Messages From The Cross
Luke 23:33-46
Last week we looked at Jesus as he was approaching the cross. We looked at his love shown in his radical humility, set in the events of the night before the cross, and that set the stage for the single darkest day of all time – the day that Jesus Christ would bear the sin of the world. Since the Triumphal Entry, the enemies of Jesus had been plotting and scheming his murder, while Jesus had been preparing for the pre-ordained time that would shatter the hold of sin and death on all of creation.
When the time was right
Jesus was arrested in the Garden
Tried illegally in the shadows
Presented as a criminal
Beaten mercilessly, flogged to within an inch of his life
Demeaned, belittled, mocked, ridiculed, and spat upon
Isaiah 50:6 prophesied of Jesus.
Isaiah 50:6 (ESV)
6 I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.
And that is exactly what he did throughout the display of ruthless brutality, he gave himself to those who would put him on the cross.
Isaiah 53:7 (ESV)
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
he opened not his mouth… Meaning he never spoke in his own defense. He never corrected his accusers. He never called down the legions of angels that were at his beck and call at every moment.
But Jesus did speak. He spoke on the cross. He spoke carefully and purposefully and with great eternal meaning each time.
After the humiliating brutality and barely making the agonizing trek to Golgotha under the weight of his own cross, Jesus then laid himself on that cross, and the Roman soldiers drove railroad spikes through his wrists and feet, sending excruciating pain like electrical shock continually through his body from the severing of the crucial nerves. Then the cross was raised and dropped into the hole, dislocating his arms and shoulders, and making it more difficult to breathe. And then Jesus spoke his last words. He spoke seven times from the cross, and every word had eternal meaning. Every word was a sermon. We’re often intrigued by the last words of a person dying, but how much more when that person is Jesus Christ and all of eternity is about to be changed on the cross?
The first message from the cross was a message of
1). Forgiveness Offered
The first words from Jesus on the cross came just as his murderers were driving spikes into his body, and dropping the cross with a bone-breaking thud into its hole. And as the mockers were reviling and shouting insults at him, as the blood of the Sacrificial Lamb began to flow, our Great High Priest was already interceding for us. These first words of Jesus from the cross are all-encompassing. They encapsulate the reason for the cross and they reveal the reason Jesus Christ came to earth in the first place, and they were spoken at the moment of the most excruciating pain and when the evilness of man was at a frenzied level.
Read with me the surrounding verses of this first statement.
Luke 23:33–37 (ESV)
33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
34(b) . . . And they cast lots to divide his garments.
35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”
36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine
37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
In the crucible of the evilness of Mankind
In the most excruciating physical pain inflicted by man
In the face of the vile insults of his murderers
Jesus PRAYED
He prayed in Luke 23:34
Luke 23:34 (ESV)
34 . . . “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” . . .
Were you there?
Were you there when Jesus prayed “Father, forgive them…”
Was it your sinfulness? Was it your evilness that Jesus was interceding for?
Romans 6:6 (ESV)
6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing . . .
Jesus was praying for those “physically involved.” But his prayer was for all who would ever receive the gift of his salvation – including you. It was the Roman mallet that drove the spike through his hand, but it was your sin that put him on the cross, and it was his love for you that held him there.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Those who physically inflicted the agony of the cross didn’t know they were murdering the Son of God. And maybe today, you are not aware that it was your sin that actually put the Son of God on that cross.
This is why Jesus came to earth.
This is why Jesus was on the cross.
He was there in your place
Paying the full penalty for your sin
Dying in your place so that you would not have to.
The second message from the cross was a message of
2). Eternal Life - Guaranteed
Maybe that first prayer of Jesus would pierce your heart as it did to one of the thieves who were crucified with him. It seems like (initially) both criminals may have joined in the mocking. But hearing this prayer of forgiveness from Christ softened the heart of one of these hardened criminals.
Luke 23:39–42 (ESV)
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
This thief has a serious problem that should scream loudly to each of us.
Arthur Pink says: He could not walk in righteousness because he had a nail in his feet. He could not perform any good works because he had nails in his hands. He could not live a better life because he was dying.
This thief was utterly helpless, and so are you and I. The truth is, we are in the same place as this thief. When it comes to doing something in order to be accepted by God, we are absolutely, completely, and utterly helpless. This thief knew he was dying, and he knew he had only one hope – to believe that Jesus Christ IS who he says he IS, and in response to the prayer of faith from this thief, Jesus spoke his second words.
