Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Boilerplate

I’m Harold Dykstra.  I’m retired, but I go to food bank distributions all over Tracy and talk to people that need someone who will listen to their story.  My time is well spent.  A police lieutenant suggested that I write down the conversations that I had with an angel.  I did not know she was an angel at the time.  The angel, for a little over a year, indwelled a life-sized posable action figure my children bought me, so that I would not be perceived as travelling alone.  And in a way, she was training me for what I do while talking to the needy.  She probed my heart to find out what I believed and how I express love for others.  She changed my life.

In her leaving, she said someone would come.  I had thought that was Jesus, in His second coming, but a new Babs, a little older, the model for the posable action figure arrived.  While I had no desire to start over with romance, Morrie helped her move in, thinking she was the other Babs who had returned.

This Week’s Question

Last week, Babs cooked a very good breakfast casserole.  We are going to make another one and bring it to Sunday school soon.

This week Babs was having one mishap after another.  The toilet clogged, but a plunger saved the day.  We had outdoor plans, but the skies turned black about lunchtime, and we had a monster thunderstorm.  Then, as we settled down to read a book, the power went out.

Babs growled, “This is supposed to be a Good Friday, but it certainly has been anything but.  Besides, it has always bothered me that we call the day Good Friday when Jesus died that day.  How is that Good?”

I said, “Babs, Jesus declared His victory over sin.”

Babs said, “He was dead.  How could He declare anything?”

I sighed, “Babs, He told the thief ‘Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”’ (Luke 23:43).  So, maybe Jesus died, and then went to Heaven all in the same day.”

Babs smiled.  “Harold, but Jesus rose on the third day.”

I laughed, “Okay Babs, He rose on the third day physically.  But that does not mean that Jesus did not go spiritually to Heaven.  Within the blink of an eye, we will be in God’s glory when we pass away.  Why would Jesus wait three days?  He waited three days to have His earthly body rise from the grave.  So, Jesus conquered sin and death on Good Friday, but He proclaimed them and proved He had done so on Easter Sunday.  We are so sensory specific.  It has to be what we see, but God is not bound by our senses.  Jesus’s physical body that was in the tomb did not rise until Sunday, but that did not mean Jesus was not true to His word that He and the thief would both be in paradise that day.  And since the Jewish day starts at sunset, note that the legs of the thieves were broken so they could be buried before sunset, but Jesus was already dead.”

Babs said, “Okay, Harold let’s start at the beginning.  What else did Jesus say from the cross that I might have missed?”

I shrugged, “Babs, that’s a great idea.  There are several musical compositions that go through the seven last sayings of Jesus on the cross.””

Babs giggled, “I listened to one on the internet.  All I can remember is the one that goes , ‘I am athirst.’  When I went back to search for that one, it kept saying one composer or another was not an atheist so obviously I was looking for the wrong thing.”

I asked, “That deep bass or baritone is usually from the Dubois version.  Maybe that will help you search.”

Babs sighed, “But, Harold, did we just have our first fight?  I said Jesus was dead, and you set me straight, really quickly.”

I said, “No, Babs.  We cannot get around Jesus saying the word, ‘today.’  So that’s my idea of what that means.  When we die, we will be in a new body of some sort.  Then when Jesus returns, we will be risen from the dead.  We will arise in our old bodies.”

Babs gasped, “But those bodies are nothing but dust and maybe some bone.  What about people who are cremated?  What about those buried at sea?”

I shrugged, “I talked with someone with naval experience, and he said those buried at seas disassociate into ions and could be scattered around the world.  But ‘The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.’ (Revelation 20:13).  But as for the dust and bones, ‘Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”  So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.’ (Ezekiel 37:4-8).  When God says so, it will happen.”

Babs said, “I can take that by faith.  But what did Jesus say on the cross first?  Or do we know?”

I said, “I am glad you caught that.  There are four Gospel accounts and only one quote comes from two accounts.  But the way that these musical compositions place them is the basic order everyone agrees with.  The comforting comment to the thief is the second one.  The first is ‘Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.’ (Luke 23:34).”

Babs nodded, “And that ties back to the Sermon on the Mount. ‘But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,’ (Matthew 5:44).”

I said, “That’s very good, Babs!”

Babs gasped, “Then you said that the comfort for the repentant thief is the second thing.  What is next?”

