By Ronald E. George Jr.
Our 2005 WVU mountaineers Basketball team have made it
to the final eight. This is the
first time since 1959 that our team has reached the elite eight.
All the Basketball teams in the country have been eliminated to the
final eight. These are the best and the most important teams in all the
country. Our team has risen to
the occasion and been able to go all the way from being a team on the bubble
to one of the top eight teams in the country.
It all boils down to this.
Have you ever heard of a man by the name of Ode Coombs?
Ode was a retired coal miner in my first church in Sutton WV.
He was one the saints there that helped me to learn what being a pastor
of a church was all about. I have
never forgotten the final words that Ode said to me.
Ode was dying of emphysema and black lung. Each of his words came from his heart with much labor and
agony as he struggled for each breath on the last day of his life.
He called me to come to his house because he was unable to travel.
He wasn’t bed fast but each breath required the use of an oxygen
tank. He hadn’t called me to
come to his house to comfort him, but he had called me to give me his final
testimony. He spoke of heaven and
what it must be like. He told me
that he had been to a funeral one day and had heard an old preacher say that
we all preach our own funerals by the lives we live. One man cannot preach another man’s funeral.
By Ode’s final words I knew what kind of a man that this was. It all
boils down to this. He was a man
who knew Jesus and was looking forward to meeting Him face to face.
I have never forgotten.
What were the final words of our Lord
and Savior from the cross? Why
is it so important that we study these final hours and actions of our Lord?
It all boils down to these. This
is it. These are the final seven. I
hope you get it.
I.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Luke 23.34
Jesus was all about loving others
(unconditionally) no matter who
they are or what they have done. Is
this what we are about in the church? Have
you forgiven others?
II. “Verily
I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise”
Luke 23.43
Jesus
was about hope beyond this life for all who believe. Do you have His hope that He gave to the thief on the cross.
Although he wasn’t able to be baptized or become a member of your
church he was still given the promise of eternal life in paradise with the
Lord. Do you have this promise?
Have you believed in Him who hung on your cross?
III. “Woman,
behold thy son. Behold thy mother.”
John 19.26-27
Jesus
was about taking caring of family and honoring God by honoring others.
He made sure that he took care of the priorities in the His life.
He honored his mother by making sure that John would take care of her
after He was gone. He was about
others. Because this is what His
Father is all about. Are we?
Do you honor others?
IV. “My
God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27.46
Jesus
was about doing the Father’s will. He
prayed not my will be done but yours. He
was a man who felt the pain of crucifixion which the pain and payment of sin.
He experienced spiritual death as the Father forsook His one and only
Son for the sin of the world. He
became sin who knew no sin so that we may become His righteousness.
He was willing to follow. Are
we? Have you followed Jesus?
V. “I
thirst”
John 19.28
Jesus
was a man who experienced the most cruel death humankind has ever devised.
He died this death because it was the worst death possible for a man to
experience. Jesus was a man who
was thirsty as He experienced the spiritual thirst that all have.
He was thirsty so that your thirst could be quenched.
Have you quenched your thirst in the living water?
Have you drank from His well?
VI. “It
is finished”
John 19.30
Jesus
had completed the task set before by His Father. A Bridge must be built that could allow everyone who will
ever be born the opportunity to cross from death unto life. A bridge that would take people from a life of sin,
corruption, disease, death, and destruction to a possible life of
righteousness, life, forgiveness, hope, and eternal peace.
Have you crossed that bridge? He
said it is finished for you. Have
you crossed over?
VII. “Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit” Luke 23.46
Jesus
had always put His spirit and His life into the hands of the Father.
What had the Father done to him that would make him willingly give His
life and spirit into the hands of a Father who would let Him die?
He had faith for us all that the Father knew best.
Even though it may not seem to be the best, He had faith to believe
that it was. He gave his life to
the Father which meant that He would die.
He died for you and for me, because it was the Father’s will. Would we commend our will to the Father’s will?
Would we commend our life to the Father’s hands?
