Tetelestai

Jesus. 

My friend. 

My rock. 

My fortress. 

It hurts for me to think about this day. 

The day my friend was beaten and scorned. 

I can hear them yelling, “Crucify Him!” 

I can see the pain and hurt in His eyes. 

His body weak and fragile. 

The smell of blood and dust filling the air. 

The day he took up his cross. 

He carried it upon His back, until he could no longer. 

Sweat and blood dripping down his body. 

My Savior, being ridiculed and spat upon. 

Can your hear the cries amongst the laughter? 

The day he was nailed upon a cross for all to see. 

I can see Him hanging there. 

The weight of every sin and shame heavy upon his shoulders. 

When the time comes, he asks for a drink.

I can taste the sour wine they pressed to his lips. 

As he pushes up, with one last breath,

he yells with everything he has left, “tetelestai”! 

Jesus proclaims, “It is finished”!

The Last Supper

When I think about the last meal Jesus had with his disciples I picture the season we are in now. Normally this story is told around Easter since it takes place right before Jesus’ crucifixion. I would typically write about being thankful or the countless blessings that God has freely given me. But I am sitting here, and I keep going back to that day. I picture Jesus sitting at a table as his people, his village, surround him. These were the people that he did life with. They followed him everywhere he went. They watched leapers be healed. They saw the dead come alive. They witnessed the blind opening their eyes for the first time. They saw the lame take their first steps. And here they were. Gathered around a table communing and fellowshipping with one another. 

The Passover was one of the most important feasts on the Jewish calendar and all the Jewish men were expected to go. This was a time for them to remember and celebrate the deliverance of Israel to Egypt. Jesus was so excited to spend this day with his brothers. He already knew this would be the last meal he shared with them. I can see everyone laughing and talking. Sharing memories and stories with one another, much like we will do in a couple of days. And I picture Jesus sitting and soaking it all in. He knew what was coming. He knew he was about to die a gruesome death. He knew he was going to be betrayed. He knew that his friend would deny him three times. Then, he stands up and takes the bread in his hands and starts to tear it apart. He says this is my body. Then he holds up the wine and says this, this is my blood. Take it, and remember me. I don’t think the disciples knew what to expect when they arrived to the upper room. I don’t think the disciples could have known the painful revelation this night would turn into. I can’t imagine being a disciple and hearing these words come out of Jesus’ mouth. I can barely read the story of the crucifixion without tears streaming down my face. 

The story of our redemption breaks me every time. The truth is, Jesus was willing to go to the cross. He went to the cross, not for him, but for us. And because Jesus died on the cross we get to experience the power of grace. And through grace we find joy. And through joy we find thankfulness. And through it all, we find Jesus. My prayer is that as we spend our holiday at tables surrounded by “our people” that we would remember this day. That we would remember, in the midst of the chaos, where our true joy and hope comes from.

Gifts of Grace

Grace. This word seems to be reigning on my heart lately. 

Giving it. 

Receiving it. 

To myself and others. 

I enjoy words. Probably a little too much. Studying them and the beautiful meanings behind each and every one. I also love new words. I have an ever-growing list of words I find, whether it be in blog posts or books. I will take these words and study them for hours. Each one holding such power and value. While grace is no new word for me, it is one that holds such purpose in my life. Grace. It is what makes up my innermost being. I was created by grace. I am loved through grace. My identity was made in the presence of grace. Everything I am, tied to this beautiful, four-letter word, grace. 

This word was translated into English from the Greek word, found over 150 times in the new testament, Charis. This word is defined as “unmerited favor”, “virtue coming from God”, or “a state of sanctification” Oh, my beautiful friends, are we not so loved? When I think about this love, the love that Christ has for us, it never fails to leave me in awe. I will never understand a love so deep and vast. It goes beyond my humanly mind. It is crazy to think this is exactly how he intended it to be. He designed my mind to where I will never be able to fully understand him. He designed us to where He will always be beyond our comprehension. Oh, the wondrous awe of Christ. 

As I began studying this word, this word that is at the threshold of all that I do, I sat in awe of the beauty and love that Christ had and will always have for us. A word, whose purpose is ultimately the same, and yet so diverse and abstract to each and every person’s life. Christ freely invites us into the realm of grace. He invites us into His presence where sin no longer holds power. Our mistakes, they are clean. Our sin, it is no more. Our chains are broken and we are set free. He changed the period to a comma because the story wasn't over. The story still isn't over.

We get one. One life. One life to choose to live and breathe and laugh and dance in the face of all the circumstances that come your way. We get one life to squeeze your people tight every chance we get and tell them that we love them. Let’s take this this beautiful gift of grace and run. Let’s love more, laugh more, sing more, dance more, and be more. And let’s do it all in the beautiful name of our Jesus. How great is it to be caught in the grace that bounds us together? We are all walking each other home and soaking up these beautiful moments.

Feast at the Table

I love fall mornings where I can sit outside, sip on a warm cup of joe, and simply spend time being romanced by our Creator. As I sit and watch the leaves that have already began to change colors and fall delicately upon the now cool ground, I can’t help but think of the seasons that fill my own life. It is during these rapidly changing seasons of life that I have watched my time with Jesus look as a vast collection of different ways. Some mornings I lay in the middle of my floor desperate to feel the arms of Christ wrap around me while others I will light candles and play worship music while I simply adore the one who deserves all the adoration I could give. For the past week, I have been reading through Lisa Bevere’s devotional, Without Rival. This morning, I want you to hear the words that held me frozen captive this morning: 

"Far too many of us are satisfied with a revelation of God that is best described as, ‘crusts and crumbs.’ We are content to listen to sermons, tune in to podcasts, issue “likes” on Facebook and Instagram posts, and retweet the leftovers of another person’s banquet. There is nothing wrong with any of these, but in comparison to the feast God has for you, they are but crusts and crumbs. The truth is that God wants you to feed on His faithfulness. There is a vast difference between talking about God and listening to a God who talks to you.” -Lisa Bevere 

Ouch! That one hurt. That one hurt deep because I am so guilty of feeding off the leftovers from someone else’s banquet. Is anyone else with me here? I will fan-girl over Christian authors and bloggers, while clearing my schedule to make time to hear and follow the beautiful lives they are living, before ever pulling up a seat to indulge in the feast God has already prepared for me. 

I love how Lisa addressed that none of these things are wrong! It is not wrong to listen to sermon podcasts and to have Christian women in leadership who you look up to and admire. Where we often go astray, where I go astray, is when I start letting the scraps and leftovers from someone else’s banquet become the only interaction I have with Jesus that day. He wants us. He wants you and me. And, he has an open seat waiting for us to come and commune with him at the table of the feast he has prepared for each and every one of us. Let’s stop being content with the crust and crumbs left from other people’s glorious feasts and spend time at the feet of Jesus today.