Last Words

My husband’s last words to me were, “Not goodbye.”

We were on a very brief video call with him before he was put on a ventilator. We hadn’t seen him or talked to him in weeks when they called to tell me we were about to get a FaceTime call to say goodbye.

Only I couldn’t bring myself to say goodbye. “I’m not strong enough,” I said. He signed, “I love you” with one hand while he pulled the oxygen mask off his face with the other, just long enough to say those final words: “Not goodbye.”

I’ve thought about those words so many times since that awful day. We do that, don’t we? We ruminate on the last words, the last time, the last touch… Sometimes, with regret; sometimes, with peace and hope.

I’ve come to realize Jeremy gave me a priceless gift with those last words. “Not goodbye” means this is just temporary. “Not goodbye” means I’ll see you again. “Not goodbye” means this is not the end of the story.

Today is Good Friday— a strange name for the day our precious Savior died. But when you consider that ALL things work together for good, I suppose this was the greatest good of all: the death that brought us eternal life!

So, this morning I’ve been ruminating on Jesus Christ’s last words. How much peace and hope they bring to the heart of a valley-walker who looks to the cross!

Think on the gift of these words:

• Demonstrating unconditional grace:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭34‬

• Fulfilling prophecy and encapsulating the horrors of sin’s consequence:

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭46‬ ‭‬‬

• Providing hope in death to the repentant sinner:

“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭43‬ ‭‬‬

• Assuring His mother’s earthly needs would be cared for:

When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭‬‬

• Reminding us of His humanity in this suffering:

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!””

‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭28‬ ‭

• Proclaiming the complete sufficiency of His sacrifice:

“It is finished!”

‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭30‬ ‭‬‬

• Entrusting life and death into the hand of the Father:

And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭46‬ ‭‬‬

What a gift to have these words recorded for us! What a love to be offered at such cost! What grace this day commemorates for all who call on His name!

One of Jeremy’s favorite songwriters was Andrew Peterson. Andrew wrote a song titled, “Last Words (Tenebrae),” which is a must-listen for Good Friday. (I’ll add it below.) Take four minutes to listen and ruminate on the last words of the One who loves you more than any human ever could.

It is finished, but not goodbye—because Jesus.