Would we give our spirit to the Father?
Easter:
What is it all about?
There was a certain Professor of Religion
named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the
Western United States.
Dr. Christianson taught the required survey
course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was
required to take this course freshman year regardless of their major.
Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to
communicate the essence of the gospels in his class, but he found that most of
his students looked upon the course as just drudgery. Despite his best
efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.
This year, Dr. Christianson had a special
student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with
the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was
well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the
starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the
professor's class.
One day, just before Spring break, Dr.
Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.
"How many push-ups can you do?"
Steve said, "I do about 200 every
night." "200? That's
pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. Do you think you could do
300?"
Steve replied, "I don't know... I've
never done 300 at a time."
Do you think you could?" again
asked Dr. Christianson.
"Well, I can try," said Steve.
"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I
have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets
of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do
it," said the professor.
Steve said, "Well... I think I
can...yeah, I can do it."
Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I
need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."
Friday came and Steve got to class early and
sat in the front of the room. Then class started, the professor pulled out a
big box of donuts.
No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts,
they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls.
Everyone was pretty excited, it was Friday, the last class before Spring
break, and it looked like they were going to get an early start with a party
in Dr. Christianson's class.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the
first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these
donuts?" Cynthia said,
"Yes."
Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve
and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a
donut?"
"Sure." Steve jumped down from his
desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr.
Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.
Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next
person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?"
Joe said, "Yes."
Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you
do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups,
Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten
pushups for every person before they got their donut. And down the second
aisle, till Dr. Christianson came to Scott.
Scott was on the basketball team, and in as
good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for
female companionship. When the
professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"
Scott's reply was, " Yes, but I can do my own pushups."
Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to
do them." Then Scott
said, "Then, I don't want one then."
Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked,
"Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't
want?"
With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten
pushups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"
Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my
desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't
want it." He put the donut on Scott's desk.
Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down
a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too
much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little
perspiration coming out around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the
third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.
Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do
you want a donut?" Sternly,
Jenny said, "No." Then
Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so
Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did
ten....Jenny got a donut.
By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled
the room. The students were beginning to say "No" and there were all
these uneaten donuts on the desks.
Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these
pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the
floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of
the physical effort involved.
Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the
most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make
sure he did the full ten
pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all
of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so
Robert could count he sets and watch Steve closely. Dr. Christianson
started down the fourth row.
During his class, however, some students from
other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the sides of the
room. When the
professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34
students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make
it.
Dr. Christianson went on to the next person
and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really
having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.
Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each
one?"
Dr. Christianson thought for a moment,
"Well, they're your pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them
any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer
student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students
yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't
come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him
come."
Professor Christianson said, "You realize
that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him?"
Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."
Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out
of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"
Jason, new to the room hardly knew what was going on. "Yes,"
he said, "give me a donut."
"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that
Jason can have a donut?" Steve
did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was
handed a donut and sat down.
Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, then
started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking
with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity.
Sweat was profusely dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was no
sound except his heavy breathing, there was not a dry eye in the room.
The very last two students in the room were
two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson
went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a
doughnut?" Linda said, very
sadly, "No, thank you."
Professor Christianson quietly asked,
"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she
doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow
pushups for Linda.
Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl,
Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face,
began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"
Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said,
"No, Steve has to do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in
charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they
want it or not.
"When I decided to have a party this last
day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve, here is the only student
with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or
offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when
a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could
come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and
I made a deal for your sakes.
"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so
Susan can have a donut?" As
Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had
accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms
buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said.
"And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the
Father, 'into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding
that He had done everything that was required of Him, he yielded up His life.
And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk,
uneaten."
Two students helped Steve up off the floor and
to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. "Well done, good and faithful servant," said the
professor, adding "Not all sermons are preached in words."
Turning to his class the professor said,
"My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches
of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave
Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we
choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid. Wouldn't you
be foolish and ungrateful to leave it
laying on the desk?"
Share this. It touches the heart and reveals
Salvation in a very special way.
Have a very blessed Easter!