The account of Mark and Matthew reveals how Jesus cried out to God. Luke presents how He forgave His killers, reassured the thief, and commended His spirit to the Father.
In John, He spoke to his mother; He said He was thirsty and He also said, “It is finished” as He declared the end of earthly life. The article examines 2 major lessons from the cross, looking at the angles of the Bible and characters.
The incident of Jesus’ last moment on earth stressed four major themes which actually are crucial Christian virtues: forgiveness, hope, responsibility and commitment. We have discussed forgiveness and hope; in this article, we shall discuss responsibility and commitment.
A. Another Lesson from the Cross is Responsibility
Here, we see Jesus coming to the end of His earthly ministry. He was hung on the cross and was about to give up the spirit. Standing at a distance were His close family relations – His mother, Mary, His mother’s sister, Mary, the wife of Cleopas and Mary Magdalene.
These were people who had seen Him working diverse miracles and had talked with him in and out. They have related with him at a close range. And of course, He had cared for them all the way.
Now, it was obvious Jesus would no longer be with them. They were going to be separated permanently. At that point, Jesus transferred the responsibility of caring for His mother to the disciple whom He loved (talking of John, the beloved).
It is interesting that the Bible carefully notes (read 19:27). There is no record that John the beloved gave any excuse or refused to take responsibility.
Responsibility as the price of greatness
One of the keys to fulfilling your destiny is the readiness to take responsibility. Actually, the price of greatness is responsibility.
Your ability becomes conspicuous when you are ready to take responsibility. Naturally, we have been conditioned to blame something outside of ourselves for the parts of our lives that we do not like.
We blame our parents, our bosses, our friends, the media, our co-workers, the weather, the economy, and our lack of money – anyone or anything we can pin the blame on. We never want to look at where the real problem is.
When you make an excuse for not making progress, you are more or less like the person described in Ecclesiastes 11:4.
A lot of us backed out of pursuing our dreams because the situations and circumstances around us are not favourable. Know, however, that you may not be able to change yourself in a way that influences your environment positively.
This entails personal transformation; it requires that you do not conform to the pattern of the world (Romans 12:1-3). If you want to create the life of your dream, then you are going to have to take responsibility for your life as well.
That means giving up all your flimsy excuses, your victim stories, your blame games and all the reasons why you cannot and why you have not up till now. You have to give them all up forever!
Reasons people don’t take responsibility.
Fear: Fear has torment; it cripples its victims and slows down their pace towards achieving their God-given destiny. You were born with a capacity for greatness, but you must take steps to actualise it.
Fear is one thing that will not allow you to take giant steps in life, maximise your potential and impact your generation; Numbers 13, 14, Judges 7:3.
Ignorance: Some people are ignorant of who they are and what they can do. This was very clear in the life of Gideon, a hero of the Old Testament.
While God saw him as a mighty man of valour, Gideon saw himself as the least in his family and incompetent to carry out the assignment God placed on his shoulders (Judges 12-15).
Laziness: Laziness is the under-utilisation of one’s ability and potential. It amounts to an inability to make use of every opportunity at one’s disposal. This is reflected in the life of the servant who was given one talent in the parable of Jesus in Matthew 25:14-7. The master called this servant wicked and lazy.
Crave for titles: The reason some people do not take responsibility is that they have not been given a title, which they feel will empower them to do what God has anointed them to do. Until they have acquired some titles, credentials and portfolios, they will refuse to make meaningful contributions and maximise their potential.
Expectation of others: We can and should expect people to do what God has equipped (anointed) them to do, but we should free them from unrealistic expectations that often take them outside their anointed zones.
Entanglements (2 Timothy 2:4): Sometimes, we get so entangled with unnecessary life affairs that we neglect things that really matter.
Areas of Responsibility
- Responsibility to God
- Responsibility to Humankind
- Responsibility to Self
- Responsibility to the Church
Conclusion
Life is all about taking responsibility. God expects us to demonstrate an attitude of diligence as we walk with him in discharging our God-ordained purpose and duty here on earth. It is only those who can take responsibility who will be on top in the affairs of life. I encourage you to begin to dare to face ur fear.
B. Another Lesson from the Cross is Commitment
The passage for our consideration today records the last words of Jesus on the cross. It was a moment of pain and anguish of soul for Him. Yet he was able to pray, committing his soul into the hands of God.
