Lent.

A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

In talking to a friend who had recently lost a loved one, he remarked on how they had lived a good long life and didn’t suffer too much in the end. I agreed that it would be my preferred way to go, rather than to suffer a long and painful illness in the end. However, when it comes down to it there is no easy way to finish our lives. There is pain and sorrow for all involved in the loss of life. 

When Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice, he suffered greatly. His last words could be taken many ways: his life was ending, his ministry was ending, his suffering was ending. But he was also declaring an end to the need for sacrifice and pain as a means to commune with God. He made the sacrifice for us. Jesus finished his life by giving it up for you and me. What a gift he has given us! This Good Friday, when we mourn the sacrifice and suffering of Christ, let us be thankful that it was finished with love.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, our hearts are heavy with the remembrance of your sacrifice.  Thank you for the pain and suffering you endured because of love. Amen.

Today’s devotional was written by Rev. Nathan Irwin and read by Ryan Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.