Read: John 19:28-37
Reflect: Jesus was given one job to do. Not a small assignment by any stretch of the imagination; one clear mission given only to Him. His job: to redeem the sins of the world by dying on a cross. The goal: every man and woman who believes that truth and allows Him to enter into his or her life, would go to heaven.
focused on one mission
It sounds like a huge enterprise. It is! You almost want to say it can’t be done, that is until you know Who that job was given to – Jesus, the very Son of God! He was always focused on doing His one mission. Whether He was on the hillside preaching to the multitude, raising Lazurus from the dead, or allowing the little children to gather around Him, the cross was always on His horizon.
thoughts of quitting
Was Jesus ever discouraged in His mission? You Betcha! How do you think He felt when His disciples were deciding who would sit next to Him in the His Kingdom or when Jesus was weeping over the city of Jerusalem? Max Lucado writes: “Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel enchanted us all with the song of a poor boy who went to New York on a dream and fell victim to the harsh life of the city. Penniless, with only strangers as friends, he spent his days laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters where the ragged people go, looking for the places only they would know. It’s easy to picture this young lad, dirty face and worn clothes, looking for work and finding none. He entertains thoughts of quitting—something he never thought he would do.
the fighter does not abandon
“But just when he picks up the towel to throw it into the ring, he encounters a boxer. Remember these lyrics? In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade, and he carries a reminder of every blow that laid him down or cut him till he cried out in his anger and his shame ‘I am leaving, I am leaving!’ but the fighter still remains. ‘The fighter still remains.’ There is something magnetic in that phrase.” The fighter does not abandon his mission.
the victory
Jesus was and is a fighter. When Jesus was only minutes away from fulfilling His job, He said to the Roman soldiers, I am thirsty (John 19:28). They took a stalk of hyssop, dipped it into a jar of white vinegar and then lifted it up to Jesus lips. With that amount of moisture, Jesus able to proclaim to those standing next to him and to all the world, It is finished! (John 19:30). This was the culmination of battling Satan and his minions for 3 years and accomplishing the impossible. This was victory. Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves. When he spoke those final words, he was giving to every generation the opportunity to know and love God.
how to truly win
Apply: This narrative speaks not only to what Christ did for us on the cross, but it also speaks to how he did it. He was the Fighter, and He never gave up, just like the fighter in Simon and Garfunkel’s song. What’s your story? Haven’t gotten the job you always wanted? Having marriage problems? Money problems? You’re 50 and your health isn’t what it ought to be? Each of these areas have solutions, but each one requires giving in to the One who fought for you. The One Who gave His life for you desires to fight for you daily. Amen
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