Jesus looked up to God to the end; he did not give up even in the face of death. His commitment was so strong and visible that the centurion who was standing saw it and exclaimed, “Certainly this was a righteous man.” (Luke 23:48).
We cannot run away from moments of trial, sickness, pain, betrayal, fear and disappointment. In fact, Jesus himself said that we will face many tribulations in this world, but we should be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).
Actually, one of the cardinal requirements of discipleship is the ability to deny oneself, take up one’s cross and keep following the Master (Luke 923). Therefore, our focus in this study will be to know what it means to remain committed to Christ even when things are not favourable, especially in our moments of suffering.
1. There are Gains in Pains
Christians must learn to maximise their moments of pain so that they can convert them to gain. Obviously, God is at work in any seemingly bad situation to bring out the best in it. Without the cloud turning dark, the beauty of the stars would never be conspicuous.
There are several biblical characters who went through moments of pain, but they worked through them to perpetuate His own purpose. God uses pain more often than other things to motivate, persuade, inspire, instruct, chasten, and mature people.
The Lord can use pain, problems, and predicaments for the greater good of His church. His kingdom and His purposes around the world. In your time of pain, your commitment is very important.
2. Biblical Characters whose Pains Turned to Gains
Job’s life: God used in Job’s life to correct many mistaken beliefs about his own rights, expectations, assumptions, relationships, health, prosperity, controls, family, friends, faults and securities. The Lord wonderfully used pain in Job’s life to purify him of anything that would keep him from becoming the best of what the Lord wanted him to be (Job 42 1-10).
Esther’s life: God used pain in the life of Esther to preserve the nation of Israel from the wicked plots of Haman. Esther’s example is a beautiful illustration of the reality that no person is an island; no one walks alone. We are members of the body of Christ that share one another’s pains, sorrows and problems. By risking her own life, Esther was able to save her people from destruction and bring blessings to many.
Paul’s life: God used pain in the life of Paul to chasten, refine, reprove, humble, love, purify, instruct, evangelise, work miracles, and to help him identify with Christ in all aspects of life and perspectives (2 Corinthians 12 7-10). We all have our thorns in the flesh, be it physical, spiritual, emotional, psychological, cultural, social, financial, interpersonal, historical, political, or educational. God gives each of us a measure of pain to keep us humble and to keep us trusting in Him rather than in ourselves.
Christ’s life: God even used pain in the life of Jesus Christ to make Him an everlasting example of endurance, love, commitment, sufficiency, courage, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, purity, success and joy in the midst of sorrow. Jesus was able to become the supreme example of how to use painful experiences to conform us into His image. All these personalities were not discouraged by the severe pains they experienced; they were committed to the end.
3. God’s Promise of Abiding Presence
God spoke through Isaiah a long time ago, assuring His people of His abiding presence. Read Isaiah 43:1, 2) “Fear not…” This is a very powerful promise from God, the Most High, to His people, the Israelites, and by extension to those of us who have received Jesus as our Lord.
Looking at that promise, you will discover that the prophet deliberately used the word “When” and not “if”. This implies that moments of pain, frustration, attack, disappointment, and suffering will definitely come, but we have immunity from God that such moments will not overwhelm us.
Therefore, believers must anchor their faith on this assurance when they encounter difficult times and learn to commit their lives to God always.
4. Look unto Jesus
When Christians go through moments of pain and suffering, they must learn to look unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2, 3). Believers must learn and agree that we have been called to follow Christ not only in
good times but also when things are rough and hard. Jesus experienced both, a nd He ultimately died a shameful death, the death on the cross (Philippians 2:8), but he learned obedience through what He suffered.
It is very easy to give up and look for an easier path when things are hard. However, this will not glorify God ultimately, and our faith will remain dwarfed. Nevertheless, when we allow our faith to be tested through fire, it develops the capacity to withstand all kinds of pressure.
Conclusion
We have a different cross to carry, and we must learn to deny ourselves and follow Jesus Christ. Resist the temptation of comparing your suffering to others, as Jesus Christ told Peter, “If I want John to remain… (John 1:22). God has called each of us uniquely from different backgrounds and circumstances. He is chipping away the rough edges of our lives to produce a beautiful diamond that will reflect His glory. Our commitment to Him and His course is what guarantees that we will eventually become what He has in mind for us. Read further on this page.
