bore the sins of all who believe triumphing over sin and Satan.  Are you praising God this Easter season for the salvation that Jesus brought?  We should have such an immense gratitude that worship is a natural flowing from our heart.  

Have you seen the old western movies that depict vigilante groups or the “New Sheriff” in Town that finally catches up to an armed robber or a man of ill repute?  They are prepared to kill the person and they ask him “Do you have any last words?” 

This week, I would like to focus on Jesus’ last words.  Here we are on a journey to the cross.  We are specifically focusing on the last days of Christ in preparing our hearts and minds for Easter.  We are to that each Sunday, but annually we choose to commemorate Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection each Easter.  So, in anticipation of Easter we want to take a glimpse into Jesus’ life!  So, it is, we are focusing on Jesus’ last words.

Jesus knew his death was imminent and soon.  He prepared his disciples for the day when the ministry would be left solely up to them.  But, let’s examine now some specific words that Jesus spoke:

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Luke 23:34

On the cross, Jesus took our sins.  He endured the most horrific form of torture and death because of the wrath for our sins and took our guilt upon him.  He took our punishment, our guilt: past, present, and future.  In these last words, he isn’t thinking about himself…he is thinking about everyone else and forgives them…us.

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Luke 23:43

One of my favorite stories is the thief on the cross.  There was a person on each side of Jesus each on a cross.  Both of them were condemned to die for their mistakes in life.  One of them chose to mimic Christ; while the other one recognized him as Christ.  He asked for Jesus to remember him when he gets to heaven.  So Christ told him “you will be with me”.  Isn’t that a beautiful, accurate description of redemption? 

“Woman, behold, your son!”  Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother’”  John 19:26-27

Jesus witnesses his mother in the midst of grief.  He shows her compassion by telling her that the disciples will take care of her.  The church will take care of her.  So, here Christ was thinking of his own mother in the midst of his own death.  Jesus shows this type of compassion to us daily.

Here is the lesson for today:  Here were three things Jesus said in his last days.  Each of them focused on someone else!  It would have been easy to simply focus on himself and his last days, but instead he showed compassion, forgiveness, and assured them of their salvation!  He offers that to you today.  Are you willing to accept Christ’s compassion, forgiveness and salvation?

Have you ever been following someone that you shouldn’t have been?  I lived in a suburb of St Paul, MN for about seven years.  My family and I lived in the southeast suburbs and my work was north of the Twin Cities.  I had a forty minute commute to get to work.  All but about five miles were interstate.  The traffic was sporadic, but for the most part, I was on the road before there were any major backups.  But, you learn to anticipate the bottlenecks.  So, when I got near a typical bottleneck in Maplewood, I just stayed behind a large truck that obviously was caught behind traffic.  Yet, the left lane was zooming by me.  After many minutes when by following this big truck, I finally decided to try my attempt at passing in rush hour traffic.  Only to find out that there was zero traffic ahead of the large truck.  I was following something that was setting the pace 15 miles below the speed limit!  I couldn’t believe it! 

            In winter, we are told not to follow tire tracks, because they could lead you right into the ditch!  We are to be careful who we follow in life too!  If we follow the wrong thing, we may get lead down the wrong path.  When Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:13, he taught us this line “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” This simple verse reminds us to follow Jesus because he is not going to trick us.  God isn’t like the stores that practice bait and switch where they lure us in with a sale that sells out quick only to get us to buy something more expensive.  God won’t lead us into a ditch…

            God has provided the Bible for us to follow.  We are to follow his leading.  When you learn to follow Jesus’ teachings, he will deliver you from evil and he will lead you down paths of righteousness.  Not for HIS sake, but for yours!  That is a beautiful thing.  God is not hidden somewhere and you have to find him…NO!  He is knocking on the door of your heart and you need to let him in and let him lead you today!

            Here is your lesson for today:  Who or what are you following?  Is it slowing you down?  Is this person going to lead you in the wrong direction?  Jesus taught us to pray for God to lead us and deliver us from evil.  That should be our prayer today!

Have you ever known someone for a short time, but it felt like you have known them for a lifetime?  Somehow they were a missing piece of the puzzle of your life?  Then maybe they move or even pass away.  They are no longer with you.  If you would have known that…maybe you would have changed your conversations.  Maybe you wouldn’t have talked about petty things; instead you would have gotten to deep meaningful conversations from the start. 

