Pastor’s Corner – March 10, 2022
I follow the way of Jesus because I want to live well and I want to die well. I pray my life and death will be marked by faith, hope, love, and peace. Maybe you share this same desire?
Between now and Easter I want to remind you of the words Jesus spoke while dying. These words can serve as a guide for living and dying well. So far, we have explored Jesus’ lamentation on the cross from Mark and Matthew, and the way he ensured his mother’s well-being with his final breaths as recorded in John.
The Gospel According to John also tells of two other words from Jesus from the cross. In 19:28 as life is waning Jesus states, I am thirsty. The gospel writer connects this request to a verse in Psalm 69, an ancient song seeking deliverance in a time of persecution. This is the second time on the cross Jesus has found solace in the sacred writings of his people. In like fashion, countless generations of the faithful have also turned to the scriptures for comfort at the time of death. Let us not forget this rich reservoir of faith available in the Psalms in particular, and the Bible more generally. Jesus’ declaration of thirst is also a poignant symbol of Jesus’ suffering, another reminder that God through Christ has experienced the fullness of the human condition.
John’s telling of the crucifixion concludes with these words, When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished. Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. The simple statement, it is finished, not only acknowledges Jesus’ death but it also suggests something deeper. This phrase might also be translated it is completed. Jesus understands that he has fulfilled the work of his earthly journey. From that perspective it is a statement of grateful contentment for a life fully lived. Following suit, we might bring more urgency and purpose to each new day, so that we too can live and die well—with contentment for a life well lived.
Yours in Christ,
Marc