Luke 23:43 (ESV)
43 And [Jesus] said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
No chance to get baptized or take Holy Communion
No chance to be a member of the “Only Right” church
No stop off in Purgatory – No nap in Soul Sleep
No ANYTHING that we like to connect to salvation
NOTHING but FAITH – NOTHING but FAITH – NOTHING but FAITH
A faith that was willing to speak up out of a conviction for WHO Jesus Christ IS. And in that moment a great eternal exchange was taking place between Jesus Christ and that sin-filled thief. Jesus was taking on that thief’s sin and giving that thief his own righteousness. And his promise to you today is as sure as it was to that thief. If you will recognize you are “helpless” to save yourself and look in faith to Jesus Christ on the cross, Jesus will give you his forgiveness and his righteousness just like he did this thief.
In the picture of the two thieves is the message that each of us must choose whether to receive the offer of forgiveness in Jesus Christ – or not.
The third message from the cross was a message of
3). Compassion
Thirty years earlier, in Luke Chapter 2, when Joseph and Mary brought the baby Jesus into the Temple to dedicate him according to Jewish custom, an old prophet named Simeon was there – to whom the Lord had promised he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. That day Simeon took Jesus into his arms and spoke to God, saying he was now ready to die because he had seen the Messiah. Then he prophesied about Jesus and the Nation of Israel and ended his prophecy with a very direct statement to Mary. In Luke 2:35 he said And a sword will pierce your very soul.
Mary was now experiencing the piercing of that sword. Of the few there at the cross who loved Jesus, among them, no agony could compare to Mary, his mother. The face she kissed as a baby was now spit upon and marred beyond recognition. The hair she combed was now matted with blood from the crown of thorns. Her son hung helplessly, and innocently as a criminal, mocked, abused, beaten, and dying.
And Jesus, fully aware and in control, met his mother’s eyes. As they both remembered a childhood of loving care, Jesus spoke his third words from the cross. Mary was standing with the Apostle John and other women – including John’s own mother. And we read in John 19:26-27,
John 19:26–27 (ESV)
26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
Though dying in the most excruciating pain, and knowing the full judgment of God was about to be poured out upon him, Jesus had such great compassion on his mother, and he committed her care to his best friend, the Apostle John.
The fourth message from the cross was a message of
4). Jesus, Forsaken in OUR Place
It was TIME.
In these next incredible words from Jesus on the cross was the culmination of the Plan of Redemption worked out before the foundation of the world. This was the turning point. This moment makes God’s plan of salvation possible. The moment Jesus dreaded most, and the moment God the Father dreaded most. But if this moment had not occurred you and I would still be lost in our sin and separated from God. It was high noon, but at this moment darkness fell over the land. This is the moment that 1 Peter 1 says even the angels can’t fully understand.
Matthew 27:45–46 (ESV)
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
(eh-lee, eh-lee, le-mah, sa-bakh-than-ee)
This is the moment that 2 Corinthians 5:21 says He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us
This is the moment that God poured out the full judgment required to pay for our sin upon the sinless Christ. Jesus Christ was forsaken by God in our place so that we would not have to be.
Galatians 3:13 (ESV)
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us . . .
Jesus was forsaken by God on the cross so that we could be forgiven by God for eternity. And we are either going to be saved by accepting Christ’s payment in our place… or God will be forced to forsake us because of our sin. This was Jesus experiencing the judgment of God upon sin – in our place. For God to remain God, this judgment must come upon sin. It either falls on Christ in our place or we choose to receive that judgment ourselves. We must not take our sin lightly- it requires God’s judgment, and this is the moment Jesus took that judgment in our place.
The fifth message from the cross was a message of
5). The Humanity of Jesus
In John 19:28 Jesus said simply, “I thirst.”
Just as it was prophesied in
Psalm 22:14–15 (ESV)
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
Psalm 22 details the specific effects of crucifixion miraculously well, and this is exactly what Jesus was feeling as fully man. Jesus was fully God AND fully man. He suffered the unimaginable pain of paying for our sin, as God – And he suffered the unimaginable pain of the crucifixion as man. God entered into your suffering, fully human. In fact, Hebrews 2:10 says he was made perfect through his suffering.
But was there another reason Jesus said, “I thirst”?
Let’s read all of John 19:28 (NKJV)
John 19:28 (NKJV)
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”
Watch carefully – in Psalm 69 a prophecy of Jesus, it says,
Psalm 69:21 (ESV)
21 . . . and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.
Now, let’s finish reading in John 19:29.
John 19:29 (ESV)
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.
Trust me, a little vinegar on a sponge wasn’t going to help the crucifixion thirst of Jesus. But it was critically important every prophecy about this moment be filled, so Jesus made sure this prophecy was fulfilled.
