The temptation in the garden of Eden was less about eating a piece a fruit and more about assuming control over one’s own life. Jesus’ final word of the cross was one of ultimate submission. He gave us a foreshadow of this word when He prayed in Gethsemane and said to God, "Not my will but your will be done." Jesus’ last word was a word of submission. May this be a cue for us to relinquish control over our own lives and give it wholly to God.

I wonder if Jesus’ sixth word was an utterance out of a sense of accomplishment or out of sheer exhaustion. At any rate, the moment of Jesus final breath is upon us. It is a moment for us to reflect on a life that was lived. A life not defined by palaces, a hefty bank account or the plentiful conveniences of life. Jesus lived a simple life which made his death for us all the more profound. How much more of an impact might we have on this life if we vowed to live a life of simplicity?

Throughout the death scene of Jesus, we are forced to reckon with the humanity of Jesus. The loss of blood and the heavy panting as he struggles to cling to life certainly caused severe dehydration. He was thirsty and he makes an utterance stating so. This longing for thirst to be quenched has both physical and spiritual implications. Could study and meditation provide life quenching remedies to our own thirst?

While hanging on the cross, Jesus repeats words first uttered in the Psalms. Jesus repeats these words that are haunting yet reflects the reality of his painful situation. He felt abandoned, he felt alone. He felt; That should be a prompt for us to understand that while Jesus was fully divine, he was also fully human. There are moments in our journey where we feel all alone and abandoned. When we feel so alone, it may be the impetus for us to seek a place of solitude and prayer.

Perhaps one of the most heart wrenching scenes at the crucifixion was the scene of a mother watching her son in agonizing pain. Parents should never have to be witnesses of such horrors. Knowing the residual pain and trauma of witnessing this, Jesus calls down to his mother and one of his disciples. He utters words that would lead to the disciple taking care of the mother of Jesus. Jesus third word from the cross is a word that compels us to be in service to one another as an enduring legacy flowing out of the ministry of Jesus.

All would agree that Jesus was not guilty of the crimes that precipitated his sentence of execution by way of crucifixion. But Jesus hung on a cross between two men, who presumably were guilty of their crimes. All three men would experience the painful fate of this execution, but one receives a promise from Jesus. The second word uttered was a word of hope. It is a word that should prompt those of us who receive that promise to celebrate and worship.

The gospel writer of Luke reports that Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”. How completely consistent of Jesus to offer forgiveness to those who were responsible for his agonizing pain and shameful disposition. Yet, his offer stands at the heart of the gospel. The good news offered to men and women is an offer to be forgiven of all of their sins and transgressions. This offer is a prompt to us to confess our sins and enter a period of fasting as we consider the love and grace of God. It is also a prompt o us to offer forgiveness to those who have wronged us.