THE SEVEN WORDS OF JESUS ON THE CROSS

Christ Jesus died on the Cross to redeem mankind, to save us from our sins because of his love for us. As recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Holy Bible, Jesus Christ was mocked, scorned, and tortured in the praetorium. He carried his cross up the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem to Calvary, was nailed to the Cross and hung between two common criminals, and suffered an indescribable end, recalled by the Church on Good Friday of Holy Week. One may meditate on the Passion of Christ by reflecting on his Seven Words on the Cross or by a devotion known as the Way of the Cross. When religious pilgrimages to the Holy Land ended with military occupation of

Jerusalem in the Middle Ages, a popular devotion known as the Way of the Cross arose during Lent retracing the Passion, Crucifixion, and Death of Jesus. The fourteen Stations of the Cross are (1) Pilate condemns Jesus to death; (2) Jesus takes up his Cross; (3) He falls the first time; (4) Jesus meets his sorrowful mother Mary; (5) Simon helps carry the cross; (6) Veronica cleans his face; (7) He falls the second time; (8) Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem; (9) He falls the third time; (10) Jesus is stripped of his garments; (11) Jesus is nailed to the cross; (12) Jesus Christ dies on the cross; (13) He is taken down from the cross; (14) Christ is laid in the tomb. Here are his Seven Words, the last seven expressions of Jesus Christ on the Cross recorded in Scripture.

THE FIRST WORD

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
Gospel of Luke 23:34 Jesus is looking down from the cross just after he was crucified between two criminals. He sees the soldiers who have mocked him, scourged him and tortured him, and who have just nailed him to the cross. He probably remembers those who have sentenced him - Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, Pontius Pilate, and Herod. But is he not also thinking of his Apostles and companions who have deserted him, to Peter who has denied him three times, to the fickle crowd, who only days before praised him on his entrance to Jerusalem, and then days later chose him over Barabbas to be crucified? Is he also thinking of us, who daily forget him in our lives? Does he react angrily? No! At the height of his physical suffering, his love prevails and He asks His Father to forgive them! Right up to his final hours on earth, Jesus preaches forgiveness. He teaches forgiveness in the Lord's prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us" (Matthew 6:12). When asked by Peter, how many times should we forgive someone, Jesus answers seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22). At the Last Supper, Jesus explains his crucifixion to his Apostles when he tells them to drink of the cup: "Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:27-28). He forgives the paralytic at Capernaum (Mark 2:5), and the adulteress caught in the act and about to

be stoned (John 8:1-11). And even following his Resurrection, his first act is to commission his disciples to forgive: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:2223).

THE SECOND WORD

"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Gospel of Luke 23:43 Now it is not just the religious leaders or the soldiers that mock Jesus, but even one of the criminals, a downward progression of mockery. But the criminal on the right speaks up for Jesus, explaining the two criminals are receiving their just due, whereas "this man has done nothing wrong." Then, turning to Jesus, he asks, "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). What wonderful faith this repentant sinner has in Jesus - far more than the doubting Thomas, one of his own Apostles. Ignoring his own suffering, Jesus mercifully responds with His second word. The second word again is about forgiveness, this time directed to a sinner. Just as the first word, this Biblical expression is found only in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus shows his Divinity by opening heaven for a repentant sinner - such generosity to a man that only asked to be remembered!

THE THIRD WORD

"Jesus said to his mother: "Woman, this is your son." Then he said to the disciple: "This is your mother."
Gospel of John 19:26-27 Jesus and Mary are together again, at the beginning of his ministry in Cana and now at the end of his public ministry at the foot of the Cross. What sorrow must fill her heart, to see her Son mocked, tortured, and crucified. Once again, a sword pierces Mary's soul: we are reminded of the prediction of Simeon at the Temple (Luke 2:35) . There are four at the foot of the cross, Mary his Mother, John, the disciple whom he loved, Mary of Cleopas, his mother's sister, and Mary Magdalene. He addresses his third word to Mary and John, the only eye-witness of the Gospel writers.

But again Jesus rises above the occasion, and his concerns are for the ones that love him. The good son that He is, Jesus is concerned about taking care of his mother. In fact, this passage offers proof that Jesus was the only child of Mary, because if he did have brothers or sisters, they would have provided for her. But Jesus looks to John to care for her. St. Joseph is noticeably absent. The historic paintings, such as Tondodoni by Michelangelo and The Holy Family by Raphael, suggest Joseph was a considerably older man. St. Joseph had probably died by the time of the crucifixion, or else he would have been the one to take care of Mary. Early Christian traditions and the second-century apocryphal Protoevangelium of James held that Joseph was a widower, and his children by his former wife were the "brothers and sisters of Jesus." Another striking phrase indicating Jesus was an only child is Mark 6:3, referring to Jesus: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" Now if James, Joses and Judas and Simon were also natural sons of Mary, Jesus would not have been called the "son of Mary," but rather "one of the sons of Mary."

THE FOURTH WORD

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 This was the only expression of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. Both Gospels related that it was in the ninth hour, after 3 hours of darkness, that Jesus cried out this fourth word. The ninth hour was three o'clock in Judea. After the fourth Word, Mark related with a horrible sense of finality, "And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last" (Mark 15:37). One is struck by the anguished tone of this expression in contrast to the first three words of Jesus. This cry is from the painful heart of the human Jesus who must feel deserted by His Father and the Holy Spirit, not to mention his earthly companions the Apostles. As if to emphasize his loneliness, Mark even has his loved ones "looking from afar," not close to him as in the Gospel of John. Jesus feels separated from his Father. He is now all alone, and he must face death by himself. But is not this exactly what happens to all of us when we die? We too are all alone at the time of death! Jesus completely lives the human experience as we do, and by doing so, frees us from the clutches of sin.

His fourth Word is the opening line of Psalm 22, and thus his cry from the Cross recalls the cry of Israel, and of all innocent persons who suffer. Psalm 22 of David makes a striking prophecy of the crucifixion of the Messiah at a time when crucifixion was not known to exist: "They have pierced my hands and my feet, they have numbered all my bones" (22:16-17). The Psalm continues: "They divide my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots" (22:18). There can not be a more dreadful moment in the history of man as this moment. Jesus who came to save us is crucified, and He realizes the horror of what is happening and what He now is enduring. He is about to be engulfed in the raging sea of sin. Evil triumphs, as Jesus admits: "But this is your hour" (Luke 22:53). But it is only for a moment. The burden of all the sins of humanity for a moment overwhelm the humanity of our Savior. But does this not have to happen? Does this not have to occur if Jesus is to save us? It is in defeat of his humanity that the Divine plan of His Father will be completed. It is by His death that we are redeemed. "For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all" (I Timothy 2:5-6).

THE FIFTH WORD

"I thirst."
Gospel of John 19:28 The fifth word of Jesus is His only human expression of His physical suffering. Jesus is now in shock. The wounds inflicted upon him in the scourging, the crowning with thorns, and the nailing upon the cross are now taking their toll, especially after losing blood on the three-hour walk through the city of Jerusalem to Golgotha on the Way of the Cross. Systematic studies of the Shroud of Turin, as reported by Gerald O'Collins in Interpreting Jesus, indicate the passion of Jesus was far worse than one can imagine. The Shroud has been exhaustively studied by every possible scientific maneuver, and the scientific burden of proof is now on those who do not accept the Shroud as the burial cloth of Jesus. "He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.

By his wounds you have been healed." I Peter 2:24.

