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.