I asked, “Okay, the first two are fairly straightforward.  You have Jesus not wanting them to be held for what they were doing.  You have the banter between the thieves and Jesus.  All before any of them starts struggling for air.  And then, the third is in the same vein.  It’s from John. ‘When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home’ (John 19:26-27).”

Babs huffed, “I have wondered why Jesus called Mary ‘woman’ instead of ‘mother.’”

I smiled, “I have wondered that too.  I looked it up.  Jesus is not degrading his mother.  He is lifting her up as the mother of the One who would crush the serpent’s head. ‘And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”’ (Genesis 3:15).  And here as Jesus says that John is her son, He elevates Mary to the role of the new Eve, the mother of Christianity.  He does not deify His mother.  He is showing deep respect.  Jesus honored His mother to the end, and we all should.”

Babs smiled, “So, when you call me woman, you are showing deep respect.  I like that.”

I shrugged, “No, if I called you woman, it is probably because you irritate me.”

Babs gasped, “Harold!  We have not been married two months and I already irritate you?”

I sighed, “I haven’t called you ‘woman.’  Have I?”

Babs giggled, “Nope.  What’s next?”

I said, “Babs, now we come to Jesus lamenting that God has forsaken Him.  ‘About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)’ (Matthew 27:46).  And in Mark, it says, ‘And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)’ (Mark 15:34).  Now, did you notice the difference?  And if so, can you explain it?”

Babs scrunched her nose, “Harold, I think there is some goofiness in the translation because they both quote Psalm 22.  ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?’ (Psalm 22:1).  Jesus only quotes the first line of that verse, but the entire line fits.  Of course, we know why God turned His back.  Jesus was carrying all our sins: your few and my many.”

I said, “No, dear.  I have many sins.  Yours were rather public at one time, but we both have a lot of reasons to love Jesus.  And the goofiness is that Matthew was quoting Hebrew while Mark quoted Aramaic.  It isn’t incorrect, but to translate that verse into Aramaic, the closest letter to express it had to be used.  That is transliteration, not goofiness in translation.”

Babs laughed, “But it’s goofy to me.  I don’t know Hebrew or Aramaic.”  She blinked a couple of times.  She looked so cute when she did that.

I laughed, “But with Jesus quoting Psalm 22, we know that He is in agony.  It would not be long until His throat was parched.  ‘Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”’ (John 19:28).”

Babs sang in a low raspy voice, “I am athirst.”

I laughed.  “Babs, I think you could be a welcome addition to the church choir, but not in the men’s section.  But your silliness aside, what did the Roman guard do?”

Babs smiled, “He soaked a sponge in wine vinegar.  I looked this one up.  ‘They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.’ (Psalm 69:21).  The Romans were trying to prolong life, so that they could prolong the agony.”

I smiled, “I am glad you said it that way.  Indeed, the Romans did that, but then the next verse says, ‘When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit’ (John 19:30).  What did it say in verse 28?  Everything that needed to be done was finished.  The sin debt was paid.  All that was left was Jesus dying.  And then what does it say after He says ‘It is finished’? He gave up His spirit.  The Romans wanted to prolong His life, but Jesus had control over that.  His agony was over because the debt was paid.  And what happens when we die?”

Babs huffed, “Let me answer for a change!  You have been on a roll, answering your own questions.  When we die, our spirit and soul are given up.  They leave our body to be with Jesus.”  She leaned over and kissed me.

I sighed, “But there is one more.  John ended the story with the finishing of Jesus’ reason for coming to the earth, other than proving He had been resurrected on Easter.  Luke adds a different final word.  ‘Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last’ (Luke 23:46).  And don’t get up tight about the different endings.  These are eyewitness accounts.  At least, Luke interviewed eyewitnesses.  Jesus probably said this after His mother began to cry and John missed the last line while consoling her.  Now, we can kiss.”

Babs scrunched her nose again, “We’re married.  I didn’t think there was a procedure for kissing.”

I sighed, “The Bible study is over.  We can kiss longer in celebration.  Now, with Jesus saying ‘It is finished.’ He was proclaiming victory over sin.  Now we can kiss all we want.”

Credits

All these conversations remind me of my conversations with my wife.  We would talk about anything and everything.  And most of the time, it sounded like a discussion in a Sunday school class.

I remember one day in middle school. It was Good Friday and the sky became black with a thick cloud cover. I made a mental note that has stuck with me ever since.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.