The Last 7 Sayings of Jesus on the...

The Last 7 Sayings of Jesus on the Cross

Good Friday

INTRODUCTION

• There are SEVEN EXPRESSIONS or SAYINGSattributed to Jesus during his crucifixion, gathered from the four Gospels.

The order of the sayings is:

• Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)

• Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43)

INTRODUCTION

• Woman, behold your son: behold your mother (John 19:26-27)

• My God, My God, why have you forsaken me (Matthew 28:46 and Mark 15:34)

• I thirst (John 19:28)

• It is finished (John 19:30)

• Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46)

7 Sayings of the New Creation

1. LET THERE BE FORGIVENESS

Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

• The Fulfilment of Prophecy

• Isaiah 53: That Christ should make intercession for his enemies

He made intercession for the transgressors ANDfulfilled prophecy at the Cross.


• He thought of his murderers. He pleaded for his crucifiers; he made intercession for their forgiveness.

• Hebrew 7:25: “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”


• The Identification & Substitution“Father forgive them...”

• Christ never made such a request of the Father or invoked the Father’s forgiveness of others BUTChrist, the Son of God, exercised His power and authority to forgive sin.

• To the man sick of palsy: “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2)

• Woman who washed his feet with her tears in the house of Simon: “Your sins are forgiven”


Q: Why then should he now ask the Father to forgive, instead of directly pronouncing forgiveness himself?

• He was “lifted up from the earth” (John 12:32)

• Matthew 9:6 He had said, "The Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins".

• Jesus was on the Cross a Substitution (Representative) for mankind

• No longer in authority to forgive sin

• Took the position of a suppliant before the Father and intercedes for sinners.


• The Divine Estimate Of Sin “... for they know not what they do.”

• Levitical Law: God required atonement for sins of ignorance (Lev. 5:15-16 & Num. 15: 22-25)

• David prayed, "Cleanse thou me from secret faults"(Ps. 19:12)

• Sin is always sin in the sight of God, whether we are conscious of it or not. Sins of ignorance need atonement just as conscious sins.


• The Divine Estimate Of Sin “... for they know not what they do.”

• God is holy, and he will not lower his standard of righteousness to the level of our ignorance. Ignorance is not innocence.

• Sins of ignorance need divine forgiveness as our Lord’s prayer here shows.

• Learn how high is God’s standard, how great is our need, and praise him for an atonement of infinite sufficiency, which cleanses fromall sin.


• The Fulfilment of Man’s Greatest & Primary Need

• We are sinners, unfit for the presence of a Holy God

• Question of forgiveness of sins is basic, fundamental, vital — What will matter most in the hour of death is: Have my sins been put away by the Blood of Christ?

• Acts 13:38-39 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.


• The Fulfilment of Man’s Greatest & Primary Need

• Because of the blood he was shedding, the Saviour cried, "Father, forgive them".

• Because of his atoning sacrifice, it can be said "without shedding of blood is no remission".

• In praying for the forgiveness of his enemies, Christ struck at the root of their need — and that of every child of Adam.

• Colossians 1:14 “In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins”


2. LET THERE BE SALVATION

• Luke 23:43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

• Romans 3:22-23 “For there is no difference for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”

• It is not until we find in this dying thief a portrayal of ourselves that we shall join in saying, “Lord, remember me.”


• Repentance & Faith (An End of Ourselves)

• Not enough just to see ourselves as lost sinners.

• We are utterly undone, and that we can do nothingwhatever to help ourselves (realized weakness)

• The sinner has to be cut off from his own workings and be made willing to be saved by Christ.

• A realization of our sinful, lost & helplesscondition is the sole prerequisite forcoming to Christ for salvation, for Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.


• Repentance & Faith (An End of Ourselves)

• The response of repentance accompanied by faith :

a. He apprehends God as judge (Luke 23:41)

b. He acknowledged his guilt and the justice of his condemnation

c. He passes sentence upon himself

d. He makes no excuses and attempts no extenuation

e. He recognized he was a transgressor andthat he fully deserved punishment for hissins and that death was his due


f. He believed who Jesus said He is “The King of the Jews” and he prayed “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom”.

• The word “remember” was wonderfully full —includes “Pardon me, Save me, Bless me”. An interest in Christ’s heart will include an interest in all his benefits!

• He was an outcast from society —who would remember him? But there is one with whom he ventures to lodge this petition — "Lord, remember me".


• Response of Grace In Abundance

• Divine Grace EXCEEDS human expectations:

• The thief prayed that the Lord would remember him in His coming kingdom, but Christ assures him that TODAY he should be with the Saviour.

• The thief asks to be remembered in an earthly kingdom, but Christ assures him of a place in Paradise.

• The thief simply asks to be "remembered”but the Saviour declared he should be "with him".


3. LET THERE BE LOVE

• John 19:26-27 Jesus saw his own mother, and the disciple standing near whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son". Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother". And from that hour, he took his mother into his family.

• In the midst of His sufferings, Jesus did not forget His mother.


3. LET THERE BE LOVE

• In fulfilling the law to honour your father and mother, the first commandment with a promise —that it maybe well with you, and that you may live long on the earth (Exodus 20:12 & Ephesians 6:1-3)

• This is the blending of the most perfect human affection with his divine glory.

