Jesus’ Last Words (Maundy Thursday)

This is a story about human sin, cruelty, and injustice. AND beneath it all, God is at work as the Son completes the mission for which God sent him.

Jesus’ death is a sacrifice of atonement, and in it we learn what it means to be marked with the cross of Christ forever.

These words by Jesus are not a cry of despair. It is a declaration that the mission has been completed. Jesus’ final act is handing over / giving up his spirit. In the end, no system or human takes Jesus’ life. From start to finish, Jesus chooses love and willingly gives his life over.

What is happening at the cross is new creation. A new community is born and exists because of the hour of that cross.

Discipleship entails gathering at the foot of the dying Jesus. Being a disciple means being wrapped up in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus’ last breath on the cross establishes the church, symbolized by a tunic woven in one piece, which cannot be torn apart.

Even in the midst of darkness and death, God’s grace and goodness shine in and through Jesus.

This is more than atonement. This is a reenactment of God’s deliverance from slavery, in which blood is used to mark God’s people. It is the cross of Jesus that marks God’s people. It is the cross where Jesus’ love is fully revealed.

This is more than atonement. This is a reenactment of God’s deliverance from slavery, in which blood is used to mark God’s people. It is the cross of Jesus that marks God’s people. It is the cross where Jesus’ love is fully revealed. In John’s Gospel, God exalts Jesus through his crucifixion. There is a lot of fulfillment language in this Passion narrative. Jesus’ handing over, while scandalous, is an incredible act of love.