THE SIXTH WORD

When Jesus had received the wine, he said,"It is finished;" and he bowed his head and handed over the spirit.
Gospel of John 19:30 It is now a fait accompli. The sixth word is Jesus' recognition that his suffering is over and his task is completed. Jesus is obedient to the Father and gives his love for mankind by redeeming us with His death on the Cross. The above painting is meant to capture the moment. What is the darkest day of mankind becomes the brightest day for mankind. And the Gospels as a group captured this paradox. The Synoptic Gospels narrated the horror of the event - the agony in the garden, the abandonment by his Apostles, the trail before the Sanhedrin, the intense mockery and torture heaped upon Jesus, his suffering all alone, the darkness over the land, and his death, starkly portrayed by both Matthew (27:47-51) and Mark (15:33-38). In contrast, the passion of Jesus in the Gospel of John expresses his Kingship and proves to be His triumphant road to glory. John presents Jesus as directing the action the entire way. The phrase It is finished carries a sense of accomplishment. In John, there is no trial before the Sanhedrin, and gone are the repeated mockeries and scourging. But rather, Jesus is introduced at the Roman trial as Behold your King! (John 19:14). Jesus is not stumbling or falling as in the Synoptic Gospels, but the way of the Cross is presented with majesty and dignity, for Jesus went out bearing his own Cross (John 19:17). And in John, the inscription at the head of the cross is pointedly written Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews (John 19:19). The inscription INRI at the top of the cross is the Latin Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum. The loved ones of Jesus are with Him, and He decisively gives his Mother Mary to the disciple who loved him. When Jesus died, He "handed over" the Spirit. Jesus remained in control to the end, and it is He who handed over his Spirit. One should not miss the double entendre here,

for this may also be interpreted as His death brought forth the Holy Spirit. The Gospel of John gradually reveals the Holy Spirit. Jesus mentions living water in John 4:10-11 when he meets the Samaritan woman at the well, and during the Feast of Tabernacles refers to living water as the Holy Spirit in 7:37-39. At the Last Supper, Christ announces he would ask the Father to send "another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth" (14:16-17). The word Advocate is also translated as Comforter, Helper, Paraclete, or Counselor. "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you" (14:26). The symbolism of water for the Holy Spirit becomes more evident in John 19:34: "But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water." The piercing of his side fulfills the prophecy in Zechariah 12:10: "They will look on me whom they have pierced." The piercing of Jesus' side prefigures the Sacraments of Eucharist (blood) and Baptism (water), as well as the beginning of the Church.

THE SEVENTH WORD

Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."
Gospel of Luke 23:46 The seventh word of Jesus is from the Gospel of Luke, and is directed to the Father in heaven, just before He dies. Jesus recalls Psalm 31:5 - "Into thy hands I commend my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God." Luke repeatedly pleads Jesus' innocence: with Pilate (Luke 23:4, 14-15, 22), through Dismas (by legend), the criminal (Luke 23:41), and immediately after His death with the centurion" "Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, "Certainly this man was innocent" (Luke 23:47). John's Gospel related that it was the Day of Preparation, the day before the actual Passover (Pesach in Hebrew, Pascha in Greek and Latin), that Jesus was sentenced to death (19:14) and sacrificed on the Cross (19:31). He died at the ninth hour (three o'clock in the afternoon), about the same time as the Passover lambs were slaughtered in the Temple. Christ became the Paschal or Passover Lamb, as noted by St. Paul: "For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed" (I Corinthians 5:7). The innocent Lamb was slain for our sins, so that we might be forgiven. Jesus fulfilled His mission: "They are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his

blood, to be received by faith" (Romans 3:24-25). The relationship of Jesus to the Father is revealed in the Gospel of John, for He remarked, "The Father and I are one" (10:30), and again, at the Last Supper: "Do you not believe I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works" (14:10). And He can return: "I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father" (16:28). Jesus practiced what He preached: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

Home Mary The Bible

REFERENCES 1 The Revised Standard Version of The Holy Bible. Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2005. 2 Bishop Fulton J Sheen. The Seven Last Words - The Message from the Cross. Garden City Books, Garden City, New York, 1952. 3 Pope John Paul II. The Redeemer of Man - the encyclical Redemptor Hominis, Pauline Books and Media, Boston, March 4, 1979. 4 Ignace De La Potterie. The Hour of Jesus - The Passion and the Resurrection of Jesus. Alba House, Staten Island, New York, 1989. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, Third Part - The Passion of Christ. Translation by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province, 1920. Christian Classics, Allen, Texas. 6 St. Alphonsus Liguori. The Way of the Holy Cross. Mother of Our Savior Publishing, Pekin, Indiana, 2007. 7 O'Collins, Gerald. Interpreting Jesus. Geoffrey Chapman, London, and Paulist Press, Mahwah, New Jersey, 1983.

Jesus Sixth Word from the Cross: Victory

Posted by Ula on April 21, 2011 in Bible Theme Studies, God, God's Promises, Life, Love, Obedience, Salvation, The Character of Jesus Christ

Suggested Reading: John 19:30 It is finished As Jesus said these words, it becomes abundantly clear that He was fully aware of His surroundings. Pain and suffering may render people delirious and they may drift in and out of consciousness because of their agony, but these words of Jesus confirms that He was in complete touch with reality. Even in His last words He reflected wisdom, power and a sharp mind, regardless of His excruciating pain. He remained composed in mind in spite of the fact the multitudes mocked Him and despite the fact that His hands and feet were nailed to a cross. There may be those who dont see any value in these words from Jesus lips but there is a multitude of treasures locked up in them and we will now look deeper into these: The Son of God became fully human. He lived a perfect and selfless life. Despite this, He was despised and rejected by many. He personally experienced sorrow and pain. He knew the agonies of grief. He had many enemies and few friends and even these deserted Him when they perceived the danger they are placing themselves in by being associated with Jesus. He was delivered into the hands of those who hated Him. He was brought before religious and secular courts. He was clothed so that they could mock Him and then they stripped Him in shame. Although He was declared innocent He was crucified. After enduring all this and more, He finally cries out, It is finished. All the prophecies and promises were now accomplished in Jesus. He finished it all.When He said, It is finished, the whole book from the first to the last, in both the law and the prophets, were finished in Him. It is wonderful that a mass of promises and prophecies and types were all accomplished in one Person! There is and never was another person in the history of mankind that could meet all the requirements and fulfil all the prophecies, except the Man Christ Jesus. God previously spoke through His prophets, but now we see everything completed in Jesus Christ. Everything spoken before is summed up in Jesus Christ. Jesus fulfilled all the sacrifices of the law and His substitution death explains them all to us. Prior to Jesus sacrifice the high priest had to make a sacrifice for sin, year after year. It never stopped. It was never enough to make atonement for the sins of the people. But now, our High Priest has made a perfect sacrifice for sin, once for all. When Jesus said, It is finished, His perfect obedience was also finished. He was fully obedient to God in His life and now He completed that obedience even in His death. He was prepared to lay aside His life for the

glory of God and for the salvation of godless people. God demonstrated His love for us in this that while we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. Christ didnt die for perfect people. God didnt just say He loves us. He demonstrated His love with an action. That action was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Not even hell can make any further accusation against Jesus Christ. He was obedient even to the point of death on a Cross. Crucifixion was the punishment of despised criminals. That was how low Jesus was prepared to bow in order to reconcile us with our God. It is finished also meant that the justice of God was fully satisfied in Him. Christ has paid the debt that all the torments of eternity could not have paidChrist has done what all the flames of the pit could not do in all eternity. No matter how long we were punished, we could never fully satisfy Gods judgment against sin. Yet, in Jesus Christ, Gods justice was fully satisfied. Jesus sacrifice fully destroyed the power of sin and He fully destroyed the father of lies, namely satan. Sin nailed Christ to the Cross, but Christ took sin with Him to the grave. Christ destroyed sin. Now our Lord Jesus, the Champion of our faith, has taken captivity captive. Today He stands with the keys of death at His waist. Death where is thy sting! Jesus finished the Old Covenant and laid it aside and brought in the new, better and eternal Covenant. The words Thou shalt was replaced by I will I will give you a new heart. I will cause you to obey me. I will cleanse you from all your iniquities. Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Now may we not be ashamed to proclaim the Good News to others that It is finished. May we tell people that good works cannot save them. Their church attendance cannot save them. They are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It is finished. Why improve on what is finished! Why add to that which is complete? We dont have to be this and the other thing before we may come to Christ. He said that He will never drive away anyone who comes to Him. He is not looking for our worthiness. He is looking for willingness to come to Him. The Holy Spirit does not need to delay because of our unworthiness or our helplessness. It is finished. Quotes in italics by Charles Spurgeon, from his book, Christs Words from the Cross,Baker Book House (Michigan) Related Articles