The sixth message from the cross was a message of
6). Finality
In one Greek word lies the assurance of our salvation. One word says if we will put our faith in Jesus Christ our debt to God will be completely and forever paid in full. In fact, this word was used to stamp records of debt “Paid In Full.” If you belong to Jesus (or if you will), he cried out this word on your behalf.
TETELESTAI!! IT IS FINISHED!!
Your debt has been paid in full and taken off the books. We read in John 19:30,
John 19:30 (ESV)
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” . . .
The work of your salvation was finished. The price to pay your debt in full was paid. IT IS FINISHED!! You cannot add one thing to the finished work of salvation in Jesus Christ, no more than that pitiful thief could have come down and added something to his salvation. No religious ritual. No observance. No certain church. Not speaking in tongues, or being baptized in a certain way, or anything else. NO THING. No thing. Nothing. You either receive the finished work of Jesus Christ completely by faith or you reject it. (That’s it.) When Jesus Christ finished the work of our salvation, he said IT IS FINISHED! And we should believe him.
The seventh message from the cross was a message of
7). Release
For the first three hours, Jesus suffered under the hands of men.
For the second three hours, he suffered under the wrath of God.
Finally,
Luke 23:46 (ESV)
46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
And we read at this point from Matthew 27:51-54
Matthew 27:51–54 (ESV)
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,
. . .
54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
There was no way that the earth could not respond to this most significant moment of all of time. The earth and the Believers in it had to respond. And, it was at this moment, on this day, that the Passover Lambs were being killed at the Temple. And it was at this moment the proclamation of John the Baptist came to pass when he said,
John 1:29 (ESV)
29 . . . “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
THIS was the Lamb of God, and this was him paying for the sin of the world. This work was now finished – all of creation was responding, and Jesus had committed his Spirit into the hands of the Father. No one took his life from him. This was planned from the foundation of the world.
…and now that work was over
Oh yeah, there’s still the conquering death and the grave part. We’ll get to that next Sunday. But that is a foregone conclusion because no grave can hold the Author of Life.
Sin had been conquered. Death and the grave would be conquered. The only thing now is for you to decide whether to accept or reject the gift of salvation Jesus died that day to give you. If you will put your faith in Jesus – you will never die because on the cross that day, Jesus died in your place and paid the full penalty for your sin. And if you reject his free gift of salvation, the Bible does not offer you any other way to be saved.
Acts 4:12 (ESV)
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Just knowing about the seven times Jesus spoke from the cross should be enough for us to clearly see our need for a Savior, and to gladly receive the free gift of salvation that God has offered us in Jesus Christ.
When the time was right
Jesus was arrested in the Garden
Tried illegally in the shadows
Presented as a criminal
Beaten mercilessly, flogged to within an inch of his life
Demeaned, belittled, mocked, ridiculed, and spat upon
Isaiah 50:6 prophesied of Jesus.
Isaiah 50:6 (ESV)
6 I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.
And that is exactly what he did throughout the display of ruthless brutality, he gave himself to those who would put him on the cross.
Isaiah 53:7 (ESV)
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
he opened not his mouth… Meaning he never spoke in his own defense. He never corrected his accusers. He never called down the legions of angels that were at his beck and call at every moment.
But Jesus did speak. He spoke on the cross. He spoke carefully and purposefully and with great eternal meaning each time.
After the humiliating brutality and barely making the agonizing trek to Golgotha under the weight of his own cross, Jesus then laid himself on that cross, and the Roman soldiers drove railroad spikes through his wrists and feet, sending excruciating pain like electrical shock continually through his body from the severing of the crucial nerves. Then the cross was raised and dropped into the hole, dislocating his arms and shoulders, and making it more difficult to breathe. And then Jesus spoke his last words. He spoke seven times from the cross, and every word had eternal meaning. Every word was a sermon. We’re often intrigued by the last words of a person dying, but how much more when that person is Jesus Christ and all of eternity is about to be changed on the cross?
The first message from the cross was a message of
1). Forgiveness Offered
The first words from Jesus on the cross came just as his murderers were driving spikes into his body, and dropping the cross with a bone-breaking thud into its hole. And as the mockers were reviling and shouting insults at him, as the blood of the Sacrificial Lamb began to flow, our Great High Priest was already interceding for us. These first words of Jesus from the cross are all-encompassing. They encapsulate the reason for the cross and they reveal the reason Jesus Christ came to earth in the first place, and they were spoken at the moment of the most excruciating pain and when the evilness of man was at a frenzied level.
Read with me the surrounding verses of this first statement.
Luke 23:33–37 (ESV)
33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
34(b) . . . And they cast lots to divide his garments.
