For the print version of these devotionals as well as the corresponding Bible Study Workout Programs, visit SoulStrengthfit.com Jesus prepares His disciples for His death as the day draws near.   

Read: Luke: 18:31-33

What is Jesus trying to tell His disciples in these verses? Do they understand Him? 

Jesus is warning the disciples in these verses that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer and be killed.  He must do this in order to fulfill the scriptures and the prophets.  

“Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.’”

Luke 9:23

If we are to sincerely follow Christ and be His disciples, we too must take up our crosses and follow after Him.  What does this mean to you?

Pairs with Week 2 Workout 1 in SoulStrength Fit’s Come to the Cross 2 Week Easter Faith and Fitness program.

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Are there any particular places that you feel closest to God?  Are there places that you feel that you can’t help but notice His presence?  Perhaps you feel this way while out in nature as you see the handiwork of His creation.  Or perhaps you might sense His presence while looking out into the vastness of the ocean while on the beach, or gazing at the stars on a clear night.  Are there places where God’s presence just feels stronger to you?

Can you sense Jesus praying for you personally in this passage?

“Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips.  When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

John 19:28-30

It can be easy to forget, as we contemplate the full divinity of Jesus, that He was also fully human.  Jesus’ divinity is clear.  Recall the opening words in John’s gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”  

Consider Jesus’ “I am” statements. 

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am”  At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.

John 8:58-59

This is from the two week faith based fitness series, “Come to the Cross” found at soulstrengthfit.com.
Although the Gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke refer to Jesus’ mother as Mary, John’s Gospel never refers to her by name.  John only refers to her as the “mother of Jesus.”  Surely he knew her name.  Why do you think he referred to her only as the “mother of Jesus”?

“The disciple whom Jesus loved” is also not called by name.  But in Jesus’ final words, He calls these two into a new family relationship.  For John, who doesn’t reference either “mother” or “son” by name, what do you think is the significant meaning of this new family relationship?  What do you think he wants his reader to understand?

Pairs with workout 2 from soulstrengthfit.com’s Come to the Cross Faith Based Easter Fitness Program.

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Read: Luke 23: 32-43

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’”  

The word Messiah was a word all Jewish people were familiar with because they were all looking forward to when God would send a messiah. The word refers to the person chosen by God to save the people. 

But the criminal on the cross has turned "Messiah” into an insult.  How could the savior be on a cross, helpless and about to die?  He wasn’t the only one to mock Jesus.  The religious leaders, the soldiers, the crowd all sneered and mocked Jesus as He hung with the sign posted above His head: “This is the king of the Jews.”  But how about the other criminal?  

“But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’  Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’”

Compare this response with the perspective found in the book of Matthew.  

“Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads  and saying, ‘You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!’  

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

Read: Mark 15:1-41

In the midst of his pain and agony, Jesus turns to prayer.  This was a regular practice for Jesus, as we see throughout the scriptures.  He would escape the crowds to go pray, spent time alone with the Father regularly, and prayed with His disciples frequently.  His last act before His arrest was to lead his disciples to the Mount of Olives so He could pray.  So it is no surprise that his final words included prayer.  

“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)

What a deep, heartfelt prayer this is, as Jesus expresses His feelings of being forsaken by God.

Have you ever felt forsaken by God?  Have you ever felt forgotten, abandoned, or unheard?  Is there a time you can think of in which you felt God was far away?

We are invited to come to the cross and listen to Jesus’ last words during His final hours.  Lean in closely and listen to the message Jesus has for you in each of His final statements.  Next week, we’ll step back and journey through the final days leading up to our Lord’s triumph and resurrection.
“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”  Luke 23:34

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Luke 23:43

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”  Luke 23:46

“Woman, here is your son’... ‘Here is your mother.”  John 19:26-27

“I am thirsty.”  John 19:28

“It is finished.”  John 19:30

Pairs with workout 1

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”

Read: Luke 23:1-34

Just days before, crowds had lined the streets of Jerusalem as Jesus entered the city mounted on a donkey.  

“The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!” His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him…”  John 12:12-19 ESV 

Every devout Jew would have understood what Jesus’ prophetic action meant as He, riding on a donkey, entered the city amongst the joyful shouts and waving palm branches

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Weddings were very important social events in Jesus’ day.  They would serve to both celebrate the couple and honor the host, and a royal wedding celebration would be the event of the decade for the kingdom.  It was assumed that if someone was invited to this important event, they would attend.  The invited guests in this parable, however, decide not to attend, and this very abnormal behavior would be shocking to Jesus’ listeners.  The refusal of the guests to attend was a great insult, and would have dishonored both the king and his son.  There would have been two stages to the invitation to this wedding banquet.  First, the guests would be invited and asked to give their commitment.  After the wedding host has had time to prepare, the second stage of the invitation would occur as the announcement of the banquet was made and guests were invited to come.

“When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!”  Matthew 22:3

The king had every right to become angry at the insult of their refusal, but instead, he sent other servants to repeat the invitation.  He tells them the oxen have been killed, the feast has been prepared.  Basically, he’s saying: “This will be a great party!  There will be wonderful food and everything is ready and prepared for you!  Come!”

But the people gave weak excuses, and even worse than merely rejecting the invitation, they also mistreated and killed some of the messengers.  We see the willful refusal to come and rejection of the king in their actions.  It wasn’t that they couldn’t come; they simply chose not to.  

This Devotional comes  from week 7 in the SoulStrength Fit Parables of Jesus Workout Program found at soulstrengthfit.com.

Jesus is warning about the importance of responding to - and living out - His teachings.  To fail to do so would make us as useless as “unsalty” salt.

Are there any ways in which the distractions, demands, or worries of this world have taken away a bit of your saltiness? 

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This Devotional comes pairs with workout 2 from week 7 in the SoulStrength Fit Parables of Jesus Workout Program found at soulstrengthfit.com

Can you think of times of prosperity in which you actually felt distracted by, or focused on, success, stability or pleasure, and consequently became more distant from God?  And conversely, can you bring to mind times of trial, suffering, or despair that drew you closer to God and led you to seek Him for comfort?

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