Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit

Luke 23:44-47 (ESV)

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”

The last words of Jesus on the cross explains the way He lived His whole life. He had committed his entire life here on earth to His father and now He commits His death to His father too.

We must not merely see these words as the last words of a resigned frail dying man. Jesus is quoting from Psalm 31:5! He is confidently handing over his spirit to his father. He has completed his earthly work and is handing over his spirit into his father’s hand.

From the cross Jesus is teaching us that our spirit, no matter what condition it is in, is safe in Gods hand. We can trust God with our life. Trust is built on a relationship. Jesus has no doubt about the character of his father. Although, in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus’ prayer goes unanswered, yet he does not doubt his father’s love.

In the garden, he concludes that the father's will takes precedence over his will. And now on the cross he affirms that decision when he entrusts his spirit to the father. Are you struggling with unanswered prayers? Trust God, boldly. Heed the advice of Psalm 31:7, “I will rejoice and be glad in your faithful love.” Remember, joy has very little to do with our circumstances.

We too can rejoice and be glad in God’s faithful love. The shocking picture of the cross with Jesus’ body on it is a symbol of God’s faithful love. For me, Jesus hanging on the cross resembles the picture of the prodigal son hanging on his father. Tired, filthy and worn out and yet loved by his father. Jesus, in some sense becomes the prodigal when he stepped into our mess. Yet, in the story of the prodigal son, the father gives him a kiss on the neck and his life is changed for the better.

Give your life to him and experience his faithful love. Regardless of the condition in which your life is, come to him, just as you are. Hand over your life to God and he will love you and give you a kiss and your life will change for the better.

Dear Lord, we commit our spirit to you. We ask that You would take it and give it a kiss. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

It is finished

John 19:30 (ESV)

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

I can think of three different meanings to “it is finished.” In one sense it communicates a sense of resignation and negativity. Your career is finished, your money is finished, your family is finished and you might think you are finished. The world we live encourages negativity and self-pity. ‘It is finished’ is the acceptance of defeat.

Then there is the perspective of Jesus’ enemies. They were happy that Jesus was finished. They put him on a cross and expected to put an end to his life, his teachings and his movement. But they were wrong. In history on several occasions there have been attempts to finish Christians and Christianity. But Christians have survived. I am still here and you are there reading this devotion.

Then there is a positive “It is finished.” Ah, what relief those three words bring to us especially at the end of any project, a sickness, a court case or a Ph.D., dissertation. When Jesus says, “It is finished,” he means he has fulfilled his mission. It is a proclamation of completion. Jesus’ ministry began with the words, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” It ends with Jesus’ confident proclamation, that the work that he had come to do is finished. He had submitted his will to the father from the beginning to the end.

In his high priestly prayer Jesus prays, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made (John 17:4-5). The cross was Christs act of obedience.

The cross is not the demand of a blood thirsty God rather it is an act of a merciful God. Imagine us humans in a pit unable to get out. Then imagine God as a loving parent entering that pit, clearing all the filth and dragging us out. Jesus enters the system, purifies it from within and redeems us.

Dear Lord, we pray that You would take our negativity and change it to positivity. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Today you will be with me in paradise.

Luke 23:39-43 (ESV)

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The promise of salvation is not just for the future. It is also for today. There were two prisoners on either side of Jesus. Each of them had a view of Jesus that might resonate with anyone of us. The first one, in continuation of the mocking that Jesus had already received, challenges him to perform a miracle: “If you are the son of God, save yourself and us.”

This challenge was not new for Jesus. Even before he began his ministry Satan had asked him a similar question: “If you are the son of God, change these stones into bread.” Sometimes, we are tempted to ask Jesus the same question: “If you are the son of God, do this for me…”

To Satan he responded with scripture. To the first prisoner he chose to stay silent. He didn’t see the need to defend his identity.

Conversely, the second criminal on the cross does not want Jesus to ‘perform’.  Rather, he wants Jesus to ‘remember’ him. So to the second prisoner Jesus says, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus’ ultimate answer to every one of our requests is – heaven.

Yet, he reminds us that heaven is not merely a place. It is a person. “You will be with me.” Heaven is where Jesus is. The offer of heaven is himself. He can make heaven enter into our lives if we are willing to allow him to make his home in our hearts. Jesus can help us change the perspective of our experiences.

The second criminal surprisingly viewed Jesus as ‘The King’ despite Jesus’ powerlessness. He asked Jesus for the most important thing – to remember him. Don’t we all get a boost when someone great remembers us? What a privilege for us to see Jesus now in all his power and know that he remembers us!

Today let us remember two things. One, heaven is not only a place to arrive at but we can have a foretaste of it, here on earth, with Jesus in our hearts. Two, Jesus has regained his splendor and majesty and he remembers us by name.

