His Last Words


Book Description

Imagine knowing you only have several more hours to live. Picture the faces of your loved ones gathered around you. Allow the emotions to rise up in your heart. What would you say? John 13–17 records Jesus’ last words to the disciples before His death, revealing what was most important to Him. When we study those words and prayers today, we enter deep into the heart of Jesus and come away changed: overwhelmed by the love of God, inspired to follow Him, and empowered to spread the gospel. His Last Words is an 7-week Bible study that plumbs the depths of Jesus’ final teachings to the disciples. It features: A verse-by-verse study of John 13–17 and portions of John 18–21 Five lessons each week, one set aside for reflection and prayer Discussion questions for small groups Two weeks for review, reflection, and application and more Jesus’ last words are words of eternal life—powerful and full of love. If you’ve been longing for more intimacy in your relationship with God, more meaning in your life, and more boldness in your witness, His Last Words will draw you into just what you need: the Word of God.




The Seven Sayings of Jesus on the Cross


Book Description

Who of us can possibly imagine the excruciating pain of being crucified? But further, who would imagine that in the midst of this ghastly punishment that brings on unrelenting headaches and mental disorientation, a crucified man would actually give thought to the needs of others? This book explores in detail the nature of crucifixion and then invites the reader to listen in stunned silence to the amazing seven sayings of Jesus of Nazareth while hanging on the cross, as he focuses his attention on others in the first three sayings, and only then on his own distressing situation. His last four sayings give expression to his utter spiritual and physical anguish and conclude with a cry of victory and then a cry in which he commits himself to God.




Cross-Shattered Christ


Book Description

In Cross-Shattered Christ, theologian Stanley Hauerwas offers a moving reflection on Jesus's final words from the cross. This small and powerful volume is theologically poignant and steeped in humility. Hauerwas's pithy discussion opens our ears to the language of Scripture while opening our hearts to a truer vision of God. Touching in original and surprising ways on subjects such as praying the Psalms and our need to be remembered by Jesus, Hauerwas emphasizes Christ's humanity as well as the sheer "differentness" of God. Ideal for personal devotion during Lent and throughout the year, Cross-Shattered Christ offers a transformative reading of Jesus's words that goes directly to the heart of the gospel.




The Hope of Glory


Book Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham explores the seven last sayings of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels, combining rich historical and theological insights to reflect on the true heart of the Christian story. For Jon Meacham, as for believers worldwide, the events of Good Friday and Easter reveal essential truths about Christianity. A former vestryman of Trinity Church Wall Street and St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, Meacham delves into that intersection of faith and history in this meditation on the seven phrases Jesus spoke from the cross. Beginning with “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” and ending with “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit,” Meacham captures for the reader how these words epitomize Jesus’s message of love, not hate; grace, not rage; and, rather than vengeance, extraordinary mercy. For each saying, Meacham composes an essay on the origins of Christianity and how Jesus’s final words created a foundation for oral and written traditions that upended the very order of the world. Writing in a tone more intimate than any of his previous works, Jon Meacham returns us to the moment that transformed Jesus from a historical figure into the proclaimed Son of God, worshiped by billions.




Seven Words


Book Description

While many of us naturally wish to avoid the reality of the cross, it’s from the cross that Jesus speaks and shows his deepest love for us. It’s from the cross that Jesus' full humanity draws us closest to him. It’s from the cross, as Jesus breathes his last breath and speaks his last words, that his deep trust in the Father and his divine glory are revealed. Those who listen to Jesus' last words from the cross will discover what he most wants them (the world) to hear and will experience an intimate and divine awe only available to those who are willing to draw near his cross. In Seven Words, Susan Robb looks at the seven last words of Christ on the cross through a lens that finds life and hope in his final sayings, while exploring each from a biblical and historical perspective. The book brings a hopeful and contemplative take on the cross during the weeks of Lent. Additional components for a six-week study include a DVD featuring Susan Robb and a comprehensive Leader Guide.




The Risen Christ


Book Description

Jesus' words from the cross are not Jesus' last words on earth. Jesus appeared to his fearful and questioning disciples, encouraged them, and gave them his final instructions after his resurrection from the dead. In various settings and at different times, Jesus interacted with many of his followers to show them he was alive. His post resurrection dialogues with these women and men truly are Jesus' last words! You may have questions or doubts about faith. You may have discussed spiritual topics or talked with others about Jesus. You may sometimes feel religiously locked into past concepts or socially locked out from people-even embarrassed or fearful about how others perceive you and your spiritual beliefs or questions. You may wonder, Can Jesus really impact my life? Through these Bible studies, you will meet the risen Jesus Christ and hear his words. May he encounter you in your life situations, encourage your faith and trust in him, and excite you about engaging others in discussions about Jesus.




Considering the Cross


Book Description




Seven Last Words


Book Description

“Spiritually rewarding and uplifting.” — Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York New York Times bestselling author and editor at large of America magazine Father James Martin reveals how we can turn to Christ completely in mind, heart, and soul. Martin offers a portrait of Jesus, using his last words on the cross to reveal how deeply he understood our predicaments and shows us what it means to be fully human. Each meditation is dedicated to one of the seven sayings: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” “Woman, this is your son” . . . “This is your mother.” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” “I thirst.” “It is finished.” “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” With the warmth, wisdom, and grace that infuse his works, Father James Martin explains why Jesus’s crucifixion and death on the cross is an important teaching moment in the Gospels. Jesus’s final statements, words that are deeply cherished by his followers, exemplify the depth of his suffering but also provide a key to his empathy and why we can connect with him so deeply.




The Seven Last Words from the Cross


Book Description

For at least a century, at special three-hour services on Good Friday, it has been the custom in many churches to reflect on the Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross. In this tradition, Fleming Rutledge here presents seven eloquent meditations on these final sayings of Jesus. Rutledge links the sayings from the cross with contemporary events and concerns, but also incorporates recent biblical scholarship and modern questions about the death of Christ, particularly in light of Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ. Rutledge shows how each word or saying from the Cross affords an opportunity for readers to gain a deeper understanding of the horrific death suffered by Jesus. Intending for this book to lead readers into a genuine devotional experience, Rutledge has made every effort to evoke and preserve the contemplative atmosphere of the three-hour Good Friday memorial. The book includes frequent references to hymns associated with this special day, and each meditation ends with an appropriate hymn text for personal prayer and reflection.