Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

One thing that is very clear from the Bible record is that Jesus was never a helpless victim. He endured horrible things, but it was by His choice, not by any hint of masochism but because He knew the purpose for all that was happening, and He loved mankind and His Father that much, to go through with it all. There is question of whether this was actually His last statement, or if it was what John records in tomor­row’s reading: “It is finished,” (John 19:30) but that makes no real difference. The point is, Jesus had a job to do, and He saw it through to the end. I am reminded of a book by Ayako Miura, also made into a movie: Shiokari Pass. In it, the last car in a train going up a mountain comes unhooked, and a young man throws himself under the wheels to stop it from rolling back down the mountain, derailing and killing everyone in it. The parallels are extreme. I say it every year at Christmas, but Jesus is the one person in all of history who was born for the purpose of dying. Everyone else dies sometime (with a few remarkable exceptions of people who are taken directly to heaven, like Elijah in 2 Kings 2) but Jesus came for that express purpose. I am sure it was a huge relief to Him when it was all over. We have trouble wrapping our minds around such love and dedication. When it happens on the battlefield the US gives the Medal of Honor, but those men don’t go into battle knowing they are going to do that. Jesus, in contrast, knew ahead of time what would happen, at least in broad terms, and He went forward anyway. Believers in the 2000 years since then have been blown out of the water by the magnitude, the magnificence, of it all, as indeed we should be. The hymn, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, captures it very well. As that hymn says, knowing what Jesus did for us “demands my soul, my life, my all.” When Jesus gave everything for us, how can we hold anything back from Him?

I have known the facts of the crucifixion for as long as I can remember, and that of course raises the danger of familiarity breeding contempt. I must not let that happen! Today is Good Friday, and I need to meditate on all that means. I have already celebrated Communion, as I do every morning, but I need to let the reality of it all sink into the depths of my being. There are various things I will be doing today, because life doesn’t stop for everyone else when one individual dies. I need to grow in my appreciation of Christ, while I am living out what He intends for me to do each moment of my life. I need to learn to worship while I am walking, talking to someone, shopping, or doing anything else. I’m reminded of what the angels said to the disciples after Jesus’ ascension: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?” (Acts 1:11) In other words, “Special moments are just that, special moments. Now, get on with your lives, as He told you to do!”

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. Help me live it out, in continuous awareness of Your love and grace toward me, as I let that love and grace flow through me to those around me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!