35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”
36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine
37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
In the crucible of the evilness of Mankind
In the most excruciating physical pain inflicted by man
In the face of the vile insults of his murderers
Jesus PRAYED
He prayed in Luke 23:34
Luke 23:34 (ESV)
34 . . . “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” . . .
Were you there?
Were you there when Jesus prayed “Father, forgive them…”
Was it your sinfulness? Was it your evilness that Jesus was interceding for?
Romans 6:6 (ESV)
6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing . . .
Jesus was praying for those “physically involved.” But his prayer was for all who would ever receive the gift of his salvation – including you. It was the Roman mallet that drove the spike through his hand, but it was your sin that put him on the cross, and it was his love for you that held him there.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Those who physically inflicted the agony of the cross didn’t know they were murdering the Son of God. And maybe today, you are not aware that it was your sin that actually put the Son of God on that cross.
This is why Jesus came to earth.
This is why Jesus was on the cross.
He was there in your place
Paying the full penalty for your sin
Dying in your place so that you would not have to.
The second message from the cross was a message of
2). Eternal Life - Guaranteed
Maybe that first prayer of Jesus would pierce your heart as it did to one of the thieves who were crucified with him. It seems like (initially) both criminals may have joined in the mocking. But hearing this prayer of forgiveness from Christ softened the heart of one of these hardened criminals.
Luke 23:39–42 (ESV)
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
This thief has a serious problem that should scream loudly to each of us.
Arthur Pink says: He could not walk in righteousness because he had a nail in his feet. He could not perform any good works because he had nails in his hands. He could not live a better life because he was dying.
This thief was utterly helpless, and so are you and I. The truth is, we are in the same place as this thief. When it comes to doing something in order to be accepted by God, we are absolutely, completely, and utterly helpless. This thief knew he was dying, and he knew he had only one hope – to believe that Jesus Christ IS who he says he IS, and in response to the prayer of faith from this thief, Jesus spoke his second words.
Luke 23:43 (ESV)
43 And [Jesus] said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
No chance to get baptized or take Holy Communion
No chance to be a member of the “Only Right” church
No stop off in Purgatory – No nap in Soul Sleep
No ANYTHING that we like to connect to salvation
NOTHING but FAITH – NOTHING but FAITH – NOTHING but FAITH
A faith that was willing to speak up out of a conviction for WHO Jesus Christ IS. And in that moment a great eternal exchange was taking place between Jesus Christ and that sin-filled thief. Jesus was taking on that thief’s sin and giving that thief his own righteousness. And his promise to you today is as sure as it was to that thief. If you will recognize you are “helpless” to save yourself and look in faith to Jesus Christ on the cross, Jesus will give you his forgiveness and his righteousness just like he did this thief.
In the picture of the two thieves is the message that each of us must choose whether to receive the offer of forgiveness in Jesus Christ – or not.
The third message from the cross was a message of
3). Compassion
Thirty years earlier, in Luke Chapter 2, when Joseph and Mary brought the baby Jesus into the Temple to dedicate him according to Jewish custom, an old prophet named Simeon was there – to whom the Lord had promised he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. That day Simeon took Jesus into his arms and spoke to God, saying he was now ready to die because he had seen the Messiah. Then he prophesied about Jesus and the Nation of Israel and ended his prophecy with a very direct statement to Mary. In Luke 2:35 he said And a sword will pierce your very soul.
Mary was now experiencing the piercing of that sword. Of the few there at the cross who loved Jesus, among them, no agony could compare to Mary, his mother. The face she kissed as a baby was now spit upon and marred beyond recognition. The hair she combed was now matted with blood from the crown of thorns. Her son hung helplessly, and innocently as a criminal, mocked, abused, beaten, and dying.
And Jesus, fully aware and in control, met his mother’s eyes. As they both remembered a childhood of loving care, Jesus spoke his third words from the cross. Mary was standing with the Apostle John and other women – including John’s own mother. And we read in John 19:26-27,
John 19:26–27 (ESV)
26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
Though dying in the most excruciating pain, and knowing the full judgment of God was about to be poured out upon him, Jesus had such great compassion on his mother, and he committed her care to his best friend, the Apostle John.
The fourth message from the cross was a message of
4). Jesus, Forsaken in OUR Place
It was TIME.
In these next incredible words from Jesus on the cross was the culmination of the Plan of Redemption worked out before the foundation of the world. This was the turning point. This moment makes God’s plan of salvation possible. The moment Jesus dreaded most, and the moment God the Father dreaded most. But if this moment had not occurred you and I would still be lost in our sin and separated from God. It was high noon, but at this moment darkness fell over the land. This is the moment that 1 Peter 1 says even the angels can’t fully understand.
