Six Hours One Friday

by Max Lucado

  B. Reread the story in Luke 7:41–43. Write down the sins for which you have been forgiven—be sure to mention only those for which you have experienced God’s forgiveness.

  C. If you do not feel as if God has forgiven you for much, pray that he will make you sensitive to the sin in your life. If you feel that your sins are so terrible that a holy God could not forgive you, read this chapter again, putting yourself in the place of the woman.

  CHAPTER 10

  THE GOLDEN GOBLET

  MIND ANCHORS

  1. “The choice is hers,” the King instructed. “If she turns to us for help, that is your command to deliver her. If she doesn’t turn, if she doesn’t look to me—don’t. The choice is hers.”

  A. With help so near, why do you think the woman chose as she did?

  B. Why do you think God refused to send help unless the woman asked for it?

  2. “Their choice will be honored. Where there is poison, there will be death. Where there are goblets, there will be fire. Let it be done.”

  A. In your own words, describe the spiritual principle outlined in this passage.

  3. “I will taste the poison,” swore the King’s Son. “For this I have come. But the hour will be mine to choose.”

  A. What did the Son mean by, “I will taste the poison”? How was his “tasting” different from all those who had tasted before?

  B. What was important about the Son choosing the hour of his “tasting”? What is significant about the timing?

  4. “Here is the cup, my Son. Drink it alone.”

  God must have wept as he performed his task. Every lie, every lure, every act done in shadows was in that cup. Slowly, hideously they were absorbed into the body of the Son. The final act of incarnation.

  The Spotless Lamb was blemished. Flames began to lick his feet. . . .

  The King turns away from his Prince. The undiluted wrath of a sin-hating Father falls upon his sin-filled Son. The fire envelops him. The shadow hides him. The Son looks for his Father, but his Father cannot be seen.

  “My God, my God . . . why?”

  A. What one word would you pick to describe how the Son must have felt at the moment he drank the cup?

  B. Do you think an answer to the Son’s agonized question would have eased his pain? Explain your answer.

  5. A noise snaps the King from his dream. He opens his eyes and sees a transcendent figure gleaming in the doorway. “It is finished, Father. I have come home.”

  A. What emotional impact do these lines have upon you?

  B. What part of this story is most memorable for you? Why?

  SOUL ANCHORS

  READ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21.

  A. Who “had no sin”? What does this mean?

  B. How did this one “become sin” for us? What was the purpose?

  READ GALATIANS 3:13–14.

  C. How did Christ “redeem us from the curse of the law”? When did this happen?

  D. What was the purpose for Christ’s becoming a curse for us?

  E. How do we receive “the promise of the Spirit”?

  READ ROMANS 8:3–4.

  F. Why was the law “powerless” to bring us to God?

  G. How did God overcome this powerlessness?

  H. If sinful men are unable to meet the requirements of the law, how can they be saved (v. 4)?

  LIFE ANCHORS

  A. “The Golden Goblet” paints a picture of the spiritual warfare that raged in Eden, but that warfare continues all around us. Are you currently engaged in a spiritual struggle? What is it? Describe it to a friend and ask for prayer that you will embrace God’s help to win the battle. Ask to be held accountable.

  B. Pray that God will make you more sensitive to spiritual warfare and the power of prayer to defeat Satan.

  C. For more insight into spiritual warfare, read Counterattack by Jay Carty or This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti.

  CHAPTER 11

  COME HOME

  MIND ANCHORS

  1. Pride is made of stone. Hard knocks may chip it, but it takes reality’s sledgehammer to break it.

  A. In what sense is pride “made of stone”?

  B. Why is it hard for the proud to accept the gospel?

  2. His first few days of destitution were likely steamy with resentment. He was mad at everyone. Everyone was to blame. His friends shouldn’t have bailed out on him. And his brother should come and bail him out. His boss should feed him better, and his dad never should have let him go in the first place. He named a pig after each one of them.

  A. Is it easy for you to blame others for your own mistakes? Explain.

  B. What gave the young man satisfaction in naming a pig after each one of the people mentioned? Do you ever act like this? How?

  3. It is so familiar: Cries for help muffled behind costumed faces. Fear hidden behind a painted smile. Signals of desperation thought to be signs of joy. Tell me that doesn’t describe our world.

  A. In what ways does this describe your world?

  B. In what ways does this describe you?

  4. He was going home a changed man. Not demanding that he get what he deserved, but willing to take whatever he could get. “Give me” had been replaced with “help me,” and his defiance had been replaced with repentance.

  A. What factors helped cause this man’s transformation?

  B. Try to think of someone you know who has gone through a similar transformation. Describe him or her before/after.

  5. Jesus stretched his hands as open as he could. He forced his arms so wide apart that it hurt. And to prove that those arms would never fold and those hands would never close, he had them nailed open. They still are.

  A. What does the last phrase mean?

  B. What significance does this passage have for you?

  SOUL ANCHORS

  READ LUKE 15:11–32.

  A. What drove this young man to reconsider his way of living (vv. 14–16)? How is this story often replayed in the modern world?