Jesus Fourth Word from the Cross: Anguish (jesuscarriesme.wordpress.com) Jesus Fifth Word on the Cross: Suffering (jesuscarriesme.wordpress.com) Seven Phrases of Christ from the Cross (jesuscarriesme.wordpress.com) Jesus Third Word from the Cross: Love (jesuscarriesme.wordpress.com) Christs Victory On The Cross (dtbrents.wordpress.com)

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The Sixth Word: Victory

Freddy Fritz
417 Freddy Fritz Sermons

Topic: #1450 of 1725 for Sermons on Jesus Christ Scripture: John 19:29-19:30 Sermon Series: The Seven Last Words of Christ Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed Date Added: March 2008 Audience: General Adults (31 - 49) Keywords: none (Suggest a Keyword)
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Introduction Herbert Lockyer, in his book titled All the Last Words of Saints and Sinners, says, "The last words of both saints and sinners about to enter eternity, what they had to say before their stammering tongues lay silent in the grave, demands our deepest attention and most earnest concern. If, when the soul is face to face with eternal realities, true character is almost invariably manifest, then we can expect the lips to express glorious certainty or terror concerning the future." For the past five Good Fridays we have been examining these so-called last words of Christ. By studying the last words of Christ we do learn a great deal about the true character of our Savior. After Jesus was nailed to the cross he spoke seven short phrases before he died. Tonight, on this Maundy Thursday, we come to the sixth word Jesus uttered, which is found in John 19:29-30:

"29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, It is finished, and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." (John 19:30) Lesson The Lord Jesus has become man. He has lived an absolutely perfect life of selfsacrifice and obedience. He has been despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. His enemies have been many. His friends have been few. He is at last handed over to those who hate him. He is arrested while in the act of prayer. He is betrayed by one of his very own disciples. He is arraigned before the spiritual and secular courts. He is beaten beyond recognition. He is robed in mockery, and then unrobed in shame. He is declared innocent, and yet he is delivered up by the judge who ought to have preserved him from his persecutors. He is dragged through the streets of Jerusalem which had killed so many of his prophets who had come before him, and now would cover itself with the blood of the prophets Master. He is brought to the cross. He is nailed to the wood. He is hanged up for all to see. He loses blood. He dislocates his bones. He suffocates and can hardly breathe. His own disciples desert him. People mock and ridicule him. Even his Father deserts him, so that he cries out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46). He looks everywhere, and there is no one to help him. He casts his eye around, and there is no one who can share in his suffering. He must suffer alone. On and on he goes. He is determined to drink to the very last dreg of that cup

which cannot pass from him if he is to fulfill his heavenly Fathers will. At last he cries, It is finished (John 19:30). And then, a little while later, he dies. What did Jesus mean when he cried out, It is finished? Much can be said, but I want to draw your attention to just two points this evening. I. All Types, Promises, and Prophecies Were Fully Accomplished in Jesus First, all types, promises, and prophecies were fully accomplished in Jesus. Those who are acquainted with Greek know that the word, It is finished is tetelestai. But did you know that the word actually occurs twice within three verses? The first occurrence of tetelestai is found in John 19:28, where we read, After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), I thirst. This helps us to see the meaning of Jesus sixth word clearly. When Jesus said, It is finished, the entire Scripture, from first to last, in the law, the writings and the prophets, was finished and accomplished in him. Every type, every promise, and every prophecy was fully accomplished in Jesus. Jesus is a prophet like Moses, and yet a champion like Joshua. Jesus is both Aaron and Melchizedek, David and Solomon, Noah and Jonah, Judah and Joseph. Jesus is not only the lamb that was slain, and the scapegoat that was not slain, the turtle-dove that was dipped in blood, and the priest who slew the bird, but he is also the altar, the tabernacle, the mercy seat, and the shewbread. Jesus is the one of whom it is said, All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him (Psalm 72:11, NIV), and yet, He was despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3).

And he is the one in whom there was no sin, and yet the one upon whom the Lord poured all the sin of many. When Jesus said, It is finished, he meant that all the types, promises and prophecies of Scripture were fully accomplished in him. II. Jesus Totally Destroyed the Power of Sin, Satan, and Death And second, Jesus totally destroyed the power of sin, Satan, and death. Jesus met Sin in his life and also on the cross. Horrible, terrible, all-butomnipotent Sin nailed Jesus to the cross. But in that deed, Jesus also nailed Sin to the cross. There they both hung togetherSin and Sins destroyer. Sin destroyed Jesus: he died on that cross. But by that very death Jesus destroyed Sin: the power of Sin was forever destroyed by Jesus death. Next came the second enemy, Satan. He assaulted Jesus with all of the hosts of hell. Calling up every demon from every quarter of the universe, he said, as it were, Come! Come quickly! Here is our great enemy who has sworn to bruise our head; now let us bruise his heel! They fired their hellish missiles into his heart. They exploded their evil thoughts into his mind. They emptied their venomous poison into his veins. They spat their false insinuations into his face. They hissed their devilish fears into his ear. But there the Lord Jesus stood his ground. He stood alone, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, hounded by all the dogs of hell. He withstood volley after volley from the wicked arsenal. He parried every attempt to get him to falter. Like David against Goliath, Jesus in the end stood victorious, and then cried out, It is finished, and sent every demon and Satan fleeing to hell. And Jesus also met Death and destroyed the power of Death on the cross. Death killed Christ on the cross. He sent his fiery dart, as Evangelist Christmas Evans put it, which he struck right through Jesus, till the point fixed itself in the

cross, and when he tried to pull it out again, he left the sting behind. Death was disarmed. Jesus then took the keys of Death and said, Death, I take these keys from you. You must live for a little while to be the warder of those beds in which my saints shall sleep, but give me your keys! And today, Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven with the keys of Death hanging on his belt. And he is waiting for the hour when the Father says to him, Now! Go! Go and bring all the elect to us in heaven! And the Archangel shall sound the trumpet, and the dead in Christ shall rise from the grave, and all the elect will join our Savior in the sky to spend all eternity with him in glory. And Death will be forever gone! Conclusion Friends, this is what Jesus meant when he said, It is finished. All types, promises and prophecies were fully accomplished in him. And he totally destroyed the power of sin, Satan and death. Let us thank God for what Jesus accomplished on the cross on our behalf. Amen.

The Seven Last Words of Christ: Reflections for Holy Week

The Seven Last Words of Christ Reflections for Holy Week

Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts Note: You may download this resource at no cost, for personal use or for use in a Christian ministry, as long as you are not publishing it for sale. All I ask is that you acknowledge the source of this material: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/. For all other uses, please contact me at mark@markdroberts.com. Thank you.

You may also be interested in:

The Stations of the Cross: A Devotional Guide for Lent and Holy Week
The First Word: Father, forgive them, for they dont know what theyre doing. (Luke 23:34)

Copyright 2007, Linda E. S. Roberts. For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark.

Reflection It makes sense that the first word of Jesus from the cross is a word of forgiveness. Thats the point of the cross, after all. Jesus is dying so that we might be forgiven for our sins, so that we might be reconciled to God for eternity. But the forgiveness of God through Christ doesnt come only to those who dont know what they are doing when they sin. In the mercy of God, we receive his forgiveness even when we do what we know to be wrong. God chooses to wipe away our sins, not because we have some convenient excuse, and not because we have tried hard to make up for them, but because he is a God of amazing grace, with mercies that are new every morning.

As we read the words, Father, forgive them, may we understand that we too are forgiven through Christ. As John writes in his first letter, But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wi ckedness (1 John 1:9). Because Christ died on the cross for us, we are cleansed from all wickedness, from every last sin. We are united with God the Father as his beloved children. We are free to approach his throne of grace with our needs and concerns. God has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west (Ps 103:13). What great news! Questions for Reflection Do you really believe God has forgiven your sins? Do you take time on a regular basis to confess your sins so that you might enjoy the freedom of forgiveness? Do you need to experience Gods forgiveness in a fresh way today? Prayer Gracious Lord Jesus, its easy for me to speak of your forgiveness, even to ask for it and to thank you for it. But do I really believe Im forgiven? Do I experience the freedom that comes from the assurance that you have cleansed me from my sins? Or do I live as if Im semi-forgiven? Even though Ive put my faith in you and confessed my sins, do I live as sin still has power over me? Do I try to prove myself to you, as if I might be able to earn more forgiveness? Dear Lord, though I believe at one level that you have forgiven me, this amazing truth needs to penetrate my heart in new ways. Help me to know with fresh conviction that I am fully and finally forgiven, not because of anything I have done, but because of what you have done for me. May I live today as a forgiven person, opening my heart to you, choosing not to sin because the power of sin has been broken by your salvation. All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, for your matchless forgiveness! Amen.

