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 don’t 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
can’t 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! Don’t 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 else’s? 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. God’s 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! I’m 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.