  B. Compare what the young man says in verse 18 to what King David said in Psalm 51:4. What sentiment is the same in both?

  C. How does the father in verse 20 picture our heavenly father? Do you think it is a good picture? Why?

  D. Compare verses 18–19 with verse 21. Note which part of the son’s prepared speech gets left off. Why do you think the son was unable to finish the whole speech?

  E. Was the young man worthy of the treatment he received in verses 22–24? How is this scene a picture of grace?

  F. Have you ever felt like the older brother in verses 25–30? Explain.

  G. How is the father’s description of his son in verse 32 a good description of every Christian?

  LIFE ANCHORS

  A. For the next week or so, carefully monitor what you do when you catch yourself making a mistake. Do you own up to your faults? Are you critical of yourself, or do you tend to blame others? What sort of things do you say to yourself? Write down your observations and use them to guide your prayer schedule.

  B. Ask someone you trust to name which of the three characters in Luke 15:1–32 you most resemble. Have your friend describe what he or she sees in you that prompts that response. With this input, consider whether you need to make some changes in your behavior and attitude. Choose three things you can do to help make those changes.

  C. Take some time this week to think about how you believe God views your failures. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

  1. Do I have any failures from which I have never recovered?

  2. If I were to die and go to heaven today, what would Jesus say to me about my life?

  3. Can I see positive outcomes from my failures?

  D. For more insight into how you can change, read Inside Out by Larry Crabb.

  CHAPTER 12

  THE FISH AND THE FALLS

  MIND ANCHORS

  1. The fish swam to where the water crashed into the river. He attempted to swim upwards. He would ascend the falls by brute force. But the onrush o
f the water was too strong. Undaunted, he swam until he could swim no more, then he slept.

  A. How does this passage picture man’s attempt to reach God by unaided human strength? What is the outcome?

  2. But how do you not hear the yearning of your heart? How do you turn away from discovery? How can you be satisfied with existence once you’ve lived with purpose?

  A. How would you answer these questions?

  B. What purpose is there in your life?

  3. All of nature watched as the fish rode the wave of grace. All of nature rejoiced when he reached the top. The stars raced through the blackness. The moon tilted backwards and rocked in sweet satisfaction. Bears danced. Birds hugged. The wind whistled. And the leaves applauded. The fish was where he had longed to be. He was in the presence of the roar.

  What he couldn’t do the river had done. He knew immediately he would spend forever relishing the mystery.

  A. How is the scene depicted here like Jesus’ own statement in Luke 15:10?

  B. How is the wave like God’s grace? In what way is the fish like you? Where would the fish be without the wave? Where would you be without God’s grace?

  SOUL ANCHORS

  READ ROMANS 5:6–11.

  A. What word does Paul use to describe our inability to save ourselves (v. 6)? Why is this tough to swallow?

  B. For whom did Christ die (v. 6)? Who could be characterized like this?

  C. How does Paul try to get us to see the enormity of God’s sacrifice for us in verses 7–8?

  D. By what are Christians “justified” (v. 9)? How does this relate to the cross?

  E. From what will all Christians be saved (v. 9)? What makes this possible?

  F. How does Paul teach that people can go from being God’s “enemies” in verse 10 to “rejoicing in God” in verse 11? What does it mean to “rejoice in God”?

  LIFE ANCHORS

  A. Do you know anyone who is struggling to understand the concept of God’s grace? Do you know someone who has trouble believing that God’s acceptance and approval have nothing to do with our efforts? Who is that person? What can you do to be a picture of grace to him or her?

  B. Think through the gospel message as clearly as you can, making sure you identify all the major parts (see especially 1 Corinthians 15:1–11; Ephesians 2:8–9). Then “borrow” a child (not your own) from a close friend or neighbor and see if you can successfully communicate this message to him or her. Do a “debriefing” session afterwards to evaluate how you did.

  CHAPTER 13

  THE ELEVENTH HOUR GIFT

  MIND ANCHORS

  1. And now, one more beggar comes with a request. Only minutes from the death of them both, he stands before the King. He will ask for crumbs. And he, like the others, will receive a whole loaf.

  A. What are the “crumbs” this man asked for? What was the “whole loaf” he received?

  B. Why did the beggar receive such a great gift? How is this a picture of grace?

  2. It’s an inexplicable dilemma—how two people can hear the same words and see the same Savior, and one see hope and the other see nothing but himself.

  A. Describe a contemporary example of what this passage teaches.

  3. Lodged in the thief’s statement are the two facts that anyone needs to recognize in order to come to Jesus. Look at the phrase again. Do you see them?

  “We are getting what we deserve. This man has done nothing wrong.”

  A. Name the two facts that must be recognized in order for someone to come to Jesus.

  B. What makes these two facts indispensable for coming to Jesus?

  SOUL ANCHORS

  READ COLOSSIANS 1:21–23.

  A. Before the Colossians became Christians, what was their relationship to God (v. 22)? What areas of their lives were affected?

