The Seven Last Words of Christ From The Cross

The First Word:
“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”
–Luke 23:34

It makes sense that the first word of Jesus from the cross is a word of forgiveness. That’s the point of the cross. after all. Jesus is dying so that we might be forgiven for our sins.

 

The Second Word:
“I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
–Luke 23:43

We are welcome there not because God is merciful and we have put our trust in Jesus.

 

The Third Word:
“Dear woman, here is your son.”
–John 19:26

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 didn’t neglect in his last moments.

 

The Fourth Word:
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
–Mark 15:34

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.

 

The Fifth Word:
“I am thirsty.”
–John 19:28

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, it’s likely that John was thinking of Psalm 69, which includes this passage: “if only one would turn and comfort me. But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst.”

 

The Sixth Word:
“It is finished!”
–John 19:30

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. We know that nothing can separate us from God’s love.

 

The Seventh Word:
“Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”
–Luke 23:46

“I entrust my spirit into your hands” points back to the familiar suffering of David in Psalm 31, and forward to the resurrection.

Have you accepted God’s salvation through Christ?

It Is Finished

 

Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.”
So this is what the soldiers did.

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 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.
— John 19:17-30 (NIV)

 

Have You Heard The Real Story?

You’ve always known there was more to Easter than bunnies and candy, but what exactly? Why do we celebrate a mans death on a cross? And what does it have to do with you?

On the first Easter, Jesus followers found His tomb empty and the world has never been the same! Jesus death and resurrection was a miraculous event that has incredible, life-changing implications even today. Forgiveness, freedom and eternal life are all possible because of Easter.

Cyberattack Thwarted, 1 John 2:21

Within the past hour an attempt was made to hack my Facebook and Yahoo accounts. Those attempts have now been thwarted.

I received Emails alerting me that an unauthorized user was trying to get into my accounts from a remote location. They were only on my Facebook and Yahoo accounts for a few minutes before I got back into them and changed the passwords.

To everyone on my friends list:

Whoever got into my accounts had access to everything in the accounts including my list of friends. PLEASE CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD NOW.

To the hacker:

I have your IP address, the state, and the city that you made the attack from. If you wanted information from me, you should have acted like an adult and just asked. If one of your friends did it, the trail will lead right back to you — again.  Just stop.

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
–Romans 1:25

I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.
–1 John 2:21

Despite the inconvenience that this has caused to my friends and I, I forgive you. However, my forgiveness does not validate your actions.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
–Matthew 18:21-22

Because He Lives…

In The Midst of Suffering

One of the most powerful prayers in the midst of suffering I have read was uncovered from the horrors of Ravensbruck concentration camp. Ravensbruck was a concentration camp built in 1939 for women. Over 90,000 women and children perished in Ravensbruck, murdered by the Nazis. Corrie Ten Boom, who wrote The Hiding Place, was imprisoned there too. The prayer, found in the clothing of a dead child, says:

O Lord, remember not only the men and woman of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all of the suffering they have inflicted upon us: Instead remember the fruits we have borne because of this suffering, our fellowship, our loyalty to one another, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown from this trouble. When our persecutors come to be judged by you, let all of these fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.

Be blessed and be a blessing. –Pastor George