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Before He Died
Have you ever thought about things that you want to accomplish before you die? Oftentimes we call this a bucket list. It's a list of things that we want to make sure that we do or get accomplished while we still have time on the earth. But the interesting thing is most of the time these lists of things that we have they never fully get finished. We never complete them. I think the reason for that is because none of us really know how much time we have left. We usually think we have plenty of time, so we push them off way back in the future. But can you imagine what it would be like if we did know. If each of us knew exactly how many days we had left on this earth.
About 10 years ago there was a science fiction movie that came out. I don't even remember the name. It was forgettable as most of the movie was. But the basic plot of the movie was time was currency. So, everyone had these digital timers in their arms, and it would count down the exact minute of hours and minutes and seconds that they had left to live. They could trade and buy and even sell time (that was the general crux of the movie). But can you imagine having that knowledge? Of how many seconds you had left to live? If you knew right now that your timer said you had two years left to live, what does that two years look like to you? To me I think I would probably just quit my job. I think about places I want to travel. Things I want to see. Foods I want to eat. Some of you may be a little bit more adventurous than I am and think about skydiving or bungee jumping. But think now if you just had 10 days. What would those last few days look like? I don't think any of us are thinking about travelling now if we only have 10 days. We're probably all thinking about people. Right? I want to surround myself with people that love me. People that are going to comfort me, because that's going to be a scary few days for me. I want people to hold my hand and make me feel comfortable. Make me feel happy and peaceful.
I want you to think now about how Jesus spent His last few days.
We have plenty examples in the Bible where Jesus says things like “my hour has not yet come” or “my time is not yet here.” Jesus didn't have a digital timer. He didn't need it. But He knew how much time He had left. He knew exactly when His day was going to come. And His bucket list looked very different than mine. He spent His last few days healing people. It was in those last few days that He rose Lazarus from the dead. He spent His last few days teaching as many as would listen about how to live their lives to glorify God. You see my list of things that I would do in my last few days revolves around me. Because ultimately, when it comes down to it, I'm a selfish person. I want people to comfort me. Jesus on His last few days, on the ground, washing the feet of His disciples. Knowing what was coming for Him, He spent his last days teaching us how to serve one another.
Not only did Jesus know when He was going to die, but He also had the horrible burden of knowing how He was going to die. If you told me I was going to die in a car wreck tomorrow, that's an easy choice for me. I'm not getting anywhere near a vehicle tomorrow. I'm barricading myself inside. I'm running as far away from that scenario as I can get. But not Jesus. He knew what the Father had in store for Him. He didn't run. He waited for that day to come. And when that day came, He walked towards it. On the day of His arrest, Luke tells us in chapter 22 that Jesus prayed to God. He said:
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Luke 22.42
Luke later said that Jesus,
being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22.44
I think oftentimes we think of Jesus as this superhero. He was the Son of God. He walked bravely into death. Luke said He was in agony. He was troubled. He was anxious. But all that fear, anxiety, the agony that Jesus was in, all of those emotions were overpowered by a stronger emotion. And that was His love for each of us. So, when that moment came, instead of running, Mark 14 says Jesus came to His disciples and He said:
“…the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
Mark 14.41-42
Before He died.
Think about the love that was so great that it compelled Jesus to walk towards the horrible death that was waiting for Him.
Hallelujah! What a savior!
