3:98 – The Third Act

#faithbites #faithjourney #holyweek third

Most stories have three acts: the beginning, the action or middle, and the end of the story. We won’t talk about the denouement.

When we are young, most of us think about our three acts. Being young, growing up and having kids, and retirement. In each of those we have goals for ourselves. What many parents realize is we don’t have a third act really. Our third act is making sure our kids are successful. That we prepare them for them for the future.

As we are in Holy Week, we are seeing the end of Jesus’s second act (his ministry), and the beginning of his third, death and resurrection.

If we look at Jesus’s third act, it isn’t about him, it’s about us. He uses his last act to make sure we are successful by reconnecting us with God.

Scripture

• I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20
• By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. – 1 John 3:16
• For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, – 1 Peter 3:18

Reflection

Jesus’s final act in his earthly form was to die for us. He didn’t look for glory in his final days or do something for himself, he did it for us. Why? Because he loved us. Christ suffered for us, died for us, and brought us salvation.

What can we learn from His example? Jesus wasn’t thinking about himself but was setting us up for success. Similarly, we can use our third act not for selfish gains, but to setup others for success. Let us turn our attention away from material gains and what we can accomplish for us but let’s use our third act for Him.

Challenge

How will you spend your third act? What does it look like to you?

Prayer

Lord, you give us so much to live for. We are all one family. Help us in whatever act of our life we are in to focus not on selfish gains, but on you and trying to emulate you. We love you and give you all the glory and praise. Amen.