WORDS OF JESUS ON THE CROSS
By David J. Riggs
Intro.
A. In the gospels, there are seven sayings of Jesus while He was
on the cross.
B. Each carries great significance.
C. Let us examine each of them.
I. HIS FIRST WORDS CONCERN FORGIVENESS. "Father forgive
them, for they do not know what they do." Luke 23:34
A. Let us read Luke 23:32-38.
1. Thus, Jesus asked forgiveness for those evil Jews even as
they were killing Him.
B. "Forgiveness" is the very heart and soul of Jesus' ministry.
1. He did not come to destroy, but to save. Luke 9:51-56
C. Jesus never taught unconditional forgiveness. John 8:24; Luke
13:3
1. Jesus' prayer began to be answered on the day of Pentecost.
a. They were guilty of murdering the Son of God, and
when they repented, they would be forgiven. Acts 3:13-
19
D. Jesus also has a deep interest in our forgiveness.
1. There was a judge who had to sentence a young man to
prison for a serious crime. The young man pleaded, "Judge
don't you remember me. I'm that young man you once
pulled from the lake when I was drowning." The judge
replied, "Son, I was your savior then; but I am your judge
now."
2. Likewise, we are in the age of mercy now; but the time is
coming when Christ will not be our Savior but our Judge.
II. THE NEXT WORDS OF JESUS CONCERN SALVATION.
"Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in
Paradise." (Luke 23:43)
A. This gives us insight as to where Jesus went while His body was
in the tomb.
1. The place Paradise had to be in Hades.
a. Peter spoke of this in Acts 2:27,31.
b. Jesus, after He was raised, said He had not yet ascended
to the Father. John 20:17
2. This agrees with the Lord's teaching in Luke 16. See Luke
16:22-23,26
a. Thus, the righteous go into a place of comfort called
"Abraham's bosom" or "Paradise," but the wicked go
into a place of torment.
3. Think of the wisdom of the one in the face of his death.
"Lord, remember me..."
a. The other thief shows the hardness of man will continue
even to death.
b. A brother once said, "Before I go to bed each night, I
ask God to forgive me of all sins because if the Lord
returns during the night, I will be prepared."
III. WE TURN TO THE WORDS OF AFFECTION. "Woman, behold
your son!" "Behold your mother!" John 19:25-27
A. This is truly a very touching scene.
1. Jesus, in His final moments, expresses His love and concern
for His mother and her well being.
2. The love and compassion of Jesus is often expressed in the
gospels.
a. His miracles were often the result of His compassion.
Mark 1:40-42
b. He had compassion on the multitudes. Matt. 9:36-37
c. He was moved by the tears of others. John 11:33-35
B. In His dying moments, Jesus showed His love for His mother, but
remember Mark 3:31-35.
1. He loves you and me as He did His mother.
2. The words of a hymn say, "He left the splendor of heaven,
knowing His destiny, walked the lonely field of Golgotha, to
lay down His life for me. If that isn't love, then the ocean
is dry, and the sparrow can't fly; then heaven's a myth, and
there's no feeling like this, if that isn't love."
IV. THE NEXT WORDS ARE THOSE OF ANGUISH. "Eli, Eli, lama
sabachthani?" Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34
A. The writers give us the actual words which were spoken and
their translation.
1. The original words were in the Aramaic language which was
a slight variation of the Hebrew. The translation was in
Greek.
B. This was one of the heart-rending statements found in Psalm 22.
1. This Psalm reads as though the writer was an eye-witness of
the crucifixion, written about 1,000 years before it
occurred.
2. It was a prophecy of that dark day when the Messiah died for
the sins of the world.
3. It was the day when the suffering Savior took the guilt of
our sins upon Himself.
C. It was that day, about 2,000 years ago when, for a moment of
time, the Father had to forsake His only begotten Son because
of the guilt of sin.
1. Indeed, "the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
Isa. 53:6
2. The Lord's cry of anguish makes possible shouts of victory
in the forgiveness of sins. Rev. 1:5b
V. THE FIFTH WORDS FROM THE CROSS INDICATE SUFFERING. "I thirst!"
John 19:28
A. Remember that Jesus was not only crucified but scourged as
well.
1. The scourging was Pilate's feeble attempt to appease the
Jews. Luke 23:16,22; John 19:1-5
2. Scourging was one of the most brutal beatings administered
by man.
3. Whips were made of leather with bits of bone, stone, or
metal in the end of the leather strips.
4. The victim was stripped, tied across a pillar or table, and
beaten with the scourge which tore open the flesh with
gaping wounds.
5. This would go on until the victim would either swoon or die.
6. The loss of blood was substantial.
7. It was up to the officer in charge to call a halt to the
beating.
8. Naturally, the person who was so horribly beaten would be
exceedingly weak. This is why Jesus was unable to carry His
cross, and died rather quickly on the cross.
a. His stripes were part of the redemptive price. Isa. 53:5;
1 Pet. 2:24
B. The crucifixion involved driving large spikes through the
wrists and feet.
1. Again, this loss of blood caused by such treatment would
have been substantial.
2. The scourging and the nail wounds causing such loss of
blood would cause severe dehydration.
3. Remember, Jesus hung there on that cross for six hours,
from the third hour to the ninth hour, before He died. Mark
15:25,34
4. It is no wonder that the Lord cried out, "I thirst."
VI. THE SIXTH EXPRESSION ARE WORDS OF VICTORY. "It is finished." John
19:30
A. Jesus had come to do the will of the Father in bringing about
human redemption.
1. Peter once tried to rebuke Jesus for saying He would be
killed. Matt. 16:21-23
a. Thus, discouraging Him from doing what He came to do
was to Jesus a work of Satan.
B. How grateful we ought to be that Jesus was able to say, "It is
finished."
1. Consider what was now finished: His work on earth; His
suffering; the O.T. Law; the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world; the price of redemption was now paid.
VII. THE LAST WORDS ARE WORDS OF CONTENTMENT. "Father into your hands
I commend My spirit." Luke 23:46
A. Here, in the final seconds of His life is the supreme
expression of contentment.
B. As we look at the gospel records, we see Jesus as One who loved
His father, obeyed His Father, prayed to His Father; and now,
finally, as He breathes His last breath commits His spirit into
His Father's hands.
1. What a beautiful picture of the relationship of the Son with
the Father!
2. What a tremendous challenge and powerful example for all
of us who seek to walk in His steps!
C. There are many stories of unbelievers who died kicking and
screaming because of the terror of the unknown looming over
them.
1. They had lived in defiance of God and at the end shuddered
at the thought of meeting God unprepared.
2. Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899), the famous Atheist who
bitterly opposed God and the Bible, is said to have stated
on his deathbed, "Oh God, if there be a God, save my soul,
if I have a soul, from hell, if there be a hell."
D. Let us be moved by the love of Christ and live everyday for the
Lord so that with great contentment we can say, "Father into
thy hands I commend my spirit."
Concl.
A. From the chart below:
1. "Father forgive..." - Forgiveness
2. "Assuredly...today..." - Salvation
3. "Woman, behold..." - Affection
4. "Eli, Eli..." - Anguish
5. "I thirst" - Suffering
6. "It is finished" - Victory
7. "Father into..." - Contentment
Chart:
Words of Jesus on the Cross
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke
23:34)
"Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
(Luke 23:43)
"Woman, behold your son!
"Behold your mother!" (John 19:25-27)
"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34)
"I thirst!" (John 19:28)
"It is finished!" (John 19:30)
"Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit." (Luke 23:46)