Matthew 27:45–46 (ESV)
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
(eh-lee, eh-lee, le-mah, sa-bakh-than-ee)
This is the moment that 2 Corinthians 5:21 says He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us
This is the moment that God poured out the full judgment required to pay for our sin upon the sinless Christ. Jesus Christ was forsaken by God in our place so that we would not have to be.
Galatians 3:13 (ESV)
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us . . .
Jesus was forsaken by God on the cross so that we could be forgiven by God for eternity. And we are either going to be saved by accepting Christ’s payment in our place… or God will be forced to forsake us because of our sin. This was Jesus experiencing the judgment of God upon sin – in our place. For God to remain God, this judgment must come upon sin. It either falls on Christ in our place or we choose to receive that judgment ourselves. We must not take our sin lightly- it requires God’s judgment, and this is the moment Jesus took that judgment in our place.
The fifth message from the cross was a message of
5). The Humanity of Jesus
In John 19:28 Jesus said simply, “I thirst.”
Just as it was prophesied in
Psalm 22:14–15 (ESV)
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
Psalm 22 details the specific effects of crucifixion miraculously well, and this is exactly what Jesus was feeling as fully man. Jesus was fully God AND fully man. He suffered the unimaginable pain of paying for our sin, as God – And he suffered the unimaginable pain of the crucifixion as man. God entered into your suffering, fully human. In fact, Hebrews 2:10 says he was made perfect through his suffering.
But was there another reason Jesus said, “I thirst”?
Let’s read all of John 19:28 (NKJV)
John 19:28 (NKJV)
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”
Watch carefully – in Psalm 69 a prophecy of Jesus, it says,
Psalm 69:21 (ESV)
21 . . . and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.
Now, let’s finish reading in John 19:29.
John 19:29 (ESV)
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.
Trust me, a little vinegar on a sponge wasn’t going to help the crucifixion thirst of Jesus. But it was critically important every prophecy about this moment be filled, so Jesus made sure this prophecy was fulfilled.
The sixth message from the cross was a message of
6). Finality
In one Greek word lies the assurance of our salvation. One word says if we will put our faith in Jesus Christ our debt to God will be completely and forever paid in full. In fact, this word was used to stamp records of debt “Paid In Full.” If you belong to Jesus (or if you will), he cried out this word on your behalf.
TETELESTAI!! IT IS FINISHED!!
Your debt has been paid in full and taken off the books. We read in John 19:30,
John 19:30 (ESV)
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” . . .
The work of your salvation was finished. The price to pay your debt in full was paid. IT IS FINISHED!! You cannot add one thing to the finished work of salvation in Jesus Christ, no more than that pitiful thief could have come down and added something to his salvation. No religious ritual. No observance. No certain church. Not speaking in tongues, or being baptized in a certain way, or anything else. NO THING. No thing. Nothing. You either receive the finished work of Jesus Christ completely by faith or you reject it. (That’s it.) When Jesus Christ finished the work of our salvation, he said IT IS FINISHED! And we should believe him.
The seventh message from the cross was a message of
7). Release
For the first three hours, Jesus suffered under the hands of men.
For the second three hours, he suffered under the wrath of God.
Finally,
Luke 23:46 (ESV)
46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
And we read at this point from Matthew 27:51-54
Matthew 27:51–54 (ESV)
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,
. . .
54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
There was no way that the earth could not respond to this most significant moment of all of time. The earth and the Believers in it had to respond. And, it was at this moment, on this day, that the Passover Lambs were being killed at the Temple. And it was at this moment the proclamation of John the Baptist came to pass when he said,
John 1:29 (ESV)
29 . . . “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
THIS was the Lamb of God, and this was him paying for the sin of the world. This work was now finished – all of creation was responding, and Jesus had committed his Spirit into the hands of the Father. No one took his life from him. This was planned from the foundation of the world.
…and now that work was over
Oh yeah, there’s still the conquering death and the grave part. We’ll get to that next Sunday. But that is a foregone conclusion because no grave can hold the Author of Life.
Sin had been conquered. Death and the grave would be conquered. The only thing now is for you to decide whether to accept or reject the gift of salvation Jesus died that day to give you. If you will put your faith in Jesus – you will never die because on the cross that day, Jesus died in your place and paid the full penalty for your sin. And if you reject his free gift of salvation, the Bible does not offer you any other way to be saved.
Acts 4:12 (ESV)
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Just knowing about the seven times Jesus spoke from the cross should be enough for us to clearly see our need for a Savior, and to gladly receive the free gift of salvation that God has offered us in Jesus Christ.