Dear Lord, help us to live everyday with the knowledge that You remember each of us. Help us to share that great gift with those around us today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do

Luke 23:34 (ESV)

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

In the movie – The Passion of the Christ – the suffering of Jesus is portrayed very accurately. You can imagine what Jesus had just been through. He had been spat upon, his hair and beard pulled, they made fun of him, they ridiculed his teaching, they slapped him, they whipped him and they pressed a crown of thorns into his head. Eventually they nailed him to the cross. And this is what he says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Even from the cross Jesus along with the father forgives his perpetrators. The union that he shares with his father is evident even in his forgiveness. Jesus teaches us that when injustice is being done to us the father takes it personally. Likewise, when we forgive we are forgiving on behalf of the father.

Jesus then reminds us that sin is ignorance. When we sin we become ignorant. We become so ignorant that despite being aware of the consequences of our behavior we still choose to go ahead with our action. Jesus reminds us from the cross that we can accept his forgiveness and change our ways.

Forgiveness is a very difficult decision. But it is a very important decision. More than anything,  it offers us, the victim, freedom. We must strive to forgive, because the father has forgiven us. With God all things are possible. So with God’s help let us try to forgive. Additionally, with the power of the Holy Spirit let us hope for our pain to be transformed into compassion and our memory into prayer and intercession.

The cross is at the center of our journey as Christians. Jesus reminds us from the cross that forgiveness comes from the father's loving heart and we must extend this forgiveness to others.

Dear Lord, thank you for the relief that Your forgiveness brings to our life. Help us find others to offer it today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

I Have a Hope that Never Dies

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV)

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

Life without the empty tomb would be hopeless.

The very existence of Christianity depends on the truth of the empty tomb. Without Jesus fulfilling the promise to rise from the dead, where would we be?

Mary Magdalene saw it with her own eyes though. Mary Magdalene, the woman who was once possessed and didn’t know hope until Jesus found her, was the one to first see it with her own eyes. And not only did she see the empty tomb, she saw Jesus. Jesus came to her and spoke her name.

He simply spoke her name and things changed for Mary Magdalene. Hope had come back into her life.

When he walked out of that tomb, Jesus brought hope to the hopeless. He conquered death. He conquered death.

1 Corinthians 15:55 says, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

Our victory is in Jesus. Our victory is in his life, his death, and, praise God, his resurrection. The resurrection means everything. The resurrection validates that Jesus was who he said he was. It validates every word Jesus ever said. It shows us that Jesus can be trusted. He does what he says he will do.

The resurrection gives us unbreakable hope.

Will you say yes to that hope today? Will you live fully today because of the victory we have in Jesus?

Today’s Challenge: Be joyful today. We have the ultimate hope. And if someone asks why you have so much joy today, tell them why.

Dear Lord we thank You for the hope that we have through what You did for each of us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

I Have the Promise of Eternal Life

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Are you and I any different than the thieves that hung on the cross with Jesus?

Think about it. We are all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God. Just like the two thieves who died next to Jesus.

The question today is: Which thief are you going to be? One thief joined the crowds and mocked Jesus. He said, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” I wonder what it was like that day. Were the witnesses of Jesus’ death giving in to peer pressure and mocking because everyone else was doing it? Either way, one thief joined the jeers.

The other thief was changed. His heart had experienced the truth of Jesus while he hung on that cross. He was repentant and confessed his sins. Jesus said to him in Luke 23: 43, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus saved a thief being executed right then and there. We don’t know any details of his wrongdoings. We don’t even know his name. Do you think that’s symbolic? Perhaps Jesus is saying it doesn’t matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been. Place your trust in me and you will live with me for all eternity.

Breathe that in for a minute.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”

We can’t save ourselves but glory to God He can. God has given us this breathtaking promise through Jesus.

Will you trust today that God wants to give you the gift of eternal life?

Today’s Challenge: Schedule 10 minutes of quiet time for yourself today. Listen for God as you’re quiet. Or perhaps pray to Him that He will help you trust that this gift of eternal life is real.

Dear Lord, we thank You today that You paid the price for our sin. We thank You that because You took our sins upon You we can have eternal life with You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

My Life Has a Plan

Romans 8:28 (ESV)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

When a baby is born there is often celebration. There are tears of joy. There are prayers of thanksgiving. There is pure wonder.

Imagine what Mary must have been feeling as she held the son of God in her arms for the first time—her son. Did she have plans for Jesus? Did she have hopes for her baby boy? Of course she did—what mama doesn’t have those types of plans for her children?

Not many mamas I know would have plans that would include a violent death. So as Mary watched her son hang on the cross, the sorrow and pain for her had to have been unfathomable.

This wasn’t the happy ending she pictured for her baby boy. Far from it—it was a nightmare.

But when God is the author of our stories, they often play out quite differently than had we been our own authors. God’s will doesn’t exclude pain and suffering. And that sometimes seems senseless to us.