The Second Word: I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)

Copyright 2007, Linda E. S. Roberts. For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark.

Reflection As Jesus hung on the cross, he was mocked by the leaders and the soldiers. One of the criminals being crucified with him added his own measure of scorn. But the other crucified criminal sensed that Jesus was being treated unjustly. After speaking up for Jesus, he cried out, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom (v. 42). Jesus responded to this criminal, I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise (v. 43). The word paradise, from the Greek word paradeisos, which meant garden, was used in the Greek Old Testament as a word for the Garden of Eden. In Judaism of the time of Jesus it was associated with heaven, and also with the future when God would restore all things to the perfection of the Garden. Paradise was sometimes thought to be the place where righteous people went after death. This seems to be the way Jesus uses paradise in this passage. Thus we have encountered one of the most astounding and encouraging verses in all of Scripture. Jesus promised that the criminal would be with him in paradise. Yet the text of Luke gives us no reason to believe this man had been a follower of Jesus, or even a believer in him in any well-developed sense. He might have felt sorry for his sins, but he did not

obviously repent. Rather, the criminals cry to be remembered seems more like a desperate, last-gasp effort. Though we should make every effort to have right theology, and though we should live our lives each day as disciples of Jesus, in the end, our relationship with him comes down to simple trust. Jesus, remember me, we cry. And Jesus, embodying the mercy of God, says to us, You will be with me in paradise. We are welcome there not because we have right theology, and not because we are living rightly, but because God is merciful and we have put our trust in Jesus. Questions for Reflection Have you staked your life on Jesus? Have you put your ultimate trust in him? Do you know that, when your time comes, you will be with him in paradise? Prayer Dear Lord Jesus, how I wonder at your grace and mercy! When we cry out to you, you hear us. When we ask you to remember us when you come into your kingdom, you offer the promise of paradise. Your mercy, dear Lord, exceeds anything we might imagine. It embraces us, encourages us, heals us. O Lord, though my situation is so different from the criminal who cried out to you, I am nevertheless quite like him. Today I live, trusting you and you alone. My life, but now and in the world to come, is in your hands. And so I pray: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom! Jesus, remember me today as I seek to live within your kingdom! Amen.

The Third Word: Dear woman, here is your son. (John 19:26)

Copyright 2007, Linda E. S. Roberts. For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark.

Reflection As Jesus was dying, his mother was among those who had remained with him. Most of the male disciples had fled, with the exception of one whom the Fourth Gospel calls the disciple he loved. We cant be exactly sure of the identity of this beloved disciple, though many interpreters believe he is John, who is also the one behind the writing of this Gospel. No matter who the beloved disciple was, its clear that Jesus was forging a relationship between this disciple and his mother, one in which the disciple would take care of Mary financially and in other ways. Jesus wanted to make sure she would be in good hands after his death. The presence of Mary at the cross adds both humanity and horror to the scene. We are reminded that Jesus was a real human being, a man who had once been a boy who had once been carried in the womb of his mother. Even as he was dying on the cross as the Savior of the world, Jesus was also a son, a role he didnt neglect in his last moments. When we think of the crucifixion of Jesus from the perspective of his mother, our horror increases dramatically. The death of a child is one of the most painful of all parental experiences. To watch ones beloved child experience the extreme torture of crucifixion must have been unimaginably terrible. Were reminded of the prophecy of Simeon shortly

after Jesus birth, when he said to Mary: And a sword will pierce your very soul (Luke 2:35). This scene helps us not to glorify or spiritualize the crucifixion of Jesus. He was a real man, true flesh and blood, a son of a mother, dying with unbearable agony. His suffering was altogether real, and he took it on for you and for me. Questions for Reflection What does Marys presence at the cross evoke in you? Why do you think was it necessary for Jesus to suffer physical pain as he died? Prayer Lord Jesus, the presence of your mother at the cross engages my heart. You are no longer only the Savior dying for the sins of the world. You are also a fully human man, a son with a mother. O Lord, how can I begin to thank you for what you suffered? My words fall short. My thoughts seem superficial and vague. Nevertheless, I offer my sincere gratitude for your suffering. Thank you for bearing my sin on the cross. I give you my praise, my love, my heart . . . all that I am, because you have given me all that you are. All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, fully God and fully human, Savior of the world . . . my Savior! Amen.

The Fourth Word: My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Mark 15:34)

The Eleventh Station of the The Stations of the Cross at Serra Retreat Center, Malibu, California.

Reflection As Jesus was dying on the cross, he echoed the beginning of Psalm 22, which reads:

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. (vv. 1-2)
In the words of the psalmist Jesus found a way to express the cry of his heart: Why had God abandoned him? Why did his Father turn his back on Jesus in his moment of greatest agony?

This side of heaven, we will never fully know what Jesus was experiencing in this moment. Was he asking this question because, in the mystery of his incarnational suffering, he didnt know why God had abandoned him? Or was his cry not so much a question as an expression of profound agony? Or was it both? What we do know is that Jesus entered into the Hell of separation from God. The Father abandoned him because Jesus took upon himself the penalty for our sins. In that excruciating moment, he experienced something far more horrible than physical pain. The beloved Son of God knew what it was like to be rejected by the Father. As we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (NIV). I can write these words. I can say, truly, that the Father abandoned the Son for our sake, for the salvation of the world. But can I really grasp the mystery and the majesty of this truth? Hardly. As Martin Luther once said, God forsaking God. Who can understand it? Yet even my miniscule grasp of this reality calls me to confession, to humility, to worship, to adoration. Questions for Reflection Have you taken time to consider that Jesus was abandoned by the Father so that you might not be? What does this word from the cross mean to you? Prayer O Lord Jesus, though I will never fully grasp the wonder and horror of your abandonment by the Father, every time I read this word, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. How can I ever thank you for what you suffered for me? What can I do but to offer myself to you in gratitude and praise? Thank you, dear Lord, for what you suffered. Thank you for taking my place. Thank you for being forsaken by the Father so that I might never be.

When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood. See, from his head, his hands, his feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down; Did eer such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown. Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross by Isaac Watts (1707)

The Fifth Word: I am thirsty. (John 19:28)

A painting of the Cruxifixion, from a church in Taormina, Italy

Reflection No doubt Jesus experienced extreme thirst while being crucified. He would have lost a substantial quantity of bodily fluid, both blood and sweat, through what he had endured even prior to crucifixion. Thus his statement, I am thirsty was, on the most obvious level, a request for something to drink. In response the soldiers gave Jesus sour wine (v. 29), a cheap beverage common among lower class people in the time of Jesus. John notes that Jesus said I am thirsty, not only as a statement of physical reality, but also in order to fulfill the Scripture. Though there is no specific reference in the text of the Gospel, its likely that John was thinking of Psalm 69, which includes this passage:

Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me. But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst. (vv. 20-21)

As he suffered, Jesus embodied the pain of the people of Israel, that which had been captured in the Psalms. Jesus was suffering for the sin of Israel, even as he was taking upon himself the sin of the world. As I reflect on Jesus statement, I am thirsty, I keep thinking of my own thirst. Its nothing like that of Jesus. Rather, I am thirsty for him. My soul yearns for the living water that Jesus supplies (John 4:10; 7:38-39). I rejoice in the fact that he suffered physical thirst on the cross and so much more so that my thirst for the water of life might be quenched. Questions for Reflection How do you respond to Jesus statement I am thirsty? What does this statement suggest to you about Jesus? About yourself? Prayer O Lord, once again I thank you for what you suffered on the cross. Besides extraordinary pain, you also experienced extreme thirst. All of this was part and parcel of your taking on our humanity so that you might take away our sin. Dear Lord, in your words I am thirsty I hear the cry of my own heart. I too am thirsty, Lord, not for physical drink. I dont need sour wine. Rather, I need the new wine of your kingdom to flood my soul. I need to be refreshed by your living water. I yearn for your Spirit to fill me once again. I am thirsty, Lord, for you. Amen.

