The Playlist of Jesus

Do you have a favorite playlist? It’s that list that you go to in the airport, driving in the car, exercising, or just cleaning the house. I still think it’s cool that we can organize music, create unique playlists, and essentially carry 1,000 CDs around with us in our hip pocket. No one under 25 thinks it’s that cool, but I still do. Those of us who spent hours in our bedroom making a “mix tap” or trying to master the art of “high speed dubbing” will always appreciate the ease of the digital music revolution. Sam Goody’s, Camelot, and F.Y.E.…not so much.

You may not know this, but Jesus had a playlist. It was his go-to list of songs. I have been preaching through the statements that Jesus made from the cross in the“Red Letter Day” series. If we listen closely, we hear lyrics from his playlist: fragments of Psalm 22, 31, 42, and 69 are on his lips as he dies.

That’s the power of songs. Songs have a way of giving expression to the deep need of our souls. A good song can bring comfort, offer encouragement, and inspire us. Songs connect people and bring ideas together in a way that prose cannot.

Jesus quotes a lyric from Psalm 31 on the cross, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” It’s a song of simple trust, and at the same time is very profound prayer. Jesus had always committed his way to the Father. Now, in his moment of death, he once again offers himself to the Father’s care.

While we may not die on a cross, we will die. It’s a part of life. I’ve been beside people who have passed from this life to the next. Many times I've sung with the family as they usher a loved one into eternity. Even when mind and body fail, the songs of trust that we learn in worship stay with us. I’ll never forget the time a women who didn’t even know her name because of Alzheimer’s sang “Jesus Loves Me” just before she died. That’s the value of a good playlist.

Do you have the right playlist? Are you singing the right songs? Are you connecting with God in worship and Bible study? These are the things that teach us to trust so that when our time comes, we can pray with Jesus, “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” We will not have the confidence to commit our spirit to God in our moment of death, if we have not also committed our time, our ambitions, our money, our family, and our careers to the Father in life.

"Father, help us to surrender to you with every detail of our lives. Teach us your songs so that trust and faith might awaken in us."

Red Letters from the Cross

I got my first cell phone when I was a sophomore in college. I was one of the only kids on campus to have one. I remember trying to explain to my Grandpa why it didn’t have a dial tone. It was one of the first Nokia phones that was actually small enough to fit in your pocket, however, I bought a clip that enabled me to wear it on my belt. I was cool.

Here’s what I remember about that first cellular plan I had with GTE Wireless: for $49 a month I was able to talk to anyone in the 615 area code for 30 minutes. Long distance calls were .30 a minute, as was every minute over my allotted 30. Text messaging? What was that? Attached to my belt, was a device that enabled me to communicate with anyone in the country, but it was going to cost. I remember not using that phone a whole lot, but when I did my conversations were short, direct, and to the point. I did not have the money to waste words. I had to communicate that which was most essential in the shortest amount of time possible. 

I'm currently preaching a series on the last statements of Jesus from the cross entitled, "Red Letter Day." As we explore the “red letters” of Jesus from the cross, we see that Jesus is making his words count. The effort required of him to speak from the cross meant that what he had to say was extremely important. Although not as eloquent as the "Sermon on the Mount", these words from the cross teach us about the significance of this moment and allow us to peer into the very heart of God.

If you knew you only had a few hours to live, what would you say to your friends and family members? What message would you want them to hear? What memories would you want them to cherish? We could think of all kinds of flowery and elegant words to share with our loved ones, but our dying words will only be as significant as the life we have lived. No amount of eloquence on our death bed can redeem a life wasted on our own selfish pursuits. That’s what makes the “red letters” from the cross so special. They are validated by the kind of life Jesus lived. My prayer for the “Red Letter Day” series is that God will use it to help us live in such a way that validates what we say.