John 6:35 says “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Here Jesus is explaining that HE is very manna from heaven.  It took his Jewish listeners back in their history when they were begging God for something to eat and God provided manna (bread) from heaven!  Jesus is the only person, the only thing that fill our desires; he is the only one that can quench our thirst.  So, now imagine the disciples... Jesus worked with them for three years.  Three years really isn’t that long when standing next to a lifetime.  So, Jesus calls his disciples to follow him and then pours his life into them.  He knew his lifetime would end abruptly, but they didn’t.  Since he knew, he didn’t waste his time on petty things.  He was intentional about making a lesson out of ordinary things of life.  Jesus wanted to change his disciple’s life.  I would say he was successful.  After all, he is the “Bread of Life”.

Even though Jesus hinted at the fact that he would leave the Earth early, they were still picturing the day that he would establish an earthly kingdom and sit on the royal throne and rule.  But, if they would have known that their time was only three years together, would they have done things differently?  After all, this was the man that was our very sustenance.  Would they have asked more questions?  Would they have spent all their time with him?  Would they have betrayed him or fallen asleep in Gethsemane or would they have argued over who would sit at his right hand or would they have questioned why allowed perfume to be poured on him?  Obviously these questions are rhetorical and we don’t need to bother going in depth trying to find the answer.  Rather, we should ask ourselves the same questions.

So, here is the lesson for today:  We don’t know how long we have on this earth.  Are we spending our time on meaningful things or are we wasting our time on frivolous things?  Are we soaking up the teachings of Christ in order to live an abundant life?  When we lean on Jesus for our understanding, we can’t go wrong because he is the Bread of Life.

Forty days…what is it about 40 days!  Genesis 6-8 records the forty days of rain the flooded the earth.  Exodus 24:18 records the forty days Moses spent on Mount Sinai.  Luke 4:1-13 tells of the forty days Jesus lived in the desert being tempted by Satan and subsequently beginning his ministry.  Then there is Acts 1:3 that reminds us that Jesus spent 40 days visiting his followers after the resurrection.  There is something holy about 40 if no other reason than God seemed to use this number of days to get through to people.

So, it should be no surprise that the church today will often set aside forty days of preparation in order to allow God to do something special inside each of us.  So, here we stand looking at Easter about a month away.  We could choose to simply wait it out and suddenly be surprised by Easter.  Or we could begin a journey to the cross.  Some of you may have started that 40 day journey on Ash Wednesday.  While not all churches observe Lent, it is a great idea to prepare for one of the most precious holidays on the Christian calendar…Easter. 

I want to encourage you today to begin a journey to the cross.  Although we are to celebrate Easter every Sunday by worshipping the risen Christ, Easter is once a year that we focus even more on the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  You can either let it come and go or prepare yourself for something great! 

The lesson for today is to prepare for Easter.  Begin now by praying for God to reveal how you might get closer to him.  Get into the word on a regular basis.  Take a day to fast from food or media and use that time to spend quietly with God.  The more time you spend with God, the more special Easter will become.

Psalm 46:10  "Be still, and know that I am God”

It was a cold January morning at a Metro Station in Washington DC in 2007.  Over a thousand people passed through that station that particular morning in the midst of their commute which they did by foot and public transportation.  Most did not even notice the man playing the violin near one of the doors[1].


The man played his most exquisite six classical pieces for the next 43 minutes.  The musician played continuously.  Only seven people stopped and listened for a short while. Every child that passed was intrigued by the sound that came out, but the parents would shove them along.  About twenty gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. One man listened for nine minutes.  Only one woman recognized the man playing the instrument.  The man collected a total of $32 and change. 


No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, he played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.  As was reported in the Washington Post, Bell was a onetime child prodigy and has arrived as an internationally acclaimed virtuoso. He packs music halls where a mediocre seat would draw $100 each.  He would play to a standing-room-only audience so respectful of his artistry that they stifled their coughs until the silence between movements. But on that Friday in January, Joshua Bell was just another mendicant, competing for the attention of busy people on their way to work.[2]”


This was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.  You see, as accomplished as Joshua Bell is and though he is technically magnificent and can play a violin that moves people, they are still focused on the rigors of their life that they don’t stop to understand the magnificent things that enter their life.  This little experiment raised several questions:  How do we perceive something great?  How do we perceive beauty?  And do we ever stop to appreciate it?  Do we recognize greatness out of context? 

One person commenting on this wrote:  “If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?[3]"


Here is the lesson for today:  After reading this I couldn’t help but apply this to the Christian life.  How often in the Christian life do we come into and out of church without stopping to ponder the magnificence of the service?  Do we sit in the pews EXPECTING to meet Christ?  Are we prepared to be in the awesome presence of God?  We need to be still and worship the ONE TRUE God.

[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html By Gene Weingarten,Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, April 8, 2007
[2] Washington Post
[3] http://www.facebook.com/WeddingLiveBandTheRawNote

" Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for  the Lord, not for men."  Colossians 3:23

Have you ever observed a group of children work on something when they know something better is coming up immediately after?  They may be making cards or another craft project.  Yet, they know game time is coming up next.  There seems to be two types of workers.  There are the crew that has the "let's just do this and get done" attitude and they were whipping through construction paper like nobody's business.  After all what they really wanted to do next was far more fun than this craft!  To them simply getting the task completed was most important. 

The other set of students will be working diligently and meticulously, so that each card became a work of art.  For them it is the quality of work that counted. They put heart and soul in, so that the results were the best they could give.

Have you ever noticed this?  This same type of attitude can also be seen in adults.  When you look at your daily life, whether at work or school, with friends or family, where would you place yourself? Is it quality, or simply getting it done that matters most?  I can almost hear many

people saying, "Well, quality of course!" Does your life reflect that?  Think about your interaction with your relationships, whether it is your children or your parents or your spouse.  Maybe it is a relationship with coworkers, clients, or friends.  I often hear that relationships are about quality, not quantity.  That is true but not the best we can give.  What I tell people is that it is the quantity of quality that is in the relationship that counts!

Take a moment and take stock. In the verse above, Paul tells the Colossians and us, what our attitude should be – not one where we can just get by, but an attitude of excellence and worship!  Whatever we do, whenever we do it…we need to remember that we are doing it for the Lord and we  serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords – does he not deserve our best?  We are called to excellence not only in our worlds of "work," but in our daily lives as well.

Jim Elliot, a martyred missionary, said this:  "Wherever you are – be all there."  Whatever you are doing at the moment – be 100% there.  Weave excellence into your entire life.  Give full attention to those you are around.  Serve those around you so diligently and with the same attitude of excellence as if you are serving royalty!  Jesus gave His best for us – can we do any less?

Here is the lesson for today:  take an inventory of your attitude toward all of those things in your life that you deem highly important.  Do you need to change your attitude toward them?  Are you serving God with an attitude of excellence in that area?  If not, what can you do to change your attitude and performance in that area?  Also, are you 100% percent there on every conversation and relationship in your life?  Remember, Jesus gave His best for us – can we do any less?

**note that this was based on a Faith@Work devotion given by Leiff Erickson.

While I was growing up, I would read the box scores of the previous day’s professional baseball games.  I would see who had good games and who was entering a slump.  I came across a rookie that was having an incredible year for the Minnesota Twins.  I followed every game and tracked how he was doing in the overall stats.  Kirby Puckett went on to have a great rookie season and subsequent seasons.  That year, he and the MN Twins gained a fan for life.  I followed Kirby’s career until the very end.  I had pictures of him on my wall.  I kept magazines where he had graced the front cover.  I would watch him play on TV whenever I could.  When I graduated college and moved to MN, I went to see him play in person.  I was more than a fan.  I knew every detail about him. 

 So much so, that when I played high school baseball, my coach was upset because I had a front leg kick that was unconventional.  Guess who else had an unconventional leg kick?  Kirby Puckett.  My coach thought that I doing it just to be like Kirby.  I had gotten to the point where I was even mimicking his flaws! 

Without even knowing it…I had become a “disciple” of Kirby Puckett.  I was learning everything he did and said.  I clung to every word and baseball technique he taught. 