  B. Who made the first move toward reconciliation? What was his purpose in doing so (v. 22)?

  C. How did God accomplish this reconciliation? What was his purpose in doing so (v. 22)?

  D. How does one gain this new relationship to God (v. 23)?

  E. Paul says the gospel holds great “hope.” What hope in the gospel is there for you?

  F. What does Paul mean when he says that he has become a servant of the gospel? How can we follow his example?

  LIFE ANCHORS

  A. Who are the people God has placed in your life? Consider neighbors, friends, coworkers, relatives, and service people. What message of God’s grace do they hear from you? Why not decide today to make a conscious effort to tell one of these people the hope of the gospel? Plan out how and when you will do this.

  B. Think about someone in your life who has treated you poorly or unfairly. Now suppose this person has come to you to ask your forgiveness. What will you do? In order to answer honestly, ask yourself these questions:

  1. Am I a forgiving person—or do I hold grudges?

  2. Can I remember specific incidents when a person asked for my forgiveness? What was my response?

  3. Have I ever been refused forgiveness? If so, how might this affect my ability to forgive someone else?

  CHAPTER 14

  GOD VS. DEATH

  MIND ANCHORS

  1. At that moment I stopped looking at the names and stared at the monument. I relaxed my focus from the lettering and looked at the tablet. What I saw was sobering. I saw myself. I saw my own reflection. My face looked at me from the shiny marble. It reminded me that I, too, have been dying as long as I have been living. I, too, will someday have my name carved in a granite stone. Someday I, too, will face death.

  A. What circumstances or events prompt you to ponder your own death?

  B. What feelings do thoughts of your own death create in you? Why?

  2. Jesus unmasked death and exposed him for who he really is—a ninety-eight-pound weakling dressed up in a Charles Atlas suit. Jesus had no patience for this impostor. He couldn’t sit still while death pulled the veil over life.

  A. In what way is death an “impostor”? How is it “a ninety-eight-pound weakling dressed up in a Charles Atlas suit”?

  B. Why couldn’t Jesus “sit still while death pulled the veil over life”?

  3. If you ever want to know how to conduct yourself at a funeral, don’t look to Jesus for an example. He interrupted each one he ever attended.

  A. Why might this statement make you smile?

  B. What point was Jesus making by interrupting all these funerals? How was this important?

  SOUL ANCHORS

  READ HEBREWS 2:14–16.

  A. What two reasons are given in verses 14–15 for Christ’s becoming human and dying on the cross?

  B. How is it ironic that Christ’s death was God’s means of destroying the devil?

  C. How does death hold people in slavery? Does it hold you? Why or why not?

  D. Who is included in “Abraham’s descendants” (see also Romans 4:16–17; Galatians 3:26–29)?

  E. What advantage do redeemed men and women have over angels (v. 16)?

  LIFE ANCHORS

  A. One of the most exciting results of the gospel is that the Christian does not have to fear death. Death is an impostor. Take some time this week to delight in this truth. Look up 1 Corinthians 15:51–57. Meditate on these verses, asking God to let the wonder of his power over death encourage you.

  B. If, after reading this chapter, you realize you have some fears about your own dying, try some of these ideas to help fortify your faith:

  1. Talk to someone about your fears. Ask for help in sorting out the rational from the irrational. Make a list of those fears which you need to overcome.

  2. Find out the name of someone who has faced death and has experienced God’s peace. Ask the person how he or she feels and why. What can you learn from the person that would help you?

  CHAPTER 15

  FANTASY OR REALITY?

  MIND ANCHORS

  1. The followers of Jesus stop and step aside as the funeral procession shadows by. The blanket of mourning
muffles the laughter of the disciples. No one speaks. What could they say? They feel the same despair felt by the bystanders at any funeral. “Someday that will be me.” No one intervenes. What could they do? Their only choice is to stand and stare as the mourners shuffle past.

  A. Think of the last funeral you attended. What parts of this description fit what you saw there?

  B. Does it bother you to ponder your own mortality? Why?

  2. How would you feel at a moment like this? What would you do? A stranger tells you not to weep as you look at your dead son. One who refuses to mourn in the midst of sorrow calls the devil’s bluff, then shocks you with a call into the cavern of death. Suddenly what had been taken is returned. What had been stolen is retrieved. What you had given up, you are given back.

  A. Answer the questions in the first two sentences of the passage.

  B. How do you picture Jesus’ demeanor in this incident? How do you picture that of the disciples?

  3. Jesus gave the woman much more than her son. He gave her a secret—a whisper that was overheard by us. “That,” he says, pointing at the cot, “that is fantasy. This,” he grins, putting an arm around the boy, “this is reality.”

  A. In your own words, describe the secret Jesus whispered to the woman.

  SOUL ANCHORS

  READ LUKE 7:11–17.

  A. How did the Lord react when he saw this distraught mother (v. 13)? How is this typical of him?

  B. Did the Lord require the mother to exercise faith before he performed the miracle?

  C. The text doesn’t tell us, but what do you imagine the young man might have said after Jesus raised him from the dead (v. 15)?