Mission and Purpose

Re:Verse passage – John 19:28-30 (day five) “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.”

The days right before and after the new year are often filled with introspect and evaluation. As a result, many will make resolutions for the next year- to get back on track or stay on track. One of the remarkable things about Jesus’ earthly life was His ability to keep focused on the mission and purpose for His coming to live on earth. I believe that for Him (and for us) a life centered on and constantly engaged in the Scriptures provided His clarity and courage. (Notice the reference to the scriptures in verse 28) When He says, “It is finished”, He is making a statement regarding His mission and purpose.

May we be resolved to have that same kind of awareness and commitment to God’s mission and purpose for our lives! May we be resolved to be deeply engaged in and dependent on the scriptures to find God’s mission and purpose for our lives!

Outside of Time

Re:Verse passage – John 19:28-30 (day four)

“It is finished.” These three words changed everything. The soldiers who crucified Jesus probably heard them as an admission of defeat, as if Jesus was saying, “Alright, the jig is up. You got me, I’m finished.” But we know that this isn’t the end of the story. We know that it wasn’t an admission of defeat, but a statement of victory. At these words, the whole world became a different place. In a single moment, the veil was torn, the earth shook, rocks split, tombs were opened, the bodies of saints were raised. Heaven broke into earth with a cosmic victory too great for our understanding.

What’s interesting is that even though Jesus said, “It is finished,” the story isn’t actually finished yet. There’s still more coming – Sunday is still coming! The resurrection is still coming! And we still wait on Jesus coming again. But these three small words ushered in a reality that stands outside of time. Jesus won the victory, even though it still looked like defeat to everyone else. The Kingdom of God is here now, yet we still yearn for it to come.  Jesus won a victory so great that it stands outside of time, and we get to share in that victory with him. We know that it is finished.

Human

Re:Verse passage – John 19:28-30 (day three)

“I am thirsty.”

Jesus Christ came in the flesh. That means God the Son was now human for all eternity. He didn’t temporarily cloak himself in a body and then escape it after the cross and resurrection were done. The scriptures make clear that the “man Jesus Christ” is the mediator between God and humans as the writer of Hebrews states. A “temporary human” would be a joke or a ruse or a cringe-inducing attempt at being “one of the gang.” If Jesus were slumming for a little while, you would perhaps perceive him as special – lovely even – but you would know he’s not really part of your experience. On the cross, the simple words Jesus speaks about the state of his bodily dehydration are dear. They show a Lord who doesn’t rage against bodily frailty, but rather embraces his body – and yours.

Last Words

Re:Verse passage – John 19:28-30 (day two) 

He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. vs. 30b

“Don’t cry for me, for I go where music is born…” These were  Johann Sebastian Bach’s last words. I, along with many musicians, believe Bach was the greatest composer to ever live. What a poetic ending to his devout life. Have you given thought to what your last words might be? Imagined the scene, surrounded by family, trying to encourage and comfort them as you transition to eternity?

None of these thoughts, or Bach’s poetry are possible with out Jesus first finishing what he came to do. Without Jesus ultimate, once for all, sacrifice all ‘last words’ are empty and hollow. Take a moment to thank Jesus for giving us an opportunity for hope, and even a little poetry.

Re:Verse Blog – 1/2/22

Re:Verse passage – John 19:28-30 (day one)

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Johnson, Associate Pastor Aaron Hufty, and Associate Pastor Bryan Richardson walk us through John 19:28-30 in our Winter Re:Verse Series: “The Beauty of Restoration” The Final Days of Jesus in the Gospel of John.

Bear the Cross

Re:Verse passage – John 19:17-27 (day seven)

They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. vs 17

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 

This was probably the moment it all began to sink in for the disciples. Here is Jesus, taking up a heavy cross and dragging it to the top of the mountain. Those who were watching were probably reliving these words in their mind saying, “Is this really what He meant? Is this what He was calling us to do?” It was, and they did. Extrabiblical sources would tell us that many of them did take up a cross or something similar as all of them but John (exiled) were martyred for their belief in the Risen King.

How will you take up your cross? This burden is not light. That daily act of self denial is difficult and goes against the sinful nature that is pushing back inside of us. As we enter into this new year, how will you follow Jesus more closely? Will you take up your cross daily? Will you deny yourself and submit to Him every day? Let us all instill habits now that will lead us closer to Jesus in 2023! Happy New Year!

King Jesus, Come Quickly

Re:Verse passage – John 19:17-27 (day six) 

The sign was a deterrent. Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews was more than just an opportunity to stick it to the Jewish leaders, Pilate was also conveying a message, Caesar is King, and never forget it!

Although, more subtle and less dramatic, our contemporary culture is no different in its messaging:

Jesus has no dominion here; we have no king but Caesar.

Truth is, those in power today, (whether on the right or left) would find a way to crucify him all over again. They already do. He is too much a threat to their power and control.

One day, the resurrected Jesus will subject all earthly powers and authorities under his feet. There will be no ambiguity or confusion; King Jesus will be on the throne.

Family of God

Re:Verse passage – John 19:17-27 (day five) 

“When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”

Even as Jesus is being executed, He is teaching about relationships in the Body of Christ that is being formed. Here, He goes against the customary pattern for His earthly family to take care of their (His) mother. Instead, Jesus is initiating the loving and caring relationships we are to have within the Body of Christ for one another. We are the Family of God. Remember His words (Mark 10) after the encounter with the rich young ruler?  “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.”
How we love and care for others in the Family of God matters!!

Start to Finish

Re:Verse passage – John 19:17-27 (day four)

Often when I read this passage, I put myself in Jesus’ mind, looking from his view, down at the crowd that had gathered as he was raised up on the cross. Today, though, I find myself in the crowd, seeing these events play out from Mary’s vantage point. She saw it all happen, huddled there with her faithful friends as her firstborn son was put to death. And in his last moments, Jesus ensures that Mary will be taken care of. Jesus accomplished everything he set out to do. He didn’t die with anything left undone, there were no loose ends left to tie. Taking care of his mother was one of his final acts.

When Mary heard Jesus call out from the cross, “Woman, behold your son!” and realized that he had given her into John’s care, I wonder if her mind returned to Bethlehem, where she gazed down at her son lying in the manger. As the angels sang and the shepherds came to behold the child king, Luke 2:19 tells us that “Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” While she couldn’t have known then how things would play out, I wonder if these quiet ponderings from long ago strengthened her faith in this moment of grief. Mary had a unique vantage point to see Christ’s life lived out with heavenly purpose. From start to finish, she saw the Lord’s faithfulness in and through her son. What a promise we have from Jesus – that he will be faithful from start to finish.

Incarnation

Re:Verse passage – John 19:17-27 (day three)

“They divided my outer garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”

The gospel accounts of the actions of the soldiers in getting their hands on Jesus’s possessions – namely his clothing – has some history of being used as a cautionary tale to warn people against participating in games of chance: “To gamble is to partake in the same activities as the Roman soldiers at the foot of the cross.” With all due respect to the good intentions of those who would exhort people to avoid practices that can lead to crime and addiction, John’s intent is something other than throwing shade at casinos. What the scriptures reveal is Jesus Christ having come in the flesh – God made human, God made vulnerable. Only from a human being could everything be taken, from friends to the clothes on his back. Behold the man.