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Greetings, Actually this is the most beautiful expression of total trust and surrender. Batach--to be so secure as without fear. The point that the Holy Spirit revealed to me is that all of Jesus earthly life He walked in the Spirit, speaking what His Father told Him to, spent quality time with The Father that He had such an intimate perfect relationship with The Father that when it came time for this last total surrender He was able to do so. Without fear.

Greetings, This is the first lesson that I have replied to immediately after reading, studying...Wow this lesson is full of many questions and wisdom for our daily walks! I make notecards for each lesson, this one is full! The victory shout---that is why Jesus asked for the drink! Not a whimper of defeat but a shout of victory! I love that statement....so often it is taught to us that He gave up...NO...instead He completed His mission!! Most of us understand this concept at a much, much, much lesser degree of suffering through the time and effort to make a good book report, training for an athletic event, etc....and when we finish oh boy, do we shout and feel the relief and the excitement of accomplishment at the same time! What we learn in daily lessons, devotions, messaged from our Pastors is looking at what all Jesus taught and did along the way of His ultimate goal...NOT FORGETTING HIS PURPOSE...yet ministering and teaching with every oppportunity possibly available...that teaches me that the focus and endurance are so very critical... Recently, I have embraced somewhat the words and attitudes of people that are close to me. Telling me that what I do dont really matter...no one really cares...such statements...then throught this lesson the Holy Spirit reminded me that i am to do what I am called to do...till the ground, plant and water the seeds...it is up to God to cause the increase...write all the devotions that come to me and send them out....that is my part... MOMENTUM......in the prayer...that is what I am pondering today.\ Thank You for this Lesson

Greetings, This particular lesson still has more for me to learn. I have been 'chewing' on it for a lil while. Possible, the Holy Spirit is teaching me something about myself in this one. So far I have gathered these thoughts. Jesus desire to complete everything according to scripture---His willingness to prepare Himself to speak out His next words--by ASKING for help from the soldiers...the ones who were there to make sure that all went according to schedule..Our Help comes from God..and oftentimes He prepares others to be the ones by whom the blessings, needs, helps will come through..it is a pride issue on our part to be looking for one answer and all the while God is answering in His way...And oh, the mercy of that soldier...He helped Jesus.

Greetings, The questions of faith, commitment, love...then the application. The phrase 'temporary loss of contact' is very powerful to me. We feel this to a point in our flesh and maybe in our spirits...but can we really understand the agony Jesus must have felt when God had to turn His face away? All Jesus words came from the Father. The very breath of His life came from the Father. Abandonment. Isolation. Yes we do feel this at times-then and mostly then do we 'draw' strength from our past experiences-our faith, confidence in our Father to sustain us until we can see, hear, feel again. KNOWING THAT WE WILL. I remember the thoughts that motivated my prayers when my husband spent 3 weeks in a coma. All the choices, decisions and challenges I had to face were made by thinking 'what would he say about this?' In spiritual matters, that is how we must be with God. All of us face severed connections in teh blink of an eye. What is most critical to me is that our fellowship with God must be most important 'first'...this connection is the only one that has the power to sustain us. His Word living in us...

Greetings, This lesson really got me to pondering about my parents in more specific ways. I believe John got a grasp on --walking in love--that Jesus was teaching His disciples. He even wrote about it all through his gospel account and in 1 John. Jesus needed to know that His Mother would be taken care of proplerly. He is still teaching us His ways even in this difficult time. And John was the one who stood by Him to the very end.

Why is the thiefs faith so astounding in this situation?-it amazes me that his hope and faith and belief in who Jesus is caused him to step out from what all the others were doing and speak the truth and also to ask for Jesus to [remember] him. All the others at the foot of the cross must have surely been loud and demanding that what they had to say came from what they saw....in the natural...and the other thief listened to them....but this one saw through the eyes of faith...and that was the truth that set him free and claimed a promise that only Jesus could make! Our Savior was still about His Fathers business in the most horriblest of conditions... What did the thief receive that day? Salvation, pardon, eternal life with God!!! Wow what and awesome exchange took place in the last moments of both of their lives! What do you think this meant to Jesus? oh, I could write forever on this one because it is very personal to me in that all I have inside of me to give that I have learned---I so desire for it to be recieved as God places people in my life to love, encourage, minister to, teach...Seeds that have been sown into this mans life had now come alive and caused his eyes to be opened to know and believe who Jesus is and make that confession with his mouth at this critical time, the end of his life. This miracle had to comfort Jesus to some degree that while in agony someone stood up for him and defended him in front of all those many who were trying to tear down his soul. Thank You Father for loving Your Son and providing a situation where He could see hope and comfort during His time on that cross. I just loved this statement made in this study. "Already darkness is falling over the whole land, and yet a dying thief believes!"---------------amazing faith and promise

Yes, I address Jehovah as my Father. His Spirit is within me to help me by teaching me, instructing me, guiding me, correcting me....My Father speaks to me also. In order to have fellowhship with God one must acknowledge and understand Who He Is and who we are....all this is made available to us because of the most marvelous love of our Jesus... Who was most responsible for killing Jesus? As I read and pondered each particular group mentioned in the study it became clear that all were part of what was originally prophesied long before as Jesus destiny...to be the Savior of the World...According to God's timetable and all the conditions were as previously in the Old Testament spoken the choice was made and Jesus followed through with the eternal sacrifice that was required for the sin of all the people of the world. He had to have been able to see past the moment to where we are now just as He prayed for us in John 17. His prayer of faith that all He taught the disciples would <through the Power of the Holy Spirit> be taught and received to build the Church He died for and will one day return for.