Lasts of Jesus
In our human lives, we often leave things unsaid and undone when we die. Sometimes death comes swiftly and unexpectedly, leaving us with no opportunity for proper good-byes. Other times we are fully aware of its nearness but lack the energy or ability to do the things of utmost importance to us or the people we are leaving behind.
But, as fully God, Jesus knew that His life was coming to an end. He was in the prime of His life, fully capable of conveying important messages and performing final acts of love. As the final hours of His life ticked by, we see Jesus spending precious moments eating a last supper with His disciples and stooping to teach them a final lesson about servanthood. We watch Him praying and healing. And ultimately choosing to walk the way of the cross—with its betrayal, abandonment, injustice, mockery, torture, and death. We hear His anguished cries from the cross. And watch His bruised and broken body, wrapped in burial cloths and laid into a tomb.
Being fully God, this was all intentional.
Leaders can check out some helpful information on guiding small group sessions here:
Week 1: Last Teaching
Week 2: Last Meal
Week 3: Last Healing
Week 4: Last Steps
Week 5: Last Words
Week 6: Last Action
Conclusion
In one of the most surprising twists in the story that God is writing over the world, the lasts of Jesus become firsts. The end becomes a new beginning.
Jesus brought the kingdom of God near, setting in motion the re-creation of the world. And His act of unconditional, sacrificial love on the cross enabled and emboldened his disciples to carry on His plans after He was gone.
The disciples who experienced their teacher and Lord, kneeling before them as a foot-washing servant, go on to give their lives in service to God and others. They will walk difficult steps to bring the healing touch of Jesus to those in need. They will give themselves over to the Father’s plans, even when it costs them their lives.
And that final Passover meal with Jesus, which we ironically call the Last Supper, becomes the first of many such meals of bread and wine to be consumed by His followers in remembrance of Him. A practice that continues in our churches today.
But the lasts of Jesus have an impact far beyond the disciples in His inner circle. Many Bible scholars believe that Malchus, the servant of the High Priest, and Simon of Cyrene, who helped to carry the cross, both become followers of Jesus. Otherwise, they say it’s unlikely that these names would be considered important enough to include in the gospel accounts.
And there are some other astounding firsts. One of the criminals being crucified beside Jesus is the first to see His kingdom as something other than an earthly concept. With them both on the brink of death, he still believes that Jesus will one day rule a kingdom and asks to be remembered in it. Similarly, the centurion presiding over Jesus’s death is the first to recognize Him as the Son of God.
Then, of course, most astounding is the fact that the grave cannot hold Jesus. He conquers death, becomes the first in resurrection, and makes eternal life possible for all who will believe in Him.