Part 1 of an interview with Robert J. Nash, Author of Last Words

Jesus’s words in Scripture capture who he was and what he was about. His last words spoken on the cross, in the midst of immense suffering, were full of forgiveness, hope, and compassion—perhaps even more so than any other words he spoke on Earth. In Last Words: Seven Sayings from the Heart of Christ on the Cross, Robert J. Nash offers a fresh perspective on the obedience of the cross, revealing the heart of God who sent his Son to die. (Read the full interview here.)   Q: What inspired you to write your first book, a book about the last words of Christ on the cross? Back in 2003, I was attending a small church that had a Good Friday service, which was new to me. My wife and I walked into the old stone church. It was dark outside and in. Taking our seat in the sanctuary, everyone on stage wore black. The songs were set to a somber tune. Hymns such as “Oh the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus” filled the air. Then, the pastor preached a fantastic message on the death of Christ. He brought us into Holy Week. Year after year, he would revisit this message in much the same manner. The effect was always the same. Powerfully solemn as it reminded listeners of the extent of Christ’s suffering. I began to think the church needs more of this. I read John Stott’s book, The Cross of Christ. I read more books about the cross by other authors (e.g., Bridges, Vincent, Piper, and Lucado). The more I read, the more I saw the church had not spent enough time talking about Christ’s words. The books that did talk about his words seemed too academic and esoteric. The thought of writing a book grew in my mind. Over a decade later, in 2014, I began a series of messages annually on Good Friday covering one saying of Christ on the cross at a time. People responded positively. Some thought I should publish these reflections. I went to work in the mornings, vacations, and spare time in 2017 to put these messages and ideas down on paper in a way that is absent in the church today. Q: Each of the seven sayings you focus on in Last Words has one key word. What are those seven words? The seven words I highlight as chapter headings are: forgive, today, behold, why, thirst, finished, and Father. They flow from the subsequent sentences Jesus spoke as he hung on the cross two-thousand years ago. They capture a bit of what we gain from these crucial words. Mark tells us that the Roman soldiers crucified Jesus at 9:00 AM, Friday morning. Jesus hung there till 3:00 PM (Mark 15:33). That meant he hung there for six hours. He died not of blood loss, but asphyxiation. Each breath was painful and costly. That makes anything he said, in my mind, even more vital for us to notice. The Gospel writers and Jesus thought what he said was important enough for them to write these words down. Q: Today, we see the cross as a beautiful symbol of what Jesus did for us and our hope of salvation, but what did the cross mean in Jesus’s day? The cross had a very different feel for the ancient than it does for us. We often miss the original meaning. It was a vehicle of torture, not decoration. The Romans meant the cross to be humiliating, painful, and prolonged. I have heard it was the worst way to kill a person. In Galatians 3:13, Paul quoted Deuteronomy 21:23, reminding the church that being strung up on a tree made into a cross was a curse. You would never see people wearing a cross necklace in Jesus’s day. It would be offensive and out of place. Jesus took that curse on the cross. He wrote, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.’” Jesus took that curse for us. I hope that good news drips from every page of Last Words. Q: Looking at the first phrase you explore, why did Jesus ask his Father to forgive his executioners? I would argue he asked it to demonstrate his heart. Ironically, he was willing and desirous to extend mercy to his captors and killers. They, on the other hand, had shown no mercy. They didn’t even have a case against him. They had to set him up and try him at night. His conviction was a farce. He had no defense attorney nor a formal hearing. So, for Jesus to ask the Father to forgive his murders shows that he is so far above them morally. This first word gives us a framework to approach those who have wronged us. Jesus blazed a way of forgiveness and mercy. He was living out his teaching. Can you imagine? If we are honest, as witnesses, would we have been any better? Would we have stood by and let this happen? Christ sought forgiveness not only for those who actively took part in his execution, but to all who lent their support by being passive. To pursue forgiveness in these circumstances was not only a model but, most importantly, an expression of love and mercy as well. Jesus seeks us at the cross.   Q: The second chapter focuses on “today.” How does Jesus talking about “today” then apply to us today? The focus word of this saying could also be “Paradise” or “with me.” I like the word “today” because of its immediacy. In the next few minutes, possibly hours, Jesus would be in Paradise with this thief. There will be relief from this horrible reality they were suffering together. What do we know about this criminal? Nothing. He was a convicted robber. That is it. I suppose we know one other thing; he had enough faith to rebuke the mockery of Jesus and ask Jesus to remember him. Here is a man who never experienced a believer’s baptism. He never went to confirmation. He never walked an aisle, signed a card, or raised his hand to accept Christ as his Savior. He didn’t speak in tongues, nor was he baptized in the Spirit. He was not a member of a local church. Now, don’t get me wrong. Those are good things. However, if what he had was faith in Jesus, that was what he needed, and it was enough. His faith was not in himself, but Jesus, who remembered him that day. In those moments, Jesus offered him a gift, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” That is encouraging to me. Counter to the DIY (do it yourself) culture, the thief made it to Paradise solely by relying on the man they called the King of the Jews. Paul teaches that this is true for us as well. He wrote to the Ephesian church that it is by grace we have been saved through faith, not works (Ephesians 2:8–9). Q: What is the greater significance behind John 19:26–27 when Jesus says, “Woman, behold, your son!” then, “Behold, your mother!”? In John 19, I think we get to see another side of Jesus. He was a son, as well as the Son. Mary was his mother. He loved her. He cared for her. He wanted her cared for. Consequently, he asked his friend and follower, John, to take care of her. Jesus was also a friend and a teacher. Although John bailed on Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, he was still someone Jesus cared about. Jesus was a friend too. He gave his friend a task to do, to watch over his mother. Jesus, in return, gave Mary as his surrogate and spiritual mother to John. There is something powerful about moms. This act of giving Mary to John was an act of a good shepherd taking care of his disciple. This parallels the care God has for us followers as well. Amid tragic injustice and pain, Jesus was thinking of others. That can be an encouragement to us today. Learn more at robertjnash.com. He can also be found on Facebook (Robert J. Nash) and Twitter (@RobertJNash1).  Last Words: Seven Sayings from the Heart of Christ on the Cross By Robert J. Nash January 27, 2020 / Retail Price: $13.99 Print ISBN: 978-1-64507-040-5 RELIGION/Christian Life/Spiritual Growth

About the author

Robert J. Nash grew up in a family of doctors in Rochester, Minnesota, and thought his life would follow the same path. He went to Wheaton College planning to pursue medicine but left with a heart for pastoral ministry. Following college, he worked in youth ministry and pursued a Master’s of Divinity degree from Bethel Seminary. While working on his degree, he served as a chaplain at Bethesda Hospital and met his wife, Katie. Since that time, the Nashes helped plant a church in Minnesota before moving to Michigan to pursue full-time ministry. Nash currently serves as a pastor at Sawyer Highlands Church in Southwest Michigan. He has a heart for missions and has traveled to several countries for short-term mission trips. Rob and Katie have six kids that he enjoys coaching in baseball and soccer.  He also loves teaching, reading, running, and traveling with his family. Learn more at robertjnash.com. He can also be found on Facebook (Robert J. Nash) and Twitter (@RobertJNash1).