The Sixth Word: It is finished! (John 19:30)

Another station from The Stations of the Cross at Serra Retreat Center, Malibu, California.

Reflection I never saw a more difficult film to watch than Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ. For most of that movie I wanted to avert my eyes. It was horrible to watch even a cinematic version of a crucifixion. And it was beyond comprehension to think that this actually happened to somebody, and not just anybody, but my Lord and Savior. I had studied the crucifixion before, and knew in my head what Jesus experienced. But seeing a visual presentation of his suffering was almost more than I could bear. When The Passion of the Christ was over, I felt palpable relief. Thank goodness it was finished. When Jesus said It is finished, surely he was expressing relief that his suffering was over. It is finished meant, in part, This is finally done! But the Greek verb translated as It is finished (tetelestai) means more than just this. Eugene Peterson captures the full sense of the verb in The Message: Its done . . . complete. Jesus had accomplished his mission. He

had announced and inaugurated the kingdom of God. He had revealed the love and grace of God. And he had embodied that love and grace by dying for the sin of the world, thus opening up the way for all to live under the reign of God. Because Jesus finished his work of salvation, you and I dont need to add to it. In fa ct, we cant. He accomplished what we never could, taking our sin upon himself and giving us his life in return. Jesus finished that for which he had been sent, and we are the beneficiaries of his unique effort. Because of what he finished, you and I are n ever finished. We have hope for this life and for the next. We know that nothing can separate us from Gods love. One day what God has begun in us will also be finished, by his grace. Until that day, we live in the confidence of Jesus cry of victory: It is finished! Questions for Reflection Do you live as if Jesus finished the work of salvation? To you have confidence that God will finish that which he has begun in you? Prayer How can I ever find words to express my gratitude to you, dear Lord Jesus? You did it. You finished that for which you had been sent, faithful in life, faithful in death. You accomplished that which no other person could do, taking the sin of the world upon your sinless shoulders . . . taking my sin so that I might receive your forgiveness and new life. All praise be to you, gracious Lord, for finishing the work of salvation. All praise be to you, dear Jesus, for saving me! Alleluia! Amen.

The Seventh Word: Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands! (Luke 23:46)

Copyright 2007, Linda E. S. Roberts. For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark.

Reflection Two of the last seven words of Jesus were quotations from the Psalms. Earlier Jesus had Psalm 22, My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? to express his anguish. Later he borrowed from Psalm 31, which comes to us from Luke as Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands. On an obvious level, Jesus was putting his post mortem future in the hands of his Heavenly Father. It was as if he was saying, Whatever happens to me after I die is your responsibility, Father. But when we look carefully at the Psalm Jesus quoted, we see more than what at first meets our eyes. Psalm 31 begins with a cry for divine help:

O LORD, I have come to you for protection; dont let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. (v. 1)
But then it mixes asking for Gods deliverance with a confession of Gods strength and faithfulness:

I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, LORD, for you are a faithful God. (v. 5)
By the end, Psalm 31 offers praise of Gods salvation:

Praise the LORD, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. (v. 21)
By quoting a portion of Psalm 31, therefore, Jesus not only entrusted his future to his Father, but also implied that he would be delivered and exonerated. No, God would not deliver him from death by crucifixion. But beyond this horrific death lay something marvelous. I entrust my spirit into your hands points back to the familiar suffering of David in Psalm 31, and forward to the resurrection. Questions for Reflection Have you put your life and, indeed, your life beyond this life, in Gods hands? How do you experience Gods salvation through Christ in your life today? Prayer Gracious Lord, even as you once entrusted your spirit into the hands of the Father, so I give my life to you. I trust you, and you alone to be my Savior. I submit to your sovereignty over my life, and seek to live for your glory alone. Here I am, Lord, available to you, both now and in the future. How good it is to know, dear Lord, that the cross was not the end for you. As you entrusted your spirit into the Fathers hands, you did so in anticipation of what was to come. So we reflect upon your death, not in despair, but in hope. With Good Friday behind us, Easter Sunday is on the horizon. Amen.

The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ

James Stalker

CHAPTER XX. THE SEVENTH WORD FROM THE CROSS

While all the words of dying persons are full of interest, there is special importance attached to the last of them. This is the Last Word of Jesus; and both for this reason and for others it claims particular attention. A noted Englishman is recorded to have said, when on his deathbed, to a nephew, "Come near and see how a Christian can die." Whether or not that was a wise saying, certainly to learn how to die is one of the most indispensable acquirements of mortals; and nowhere can it be learnt so well as by studying the death of Christ. This Last Word especially teaches us how to die. It will, however, teach us far more, if we have the wit to learn: it contains not only the art of dying but also the art of living.

I. The final word of the dying Saviour was a prayer. Not all the words from the cross were prayers. One was addressed to the penitent thief, another to His mother and His favourite disciple, and a third to the soldiers who were crucifying Him; but prayer was distinctly the language of His dying hours. It was not by chance that His very last word was a prayer; for the currents within Him were all flowing Godwards. While prayer is appropriate for all times and seasons, there are occasions when it is singularly appropriate. At the close of the day, when we are about to enter into the state of sleep, which is an image of death, the most natural of all states of mind is surely prayer. In moments of mortal peril, as on shipboard when a multitude are suddenly confronted with death, an irresistible impulse presses men to their knees. At the communion table, when the bread and the wine are circulating in silence, every thoughtful person is inevitably occupied with prayer. But on a death-bed it is more in its place than anywhere else. Then we are perforce parting with all that is earthlywith relatives and friends, with business and property, with the comforts of home and the face of the earth. How natural to lay hold of what alone we can keep hold of; and this is what prayer does; for it lays hold of God. It is so natural to pray then that prayer might be supposed to be an invariable element of the last scenes. But it is not always. A death-bed without God is an awful sight; yet it does occur. The currents of the mind may be flowing so powerfully earthward that even then they cannot be diverted. There are even death-beds where the thought of God is a terror which the dying man keeps away; and sometimes his friends assist him to keep it away, suffering none to be seen and nothing to be said that could call God to mind. Natural as prayer is, it is only so to those who have learned to pray before. It had long been to Jesus the language of life. He had prayed without ceasingon the mountain-top and in the busy haunts of men, by Himself and in company with othersand it was only the bias of the life asserting itself in death when, as He breathed His last, He turned to God. If, then, we would desire our last words to be words of prayer, we should commence to pray at once. If the face of God is to shine on our death-bed, we must now acquaint ourselves with Him and be at peace. If, as we look upon the dying Christ or on the dying saints, we say, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his," then we must begin now to live the life of the righteous and to practise its gracious habits. II. The last word of the dying Saviour was a quotation from Scripture.

This was not the first time our Lord quoted Scripture on the cross: His great cry, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" was likewise borrowed from the Old Testament, and it is possible that there is Scriptural allusion in others of the Seven Words. If prayer is natural to the lips of the dying, so is Scripture. For different seasons and for different uses there is special suitability in different languages and literatures. Latin is the language of law and scholarship, French of conversation and diplomacy, German of philosophy, English of commerce. But in the most sacred moments and transactions of life there is no language like that of the Bible. Especially is this the case in everything connected with death. On a tombstone, for example, how irrelevant, as a rule, seem all other quotations, but how perfect is the fitness of a verse from Scripture. And on a deathbed there are no words which so well become the dying lips. This is strikingly illustrated by the following extract, guaranteed as authentic, from a private diary:"I remember, when I was a student, visiting a dying man. He had been in the university with me, but a few years ahead; and, at the close of a brilliant career in college, he was appointed to a professorship of philosophy in a colonial university. But, after a very few years, he fell into bad health; and he came home to Scotland to die. It was a summer Sunday afternoon when I called to see him, and it happened that I was able to offer him a drive. His great frame was with difficulty got into the open carriage; but then he lay back comfortably and was able to enjoy the fresh air. Two other friends were with him that day college companions, who had come out from the city to visit him. On the way back they dropped into the rear, and I was alone beside him, when he began to talk with appreciation of their friendship and kindness. 'But,' he said, 'do you know what they have been doing all day?' I could not guess. 'Well,' he said, 'they have been reading to me Sartor Resartus; and oh! I am awfully tired of it.' Then, turning on me his large eyes, he began to repeat, 'This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief;' and then he added with great earnestness, 'There is nothing else of any use to me now.' I had not opened the subject at all: perhaps I was afraid to introduce it to one whom I felt to be so much my superior; but I need not say how overjoyed I was to obtain such a glimpse into the very depths of a great, true mind." Sartor Resartus is one of the best of books; there are few to be so heartily recommended. Yet there are moments in lifeand those immediately before death are among themwhen even such a book may be felt to be irrelevant, and, indeed, no book is appropriate except the one which contains the words of eternal life. It is worth noting from which portion of the Old Testament Jesus fetched the word on which He stayed up His soul in this supreme moment. The quotation is from the thirty-first Psalm. The other great word uttered on the cross to which I have already alluded was also taken

from one of the Psalmsthe twenty-second. This is undoubtedly the most precious of all the books of the Old Testament. It is a book penned as with the life-blood of its authors; it is the record of humanity's profoundest sorrows and sublimest ecstasies; it is the most perfect expression which has ever been given to experience; it has been the vade-mecum of all the saints; and to know and love it is one of the best signs of spirituality. Jesus knew where to go in the Bible for the language that suited Him; for He had been a diligent student of it all His days. He heard it in the home of His childhood; He listened to it in the synagogue; probably He got the use of the synagogue rolls and hung over it in secret. He knew it through and through. Therefore, when He became a preacher, His language was saturated with it, and in controversy, by the apt use of it, He could put to shame those who were its professional students. But in His private life likewise He employed it in every exigency. He fought with it the enemy in the wilderness and overcame him; and now, in the supreme need of a dying hour, it stood Him in good stead. It is to those who, like Jesus, have hidden God's Word in their hearts that it is a present help in every time of need; and, if we wish to stay ourselves upon it in dying, we ought to make it the man of our counsel in living. It is worth observing in what manner Jesus made this quotation from the Psalter: He added something at the beginning and He omitted something at the close. At the beginning He added, "Father." This is not in the psalm. It could not have been. In the Old Testament the individual had not begun yet to address God by this name, though God was called the Father of the nation as a whole. The new consciousness of God which Christ introduced into the world is embodied in this word, and, by prefixing it to the citation, He gave the verse a new colouring. We may, then, do this with the Old Testament: we may put NewTestament meaning into it. Indeed, in connection with this very verse we have a still more remarkable illustration of the same treatment. Stephen, the first martyr of Christianity, was in many respects very like his Master, and in his martyrdom closely imitated Him. Thus on the field of death he repeated Christ's prayer for His enemies"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Also, he imitated this final word, but he put it in a new form, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit;" that is, he addressed to Christ the dying prayer which Christ Himself addressed to the Father.[2] The other alteration which Jesus made was the omission of the words, "for Thou hast redeemed me." It would not have been fitting for Him to employ them. But we will not omit them; and if, like Stephen, we address the prayer to Christ, how much richer and more pathetic are the words to us than they were even to him who first penned them. III. It was about His spirit that the dying Saviour prayed.

Dying persons are sometimes much taken up with their bodies. Their pain and trouble may occasion this, and the prescriptions of the physician may require close attention. Some display a peculiar anxiety even about what is to happen to the body after the life has left it, giving the minutest instructions as to their own obsequies. Not infrequently the minds of the dying are painfully occupied with their worldly affairs: they have their property to dispose of, and they are distracted with anxieties about their families. The example of Jesus shows that it is not wrong to bestow attention on these things even on a deathbed; for His fifth word, "I thirst," had reference to His own bodily necessities; and, whilst hanging on the cross, He made provision for His mother's future comfort. But His supreme concern was His spirit; to the interests of which He devoted His final prayer. What is the spirit? It is the finest, highest, sacredest part of our being. In modern and ordinary language we call it the soul, when we speak of man as composed of body and soul; but in the language of Scripture it is distinguished even from the soul as the most lofty and exquisite part of the inner man. It is to the rest of our nature what the flower is to the plant or what the pearl is to the shell. It is that within us which is specially allied to God and eternity. It is also, however, that which sin seeks to corrupt and our spiritual enemies seek to destroy. No doubt these are specially active in the article of death; it is their last chance; and fain would they seize the spirit as it parts from the body and, dragging it down, rob it of its destiny. Jesus knew that He was launching out into eternity; and, plucking His spirit away from these hostile hands which were eager to seize it, He placed it in the hands of God. There it was safe. Strong and secure are the hands of the Eternal. They are soft and loving too. With what a passion of tenderness must they have received the spirit of Jesus. "I have covered thee," said God to His servant in an ancient prophecy, "in the shadow of My hand;" and now Jesus, escaping from all the enemies, visible and invisible, by whom He was beset, sought the fulfilment of this prophecy. This is the art of dying; but is it not also the art of living? The spirit of every son of Adam is threatened by dangers at death; but it is threatened with them also in life. As has been said, it is our flower and our pearl; but the flower may be crushed and the pearl may be lost long before death arrives. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit." So does the world. Temptation assails it, sin denies it. No better prayer, therefore, could be offered by a living man, morning by morning, than this of the dying Saviour. Happy is he who can say, in reference to his spirit, "I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him against that day." IV. This last word of the expiring Saviour revealed His view of death.

The word used by Jesus in commending His spirit to God implies that He was giving it away in the hope of finding it again. He was making a deposit in a safe place, to which, after the crisis of death was over, He would come and recover it. Such is the force of the word, as is easily seen in the quotation just made from St. Paul, where he says that he knows that God will keep that which he has committed to Him using the same word as Jesus"against that day." [3] Which day? Obviously some point in the future when he could appear and claim from God that which he had entrusted to Him. Such a date was also in Christ's eye when He said, "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit." Death is a disruption of the parts of which human nature is composed. One partthe spiritwas going away to God; another was in the hands of men, who were wreaking on it their wicked will; and it was on its way to the house appointed for all living. But Jesus was looking forward to a reunion of the separated parts, when they would again find each other, and the integrity of the personal life be restored. The most momentous question which the dying can ask, or which the living can ask in the prospect of death, is, "If a man die, shall he live again?" does he all die? and does he die forever? There is a terrible doubt in the human heart that it may be so; and there have never been wanting teachers who have turned this doubt into a dogma. They hold that mind is only a form or a function of matter, and that, therefore, in the dissolution of the bodily materials, man dissolves and mixes with the material universe. Others, while holding fast the distinction between mind and matter, have taught that, as the body returns to the dust, the mind returns to the ocean of being, in which its personality is lost, as the drop is in the sea, and there can be no reunion. There is, however, something high and sacred within us that rebels against these doctrines; and the best teachers of the race have encouraged us to hope for something better. Still, their assurances have been hesitating and their own faith obscure. It is to Christ we have to go: He has the words of eternal life. He spoke on this subject without hesitation or obscurity; and His dying word proves that He believed for Himself what He taught to others. Not only, however, has He by His teaching brought life and immortality to light: He is Himself the guarantee of the doctrine; for He is our immortal life. Because we are united to Him we know we can never perish; nothing, not even death, can separate us from His love; "Because I live," He has said, "ye shall live also." It may be that in a very literal sense we have in the study of this sentence been learning the art of dying: these may be our own dying words. They have been the dying words of many. When John Huss was being led to execution, there was stuck on his head a paper cap, scrawled over with pictures of devils, to whom the wretched priests by whom he was surrounded consigned his soul; but again and again he cried, "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit." These were also the last words of Polycarp, of Jerome of Prague, of Luther, of Melanchthon, and of many others. Who could wish his spirit to be carried away to

God in a more glorious vehicle? But, whether or not we may use this prayer in death, let us diligently make use of it in life. Close not the book without breathing, "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit."
[1]

"Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit."

The first business of the interpreter of Scripture is to find out precisely what every verse or paragraph meant at the time and place where it was written; and there is endless profit in the exact determination of this original application. But, whilst the interpreter's task begins, it does not end with this. The Bible is a book for every generation; and the deduction of the message which it is intended to convey to the present day is as truly the task of the interpreter. There is a species of exegesis, sometimes arrogating to itself the sole title to be considered scientific, by which the garden of Scripture is transmuted into an herbarium of withered specimens.
[2]

Christ's word is paratithemai, and St. Paul's, 2 Timothy 1:12, ten paratheken mou, according to the best reading.
[3]

The Seventh Word: Contentment

Freddy Fritz
417 Freddy Fritz Sermons

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Topic: #145 of 1725 for Sermons on Easter: Maundy Thursday Scripture: Luke 23:44-23:46 Sermon Series: The Seven Last Words of Christ Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Date Added: April 2009 Audience: General Adults (31 - 49) Keywords: Substitution, Death, Easter, Christ, (Suggest a Keyword)
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Introduction Herbert Lockyer, in his book titled All the Last Words of Saints and Sinners, says, "The last words of both saints and sinners about to enter eternity, what they had to say before their stammering tongues lay silent in the grave, demands our deepest attention and most earnest concern. If, when the soul is face to face with eternal realities, true character is almost invariably manifest, then we can expect the lips to express glorious certainty or terror concerning the future." For the past six years we have been examining the so-called last words of Christ. Tonight, we come to the seventh and final word that Jesus uttered on the cross, found in Luke 23:44-46: "44It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45while the suns light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! And having said this he breathed his last." (Luke 23:44-46) Lesson Tonight I would like to briefly examine two aspects of Christs last word: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!

I. Christ Quotes from the Word of God First, notice that Christ quotes from the Word of God. Christ was an original thinker, and he could have given us words of his own. But instead he quoted Psalm 31:5a: Into your hands I commit my spirit. He never lacked suitable words for any occasion, for no one ever spoke like this man (John 7:46)! Have you noticed how Jesus continually quoted Scripture? The great majority of his expressions can be traced to the Old Testament. Even where they are not exact quotations, his words drop into Scriptural shape and form. You can see that the Bible has been his one Book. He is clearly familiar with it from the first page to the last, and not with its letter only, but with the innermost soul of its most secret sense. And, therefore, when dying, it seemed only natural for him to use a passage from a Psalm of David as his dying words. Jesus could have made an original speech as his dying declaration. Even though his body was in tremendous pain, his mind was clear and focused. In fact, he was perfectly content, for he had said, It is finished (John 19:30). So his sufferings were over, and he was already beginning to taste the delights of victory. Yet, with all the clearness of mind, enormity of intellect, and fluency of words that might have been possible to him, he did not invent a new sentence, but he went to the Psalms, and took from the Holy Spirit this expression, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! How instructive to us is this great truth that the Incarnate Word lived on the Inspired Word! It was food to him, as it is to us. And, brothers and sisters, if Christ thus lived upon the Word of God, should not you and I do the same? He, in some respects, did not need this Book as much as we do. The Spirit of God rested upon him without measure. Yet he loved the Scripture, and he went to it, and read it, and studied it, and memorized it, and used its expressions continually. Oh, that you and I might get into the very heart of the Word of God, and get that Word into ourselves! Charles Spurgeon once said of John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrims Progress: Read anything of his, and you will see that it is almost like reading the

The Seventh Word: Contentment

Freddy Fritz
417 Freddy Fritz Sermons

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Bible itself. He had studied the Bible. He had read it till his very soul was saturated with Scripture. And, though his writings are charmingly full of poetry, yet he cannot give us his Pilgrims Progress without continually making us feel and say, Why, this man is a living Bible! Prick him anywhere; [and I love this phrase] his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his very soul is full of the Word of God. I commend his example to you, and, still more, the example of our Lord Jesus. If the Spirit of God is in you, he will make you love the Word of God. And, if any one of you imagine that the Spirit of God will lead you to dispense with the Bible, you are under the influence of another spirit which is not the Spirit of God at all! I trust that the Holy Spirit will endear to you every page of this Divine Record, so that you will feed upon it yourselves, and afterwards speak it out to others. I think it is well worth your constant remembrance that, even in death, Jesus showed the ruling passion of his spirit, so that his last words were a quotation from Scripture.

II. Christ Commits His Spirit to the Father And second, Christ commits his spirit to the Father. Jesus said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! When we come to die, we may say these words, and God will accept them. But none of us, with strict propriety, can use them. These were the final words of Polycarp, Bernard, Luther, Melancthon, Jerome of Prague, John Huss, and an almost endless list of saints. But, in the sense in which Jesus uttered these words, none of us can use them fully. We can commit our spirit to God but remember that, unless the Lord comes first, we must die, and dying is not an act on our part. We are passive in the process, because it is no longer in our power to retain our life. But there was no necessity for Jesus to die except the necessity which he had taken upon himself in becoming the Substitute for his people. If he had willed to do so, he could have unloosed the nails and come down into the midst of the crowd that stood mocking him. He died of his own free will, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus was committing to the Father the spirit which he might have kept if he had chosen to do so. No one takes it from me, he said concerning his life, but I lay it down of my own accord (John 10:18). There is here an intentional willingness to commit his spirit into his Fathers hands. It is rather remarkable that none of the Evangelists describe our Lord as dying. He did die, but they all speak of him as breathing his last or giving up his spirit. You and I die passively, but he actively committed his spirit to his Father. In his case, death was an act; and he performed that act from the glorious motive of redeeming us from death and hell. So, in this sense, Christ stands alone in his death. Conclusion A small boy was turning the pages of a book of religious art. When he came to a picture of the crucifixion he looked at it for a long time, and a sad look came to his face.

Finally he said, If God had been there, he wouldnt have let them do it. The little boy did not understand that God was there. He did not understand why Jesus died. He did not understand what the crucifixion really meant. Jesus died, as I said earlier, of his own free will, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). And so I conclude with Pauls words to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21: "18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Have you been reconciled to God? We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For this is why Christ died. Amen.

7 Last Words of Jesus

What Were the Seven Final Phrases of Jesus on the Cross and What Did They Mean?
By Mary Fairchild, About.com Guide

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crucifixion the cross the passion of christ jesus christ

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Ads Miracle Prayer Requestswww.ChristianPrayerCenter.comNeed Prayer? Strongest Prayer Chain Online. Jesus Son of Godcbn.com/StepsToPeaceCome to me and I will give you rest My Yoke is easy. My burden is light Jesus Christ made seven final statements during his last hours on the cross. These phrases are held dear by followers of Christ because they offer a glimpse into the depth of his suffering to accomplish redemption. Recorded in the Gospels between the time of his crucifixion and his death, they reveal his divinity as well as his humanity. As much as possible, given the approximate sequence of events as portrayed in the Gospels, these seven last words of Jesus are presented here in chronological order.

1) Jesus Speaks to the Father

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (NIV)

In the midst of his excruciating suffering, the heart of Jesus was focused on others rather than himself. Here we see the nature of his loveunconditional and divine.

2) Jesus Speaks to the Criminal on the Cross

Luke 23:43 "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (NIV)

One of the criminals who was crucified with Christ, had recognized who Jesus was and expressed faith in him as Savior. Here we see grace poured out through faith, as Jesus assured the dying man of his forgiveness and eternal salvation.

3) Jesus Speaks to Mary and John

John 19:26-27 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother."(NIV) Jesus, looking down from the cross, was still filled with the concerns of a son for the earthly needs of his mother. None of his brothers were there to care for her, so he gave this task to the Apostle John. Here we clearly see Christ's humanity.

4) Jesus Cries Out to the Father

Matthew 27:46 (also Mark 15:34) And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, w hy have You forsaken Me? (NKJV)

In the darkest hours of his suffering, Jesus cried out the opening words of Psalm 22. And although much has been suggested regarding the meaning of this phrase, it was quite apparent the agony Christ felt as he expressed separation from God. Here we see the Father turning way from the Son as Jesus bore the full weight of our sin.

5) Jesus is Thirsty

John 19:28 Jesus knew that everything was now finished, and to fulfill the Scriptures he said, "I am thirsty." (NLT) Jesus refused the initial drink of vinegar, gall and myrrh (Matthew 27:34 and Mark 15:23) offered to alleviate his suffering. But here, several hours later, we see Jesus fulfilling themessianic prophecy found in Psalm 69:21.

6) It is Finished

John 19:30 ... he said, "It is finished!" (NLT) Jesus knew he was suffering the crucifixion for a purpose. Earlier he had said in John 10:18 of his life, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." (NIV) These three words were packed with meaning, for what was finished here was not only Christ's earthly life, not only his suffering and dying, not only the payment for sin and the redemptionof the worldbut the very reason and purpose he came to earth was finished. His final act of obedience was complete. The Scriptures had been fulfilled.

7) Jesus' Last Words

Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. (NIV)

Here Jesus closes with the words of Psalm 31:5, speaking to the Father. We see his complete trust in the Father. Jesus entered death in the same way he lived each day of his life, offering up his life as the perfect sacrifice and placing himself in God's hands.

The 7 Words of Jesus on the Cross

When you examine the words or thoughts of a person under great stress, scrutiny or suffering, you learn the substance of the person; their composition, their faith and their hope. When we examine what our Savior exclaimed on the cross, we can learn about His true character and His integrity before the Father. We can see the love that pours out from His wounds, directed at us! Neither the heat, nor the sweat mixed with the blood, nor the agony and emotional distress distracted Him from having you and me on His mind that day. From these Seven Words of Jesus we can draw strength and courage for our own walk on this earth as we follow His call to be His disciples. He suffered the extreme penalty of death that we may live! Are you living, or you a dead man walking? Between the beatings, flogging and the pain from the crown of thorns on His head, Jesus, sees His mother and the disciple He loved the most:

1- John 19:26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, Dear woman, here is your son, (27) and to the disciple, Here is your mother. From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Jesus thinks of His family first. His dearly loved mother and what would become of her was Jesus first concern. He wanted her to be taken care of emotionally and physically, not to mention spiritually. Under great stress do you: 1- Think of yourself first? 2- Distance yourself from those you love? 3- Seek to blame those you love for not helping you? Remember that stressful times show how close of a relationship you have developed with the Father in Heaven. Those who refresh others, under stressful moments, will themselves be refreshed (Prov 25:13; 2 Tim 1:16) His face is wincing with the pain from the nails in His wrists and feet, His back is shredded and torn from the flogging, an almost unbearable pain. On top of this, people are wagging their heads at Him, cursing Him and hurling insults: 2- Luke 23:34 Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Forgiveness is the center of the Gospel: forgiveness of our sins, the opportunity to be redeemed and restored to a relationship with God! Where there is no forgiveness there is bitterness and regret. Instead of allowing bitterness or antagonism to set in, Jesus thinks of them instead of Himself: He thinks about their ignorance and therefore lost state. Jesus view is set on eternity, not on what happens in the present moment: For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame! (Heb 12:2) Besides, he knows He is there for them; they have done nothing to Him, and He has willingly given Himself to them, even though they scorn Him. When others insult you or curse you, or show you their distaste or lack of approval, how do you respond? 1- Do you allow them to offend you? If you do, then you are only thinking of yourself. 2- Are you able to see past their disapproval of you and into their ignorant state of mind? 3- Are you able to willingly suffer scorn for their sake, shaming their actions and words? 4- Have you forgotten about your forgiveness of sins? If you forgot about your cleansing of your past sin, you are not able to surrender yourself perhaps you are still holding on to some vestige (trace) of your old self. Get rid of it! Therein lies the root of all bitterness! Where there is no forgiveness, there is restlessness and no peace! Suffering from exposure, difficulty in breathing, dizziness, and nausea, Jesus promises paradise:

3- Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise. Up until the last moment, Jesus wants people to be with Him forever. That is His focus and the reason He came into the world! Not even the worst moments on earth He could experience would distract Him from loving you to the fullest extent. (Heb 5:7-9) Do you ultimately want the best for those around you, especially those who may have, at one time, scorned you or shamed you? When you are stressed: 1- Are you words full of hope and encouragement, or is your selfishness evident by the piercing words you utter because you dont have time for others? 2- Is your speech full of boasting of what you do and have, or is your speech full of grace and mercy? Do you ultimately want to be alone, or do you want to have those you love around you? Bitterness and regret are reflections of a poor self-image. What you see in others is a reflection of what is in you. If you are full of the spirit and love, your being will radiate this love. If you are empty (full of bitterness and regret) then you will be a black hole of joy and peace. Under the greatest distress yet, feeling abandoned and lonely, desperate even, Jesus cries out to His Father: 4- Matt 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?-- which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? At this point, when Jesus is bearing the sin of the world, His cry of frustration is directed at the Father, who alone is able to bear all our burdens! When you cant take it anymore, do you: 1- React or act upon (keep your cool)? 2- Take it out on those around you or seek the face of the Father? 3- Try to blow off some steam or get on your knees and pray? At the moment of your greatest pain and agony, you can choose to be a vehicle of blessing. After enduring the reality of His separation from the Father, and being at the lowest point in His earthly life, we can testify to the humble humanity of Jesus: 5- John19:28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, I am thirsty. He was still human Tempted with all our temptations and vulnerable to all that affects us; yet submitting to the Father to be perfected even Jesus! (Heb 5:8-9) God choose us weak vessels to show His strength! When we are weak, and delight in our weakness, we can then let God be glorified through them! Dont pretend that you are strong! God will humble you!

When you are at your lowest: 1- Are you ashamed of you weakness? Do you try to appear strong and independent? 2- Do you resist help or scorn advice because you feel patronized? With a simple declaration: I am thirsty, Jesus unashamedly shows us His human side on that cross, and God gets the glory! As Jesus life wanes before Him, He looks towards the Father and commits Himself unto death, knowing what awaits Him: 6- Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. When he had said this, he breathed his last. Jesus commits his eternal souls to the Father, which meant submitting and humbling Himself unto death, even death on a cross. Jesus saw His physical life on earth as a clear mission directed from Heaven. He used His life on earth and did not allow Himself to be used or manipulated by anything, including the fleshly temptations He faced. This is why in His death He entrusted Himself to the Father. In whose hands have you committed yourself? 1- Your own? Someone elses? Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) 2- Whose destiny have you chosen? Are you your own man, or are you going to join those whose destiny is eternity through Jesus Christ? Is your life being built on perishable things or on eternal things? 3- Which path are you walking on? Narrow or wide? Every effort needs to be made to enter the narrow path (Luke 13:24) 1 John 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Jesus knows He has accomplished the work the Father sent Him to do, and voluntarily gives Himself up: 7- John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, It is finished. With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Jesus knew the exact moment of His death, and willingly volunteered Himself as the propitiation for our sins. Gods work of salvation is done and it is available for everyone who wishes to join Him at the great feast in the Kingdom of God. Are you living your life, or have you lived your life in such a way that at this very moment, if Jesus were to present Himself here, you would be able to say: It is finished! Im going home! Or are there some loose ends in your life you have yet to take care of?

When all is said and done, all that matters is where will you be in 200 years? Are you living your life in view of where you will be in 200 years? Or do you: 1- Live for the moment without regard of any promise for you? 2- Only care to satisfy your cravings of the present without regard for your reputation? A good parent lives in such a way as to prepare their children for the future as they live fully each day. They instill vision in their children. In the same way, we want to live in such a way as to leave a legacy of holiness for those whom we leave behind on the earth, that our work for Jesus may continue on earth as we are in Paradise. We cannot only live for the moment, but in view of the promise of eternity. When Jesus says It is finished, He reveals that all along He was living and accomplishing what His Father willed, a careful plan to bring you into Heaven, because of the joy that lays ahead for every individual that allows himself to be washed in His blood.

The following verses are provided for your meditation, following each of the seven instances Jesus spoke from the cross: How can Jesus words from the cross transform me? 1- Philip 2:3-5 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. {4} Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. {5} Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus 2- Col 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, {14} in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And Heb 12:15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 3- John 12:27 Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. And Heb 5:7-9 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. {8} Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered {9} and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 4- Luke 22:42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." 5- 1 Co 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. And 2 Co 12:10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 6- Lu 13:24 "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 7- Heb 4:11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.