• Amid fulfilling His spiritual purpose, He displayed human tenderness, which shows the perfection of the man Jesus Christ.


4. LET THERE BE ACCEPTANCE

• Matthew 27:46 Around the ninth hour, Jesus shouted in a loud voice, saying "Eli Eli lama sabachthani?"which is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

• Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour, Jesus shouted in a loud voice, "Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"


4. LET THERE BE ACCEPTANCE

HERE, we see:

the awfulness of sin and the character of its wages

the absolute holiness and inflexible justice of God

the basis of our salvation

the supreme evidence of Christ’s love for us

Here was a Cry of Desolation, a Cry of Separation and a Cry of Expiation

• He was forsaken by God that we might be accepted


5. LET THERE BE BLESSINGS

• John 19:28 He said, "I thirst".

• John 19:29-30 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

• Jesus was fulfilling the Messianic prophecy: “They put gall in my foodand gave me vinegar for my thirst.” Psalm 69:21


5. LET THERE BE BLESSINGS

• Jeremiah 31:27-32 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD. 29 “In those days people will no longer say, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’


30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge. 31 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD,

“when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.


• Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”


6. LET THERE BE PERFECTION

• John 19:30 Jesus said, “IT IS FINISHED".

• Complete fulfillment of prophecies

the "woman’s seed" (Gen 3:15; Gal 4:4)

his mother a "virgin" (Isa 7:14, Matt 1:18)

seed of Abraham (Gen 22:18; Matt 1:1)

Descendant of David (2 Sam 7:12-13; Rom. 1:3)

Named before he was born (Isa 49:1; Luke 1:30-31)

Born in Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2)

His birth entail sorrow for others (Jer. 31:15; Matt 2:16-18)



• Completion of His sufferings

• Sufferings at the hands of men, Satan and God.

Never again shall He suffer shame and agony

Never again shall He experience pain

Never again shall He endure the contradiction of sinners against Himself

Never again shall He be in the hands of Satan

Never again shall the light of God’s countenance be hidden from Him



• Completion of the Purpose of Incarnation

• And on the last night before his death, we find Jesus saying, "I have glorified Youon the earth: I have finished the work which You gave me to do." (John 17:4)



• Accomplishment of Atonement

• God has furnished at least four proofs that Christ did finish the work which was given him to do :

i. The rending of the veil: the way to God now open

ii. The raising of Christ from the dead: God had accepted His sacrifice

iii. The exaltation of Christ to his own right hand: the value of Christ’s work & the Father’s delight in Him

iv. The sending to earth of the Holy Spirit: to apply the virtues and benefits of Christ’s atoning death



• Accomplishment of Atonement

• The work of atonement is finished:

• To the sinner, a message of glad tidings. All that is necessary for the sinner is to rest now by faith upon what Christ did. "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23)

• To the believer, the knowledge that the atoning work of Christ is finished brings a sweet relief over against all the defects and imperfections of his services. We are "complete" in Christ (Col. 2:10)!



• The end of our sins

• "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6).

• Because Christ bore our sins in his own body on the tree (1 Pet. 2:24), the guilt, condemnation and penalty of our sins, was transferred to our substitute.



• Fulfilment of the law’s requirements

• "God sent forth his Son, born of a woman,born under the Law, that he might redeemthem that were under the law" (Gal. 4:4-5)



• Fulfilment of the law’s requirements

• "God sent forth his Son, born of a woman,born under the Law, that he might redeemthem that were under the law" (Gal. 4:4-5)

• Destructions of Satan’s Power

• "that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb. 2:14)

• Christ and his finished work is the ground of all our hopes.


7. LET THERE BE LIFE

• Luke 23:46 And speaking in a loud voice, Jesus said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit".

• an act of FAITH - "I commit”

• absolute UNIQUENESS of the Saviour

• He is in control – As He lays down His life for sinners, He commends His Spirit to God, His Father.



• the place of ETERNAL SECURITY (the Father’s hand)

"My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all: and none is able to pluck out of my Father’s hand" (John 10:29)



Romans 8:1-3 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2

because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,

Conclusion

• 7 times Jesus spoke

• 7 = completeness or perfection

• 7 = REST in a finished work

• 3 of his utterances concerned men:

gave the promise that he should be with him that day in Paradise

confided his mother

made mention of his thirst

Conclusion

• 3 of his utterances were addressed to God:

Prayed for his murderers (forgive them)

Uttered his mournful plaint (forsaken by God)

Commended his spirit

• Hung 6 hours (from 9am to 3pm): both the morning and evening sacrifices as required under the law. After 6 days, Creation was completed.

After 6 hours, Redemption was completed.

Conclusion

• On the 7th day, Adam entered into God’s rest. NOW, we who are in Christ have entered the REST in Christ.

• In the hearing of God and men, angels and devil, he had cried in triumph, "It is finished“ — Forgiveness, Salvation, Love, Acceptance, Blessing, Perfection, Life

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

• Our hope is in REDEMPTION, not in fallen CREATION

Date post:	19-Sep-2020
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