Matthew 9:9 describes Jesus calling out to Matthew.. “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”

This one verse discusses the first step of becoming a follower of Jesus.  You must first answer the call.  Jesus went into the most unusual place to find a follower…into the booth of a tax collector.  This made some people raise an eyebrow since tax collectors were liars, cheaters, and scoundrals.  Yet Jesus called out to Matthew despite knowing full well that Matthew did not meet the profile of a believer, yet.  Jesus called on people to follow him.  To become a disciple.  That is cling to every word and deed of Jesus.  Learn from every single aspect of His life until you emulate everything Jesus did.  Everything.  Matthew did not begin following that day because he was perfect.  He followed Jesus that day because he was a sinner in the need of a Savior.  He responded out of obedience.  Did you notice that Matthew did not ask a bunch of questions.  He didn’t say “I will need to think about it”.  He didn’t say I will need to sell everything slowly to get the best price…he simply got up and followed.  What did he do after he followed?  Matthew was with Jesus every moment he could be.  He was present for healings, baptisms, teachings, and miracles.  Jesus poured his life into all his disciples…Matthew included.

Here is the lesson for today:  Jesus is calling you to be a disciple.  To learn from his teaching…to discuss the different aspects of your life.  You are to emulate him every way you can.  

One of the magazines that I love to read is Fast Company.  This magazine focuses on ingenuity and creativeness in business.  It is a secular magazine that has some great articles.  It is a source to challenge people and demonstrate how to be creative in the marketplace.  I first began reading their articles when I was in business; now that I am in the ministry, I find them even more intriguing.  I like to challenge myself and try apply some of the lessons learned within a church setting. 

In the July/August (2011) edition, There is an article written by Ellen McGirt entitled "Can This Man Save This Girl?".  "The Man" in the title is referring to Matt Damon.  Matt is a well known actor and philanthropist.  I am generally skeptical of actors turned philanthropists!  But, I think Matt is a very bright man and seems to have a good head on his shoulders.  He helped create an entity called Water.org.  The article was discussing their mission of bringing water to third world countries.

Here is an intriguing paragraph:  "In the '80s and '90s, the approach was really supply-driven-'We are here to give you your water project.'" he says.  Dig a well , put up a plaque, take a picture, and scram,"  "People were designing projects for people, not with them."  White came to understand that community engagement (a term rendered almost meaningless by politicians, major brands, and social networking companies) is a life-or-death strategy in the developing world.  "There needs to be a water committee.  At least 80% of the community needs to sign up and raise money for the project, participate in its construction and upkeep," he says.  That's how a project turns from top-down charity to a bottom-up sustainability.  This led him to an important insight - an "orthogonal insight," his geeky term for the kind of thinking in which forces that appear unrelated or irrelevant help solve a problem in an unexpected way. (79-80)"

I have a couple of thoughts on this article and paragraph:
First, this paragraph is spot on true.  We need to teach people how to have ownership and give them the opportunity to participate in the solving of their problems so that in the future they may do it for themselves.  The old way of showing up with a solution would eventually fizzle out after the press left because the people weren't taught how to take care of it.  They had no ownership.  But, when they have to purchase it and put labor into it, they not only feel the satisfaction of accomplishment, they also begin to understand that they don't simply need handouts.

Also,I also like the idea of an "orthogonal" thought.: An insight where "forces that appear unrelated or irrelevant help solve a problem in an unexpected way".    In business and church, we must think creatively enough to take different approaches to problems.  Sometimes it will be unconventional and strange, but will solve the problem way more efficiently!

And remember that God is the original author of the orthogonal insight!  And ultimately Jesus was THE solution to the problem of sin.  Previously God utilized the sacrificial system to highlight sin, but never remove it.  So, when Jesus came and erased our sin, God revealed his grace and mercy on a grand scale!

Summer has come and gone.  I am always amazed at how my boys continue to grow in all aspects of their life.  Many districts have officially started, but Cardinal isn't starting until Thursday.  This time of year always takes me back to a small tradition in my neighborhood growing up...we had a neighbor, Lucy, a widow that lived alone.  She would sit out on her front porch and watch us kids play.  We would end up on her front stoop swinging on her porch swing, sitting on her old milk box, or in her rocking chair.  She would teach us the simple things in life.  She taught me how to braid.  She taught me how to make a whistle sound come out of a piece of grass.  Oh, the games of Chinese checkers too!  She was part cheerleader and part counselor...she would listen and reluctantly give her two cents worth.  Each school year brought excitement and one of the traditions were the kids in our neighborhood would get off the school bus and race to Lucy's house.  She would measure our height on her old white hutch and then give us a whole candy bar!  Lucy has passed on now, but I will never forget how simply she gave back.

God equips those that are faithful.  Sometimes we think that we can't do much, but all Lucy did was be available and use what little resources she could to bless little Clark and Reighard kids that made up our neighborhood in Richland!  If she can do it, so can you!