2 or 3 Together - Good Friday's 3 Words

At 3:00pm on Friday, over two thousand years ago… Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

– John 19:30  

When was the last time you walked into a room and were met with icy, unwelcoming stares and silence? Isn’t it awful to discover someone you thought liked you, actually feels the opposite way?

We’ve all felt the powerful sting of rejection and know what it feels like to be hated. Imagine, then, the whirlwind of emotions Jesus must have felt on the cross; rejected and hated by the people He had come to save, and feeling forsaken by the God who had sent Him. 

Can we even begin to understand what Jesus endured for us?

Jesus’ own people screamed, “Crucify! Crucify!” Soldiers flogged Him, striking His face and placing a crown of thorns upon His head, tearing into His scalp. He was stripped of clothing and forced to carry His own cross up the hill. The mocking sign fastened to Jesus’ cross, “King of the Jews,” brought even more rage and rejection. The Jewish leaders argued to have the sign removed because He wasn’t their King. They just wanted Him gone forever.  

From noon until 3:00pm, darkness fell over the Earth while Jesus hung on the cross. Hanging there for hours in pain, He never stopped loving. He looked down at His dear mother, Mary, and gave her into the hands of His beloved disciple, John. For the rest of Mary’s life, John would take care of her as his own family.

When Jesus had done everything to fulfill the scriptures, the Savior of the World spoke three simple words, “It is finished,” hung His servant’s head, and breathed His last breath. 

In response to His amazing sacrifice, wouldn’t it seem fitting to utter our own three words, “Thank you Jesus!”

2 or 3 Together Questions:

• Think of time you were rejected or uninvited. Share how you responded to this challenging time.

• Step into the shoes of Jesus’ mother Mary or His best friend John. How do you think they felt as eyewitnesses to Jesus’ death?

• Imagine the pain and suffering Jesus endured for those hours on the cross. If you could have talked to Him right before 3:00pm, what would you have said?

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank you for being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement