If I knew the exact time, day, year and hour when I would die, I certainly would be in preparation mode. At my age, I should have thought about things like wills, final wishes for my funeral, songs I wanted sung, a burial place, a prepaid funeral. With a lifetime of ups and downs, those things should be of the greatest importance, right?

If God was your Father and He sent you on a mission to take on human flesh, live as one of us, observe life in all its forms and never sin – if He ordered you to suffer brutally at the hand of the Roman government, have yourself exposed to crowds of mockers, liars, and those who one week prior were hailing you as the King of the Jews – if He expected perfection of you as the unblemished lamb to sacrifice for the sins of all people – if you knew this was your destiny – how would you fill your final days?

Jesus knew His time on earth was coming to an end. His disciples were still in the dark about His real purpose. All the events that were to follow on that first Maundy Thursday would only add to their confusion. They’d run away from Him. One would betray Him and another deny Him before the night was over. Before all this happened Jesus tried to explain what was about to happen. He spent His final weeks as He had all along, by healing people physically as well as spiritually. He preached to monumental crowds who were eager to hear His message of hope. He provided for those who came by feeding them with an impossible meal. In other words, He followed His orders to completion and did so willingly because of His love for us. He served as a perfect example for us to follow.

He became a slave by washing the feet of His disciples. He served them the final meal they would share together before His death. He told them what was about to happen, because He is God and knew precisely what the course of the final days would be.

This is what our King Jesus wants us to do. We’re not to lord it over others with our Christianity. We’re to become like Him, serving in humility. So how would you react if you knew the time of your death before it came? Would you give up and just wait for it to happen? Would you begin a marathon of wild and reckless behavior – eat, drink and be merry? Would you get your affairs in order so your children don’t have that responsibility? Jesus knew every detail of His death. He also knew the outcome of that sacrifice. He was fulfilling God’s promise of salvation for all humanity. He knew it would be worth the price.

Live every day as if it were your last, because we don’t know when our final hour will come – but live it with the promise fulfilled that you have been purchased and won by Jesus, God’s own Son. With that in mind, continue living by sharing God’s amazing grace with others. His will is done!