Seven Last Sayings of Jesus while He was on the Cross – a plea for forgiveness…and more!
The following seven are taken from Erwin Lutzer’s Cries from the Cross – A Journey into the Heart of Jesus
1) Pardon
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. Luke 23:34
2) Assurance:
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43
3) Compassion
When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. John 19:26-27
4) Anguish
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Mat 27:46
5) Suffering
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” John 19:28
6) Victory
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30
7) Submission
And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father,`into Your hands I commit My spirit.'” Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:46
One of the unique things about Jesus Christ, which set him apart from others suffering the same fate, was His forgiving attitude. The forgiveness of our sins was, after all, His purpose. Here are some great articles from several sources for our reflection on this day….
Bible.org on the seven last sayings of Jesus:
The majority of bandits and criminals, defiant and furious, would yell curses and insults while being nailed to a cross, but Jesus, filled with an amazing calmness and an inexplicable love, interceded with the Father for the forgiveness of his torturers. As J.C. Ryle, the famous Anglican Bishop of Liverpool expressed so well, “While the blood of the greatest sacrifice started to flow, the greatest of all high priests started to intercede.” Jesus, since he was God in the form of man, could have condemned his torturers or destroyed them with his breath. But then what would his sufferings have accomplished? He came to save and not to judge. He preferred to die for the guilty, which required of him even more strength and courage.
Praying for one’s torturers is not human. Jesus was able to do it because of his intimate relationship with the Father. By so doing, he accomplished the words of the prophet Isaiah, “He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53.12)…keep reading
John MacArthur on the seven last sayings of Jesus:
Because of the physical rigors of crucifixion, Christ spoke only with great difficulty during His final hours on the cross. Scripture records just seven brief sayings from the Savior on the cross, but every one of them reveals that Christ remained sovereignly in control, even as He died. And each of His sayings was rich with significance…keep reading
From Creation Ministries International – Why did Jesus wear a crown of thorns?
Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying,`You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” Gen 3:17-19
Finally, Andreas Köstenberger and Justin Taylor discuss five fallacies commonly associated with Easter:
1. Don’t say Jesus died when he was 33 years old.
The common assertion seems reasonable that if Jesus “began his ministry” when he “was about thirty years of age” (Luke 3:23) and engaged in a three-year ministry (John mentions three Passovers, and there might have been a fourth one), then he was 33 years old at the time of his death. However, virtually no scholar believes Jesus was actually 33 when he died. Jesus was born before Herod the Great issued the decree to execute “all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under” (Matt. 2:16, ESV) and before Herod died in the spring of 4 B.C. If Jesus was born in the fall of 5 or 6 B.C., and if we remember that we don’t count the “0” between B.C. and A.D., then Jesus would have been 37 or 38 years old when he died in the spring of A.D. 33 (as we believe is most likely). Even if Jesus died in the year A.D. 30 (the only serious alternative date), he would have been 34 or 35, not 33 years old. No major doctrine is affected by this common misconception. But don’t damage your credibility by confidently proclaiming “facts” from the pulpit that are not true…keep reading
Sharing is caring!