How senseless the death of Jesus must have seemed to Mary. Do you think that when Jesus spoke to Mary from the cross, Mary had a feeling of hope or comfort? Do you think it was being revealed to her little by little that Jesus’ death was God’s plan of hope for His people all along?

When life seems unclear, God can be trusted. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Will you rest today knowing that God has a beautiful plan for your life?

Today’s Challenge: Take a small gift to a tired mother you may know. Read Romans 8:28 to her. Pray with her. Pray that she will trust her children’s lives in God’s hands no matter what that means.

Dear Lord, we thank You that we can trust our children’s life in Your hands. Help us to be the encouragement someone needs today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

My Pain Is Understood

Hebrews 4:15 (ESV)

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Poverty. Disease. Injustice. Brokenness. Death. We live in a fallen world that includes immense pain.

We often ask God why there is so much pain. If you’re good, God, why won’t you stop the pain? We ask ourselves these questions and don’t often find the answers we're looking for.

The life of Jesus though… The life of Jesus can assure you and me that God knows our pain. He has felt our pain. And He understands our pain.

Think about everything He endured on this earth. Hurt from relationships. Torture. Mocking. Physical beatings. Death on a cross. He has felt our relational pain and he has felt physical pain.

The difference between us and Jesus is that Jesus suffered willingly. With his suffering came a promise to you and to me, a promise of compassion. God gave his son to die for us. Jesus endured that death.

While in the Garden of Gethsemane, Matthew 26 tells us that Jesus felt unbearable stress. He says in verse 39, “‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as a I will, but as you will.” He understands deep pain.

God knows. He sees. He understands.

Will you let Jesus’ suffering on this earth help you to understand that you are truly not alone?

Today’s Challenge: Read Isaiah 53:3-5 to a friend or family member. Listen to the words as you read and then explain to your loved one why their pain is understood. Make the connection between our pain and Jesus’ pain.

Dear Lord, we thank You for knowing our pain. We thank You for the things You went through for each of us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

My Life Can Change

Matthew 27:3-5 (ESV)

3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.

Have you ever done something you never thought you would do? And not something for which you are proud. The other kind.

Hours before his death, Jesus was betrayed by two of his followers—his friends. Judas and Peter both did something they never thought they would do. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Peter denied his friend three times within a matter of minutes.

Can you feel the guilt both of these men felt after they committed these acts? I can feel it. I’ve felt it. Ever done something for which you assumed God would never forgive? Haven’t we all? Usually when we feel this guilt, we’re brought to one of two places: remorse or repentance.

Judas tried to give the money he earned for his betrayal back to the chief priests. But that act wouldn’t erase his guilt. It didn’t change his responsibility in the death of Jesus. His remorse and sorrow couldn’t heal him. He ultimately committed suicide.

Peter wept and repented. Later Jesus would reinstate Peter and ask him to watch over His sheep. Jesus wanted to use Peter because even though he made mistakes, he still loved Jesus deeply.

2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."

Your life can change when you trust Jesus, when you admit your mistakes and give them to him.

Will you let Jesus’ love for Peter and forgiveness for his mistakes lead you to repentance and godly sorrow?

Today’s Challenge: Make a list of yesterday’s sins. Read the list aloud to God. Ask His forgiveness and then rip the list up and throw it in the trash because He forgives you.

Dear Lord, we thank You that no matter the sin we have committed that You have already forgiven us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

My Life Has Purpose

Philippians 2:7 (ESV)

But emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Imagine the Last Supper scene. The disciples were gathered, ready to celebrate the Passover with their friend Jesus.

When Jesus arrives he does something unexpected. He washes the disciples’ feet. Think about that. Most likely these men had traveled miles barefoot through streets and terrain that hadn’t been touched by a street sweeper. And Jesus wanted to wash their feet.

Philippians 2:7 says, “He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

This feet-washing gig was usually reserved for a lowly servant. Not this time. Jesus, the Messiah, the son of God, got down on his knees and humbled himself before his followers. Why? That was his purpose. To serve.

The very next day Jesus would die on a cross for the world. The ultimate sacrifice. A beautiful act of service.

From the beginning there was a call on Jesus' life—a call to serve. That’s the call on my life too. I’m not here to serve myself or pursue my selfish ambitions. I’m here to serve, to give, to love.

After loving God with all our heart, soul and mind, Jesus says the second greatest command is to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Our purpose is clear: Love God. Love people.

Will you let the story of Easter and Jesus’ example of service propel you to love and serve people with all you have?

Today’s Challenge: Love someone who would least expect it today. Do something kind for them. Maybe take flowers to someone who you usually disagree with or bring the co-worker who got the promotion before you a cup of coffee today.

Dear Lord, we pray today that we would show Your love to someone today. Bring that person to our mind so that we can share the love of Easter with them.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen.