Seven Words Of Hope And Life

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Mark -48 Easter Seven Word of Hope and Life SEVEN WONDERFUL WORDS OF HOPE AND LIFE

Transcript

Open your Bibles with me to the Gospel of Mark. We’re looking this morning at Jesus Christ applying His resurrection. When Jesus Christ stepped out of that tomb as you saw beautifully portrayed this morning, sung about, rehearsed, you’ve been reading, and now we’re going to look again. He had to come to a group of people that didn’t quite understand what was going on. In fact, they weren’t expecting it. They were confused, they were fearful, hiding, locking the doors. How did He apply that resurrection to those people? Every time He takes him back to what He had already said in His Word, and that’s what I want to do with you.

In fact, we’re not going to cover everything that Jesus said. We’re just going to cover the seven last words of Jesus Christ. The seven last times that He spoke. Those were probably the freshest on their minds. Those were probably the words they couldn’t forget because they came from Him as he was dying on the cross. We’re going to start in chapter 15 in verse 33. As we start, I remind you, Jesus lives. The tomb is empty. Death has been destroyed. God is in control, and His Word is true. That’s the message the resurrection brings us.

Let’s listen as we follow along. The Devil was destroyed because he had the power of death, and because at the resurrection, Jesus took His own troubled disciples back to what He said. He took them back to what He had promised and what He had offered them, and in their grief and in their sorrow, they didn’t get it, and that’s why He spoke seven times. There are seven last words, and Mark 15:33 is only the first one. The seven times He spoke to us from the cross are treasures. Even as I get to this, I think of the last words I’ve heard dear people to me say. I remember the last words my mother ever spoke just before she was ushered into the presence of the Lord. I remember the last words that Bonnie’s mother spoke before the Lord took her home. I remember Bonnie’s grandmother. I can just go through, and I’m sure you can too, of those that you love, their last words. They’re treasures.

What we’re going to read this morning is a treasure because before Jesus died, He wanted to say these things. He labored to say these things, His dying lips through the raging thirst in His dried mouth, despite excruciating pain, He still said these words. He wasn’t silent. As He bore the horrors of sin, as He faced death and Hell, He speaks. We should listen.

You know the story. He was seized by the Romans. He was rudely, crudely, and horribly treated. He was beaten, and finally, He was dragged and stretched out and nailed to the cross. You know what I just said happened 30,000 times just in Christ’s lifetime to different people. Those soldiers, as they began pushing Him upward and lifting Him upright on that cross they were calloused and hardened because they had executed many. The normal response, shrieking historians tell us. Cursing, screaming, spitting, and always with hatred, seething up. So, as they tipped Christ up, they waited to see what this one was going to do.

As they were all looking up, His lips began to move. Words began to form, and He spoke. Did He curse? No. Did He shriek? No. He prayed. In fact, four, starting with this one that we’re going to look at this morning, of Christ’s recorded words from the cross are prayers. I remember Isaiah had said in chapter 52 in verse 12, it says He would make intercession for His people. That’s exactly what He was doing on the cross that day. Jesus spoke in the midst of all. This prisoner held by spikes, crowned with thorns, covered with bleeding wounds, is about to speak to His cruel tormentors, and His lips begin to move.

Let’s listen to Him as we stand together for the reading of God’s Word. I’ll start in the Gospel by Mark chapter 15. You follow along starting in verse 3. Now, when the sixth hour had come. God’s really concerned about time. Jesus began to be crucified, it says in the Scripture, at about the third hour, that is 9:00 a.m. Why would that be? Because, as we’ll see tonight, as we see the visual reenactment of this, that Jesus had to be crucified at exactly the same moment that the Passover lamb was brought into the temple and tied to the great altar by the high priest.

Continuing to read, it says, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. Again, God’s quite concerned with details. The first Passover in Exodus was preceded by three complete days of absolute blackness and darkness. Do you remember the first Passover? Three days of darkness. Before the Passover Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world suffered to the end, God covered the last three hours with darkness and then put Him in the grave for three days, all paralleling the Passover.

Continuing in verse 34 and at the ninth hour. Not a moment before, not a moment after, because in God’s precise timetable, it had to be at the ninth hour, that’s 3:00 p.m. So, it was pitch black, unearthly, supernatural darkness from noon to three. But when it hit three, which was exactly the moment, as we’ll see tonight from the Scriptures, that the Passover lamb was led high on the platform in front of the entire nation of Israel. And the high priest would lift up its chin as it stood there so innocently and so fearlessly. He’d lift up its chin and would slit its throat and kill it in front of the nation. At that exact moment, Jesus Christ, verse 34, in the ninth hour, Jesus cried out and with a loud voice, said, Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani, which is translated, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? And Jesus cried out at the exact moment that the lamb was slain as He hung there as our Lamb of God to take away our sin.

Let’s bow before Him this morning. We thank You, dear Father, in Heaven for the precision of Your Word. We stand here this morning holding a book that’s true. We know it’s true because You promised that Jesus would come and He did. And You promised everything about His coming, and it happened. Then you promised that He would die, one for the many, and He did. But Your Word said that Your holy One would not see corruption, but that He would rise, and He did. So, therefore, Jesus, You live. Your tomb is empty. Death has been destroyed. God, You are in control. This morning, we know Your Word is true. I pray that the true Word recording Your seven last words will ring in our hearts. Those who come here in need of forgiveness would hear Your Word of forgiveness. If they come in need of assurance, they would hear Your Word of assurance; in need of confidence, knowing that You can take us safely home would hear that word of confidence. And that all of us, we leave here with that word of triumph on our hearts that You finished the work. It is finished, and we can rest in You who are risen indeed. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Bless every moment that we hear Your voice through Your Word this morning to our hearts. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

You may be seated, as you’re seated, remember what Christ had gone through. This passage, picking up in verse 33, has just zipped right by all the events that have taken place. Jesus was acquitted by the highest court of the nation. God went to great detail to let all of us know that Jesus was sinless. The highest court of the land said in the form of Pilate, I find no guilt in Him. Judas, the betrayer who lived and worked alongside Jesus Christ for over three years, said, I have betrayed innocent blood. Pilate’s wife said, this man is a righteous man. Have nothing to do with Him. Over and over, the Scriptures tell us down to the centurion at the foot of the cross.

But all that has transpired, and Jesus is hanging on the cross. What is the first thing that comes out of His mouth? A prayer. As I told you, Isaiah 52, that’s the chapter just before the famous 53rd chapter. Isaiah 52, the last verse says He would make intercession for transgressors. We find Him beginning with this, and if you’re a Bible marker and you’ve never marked them, this is one of the seven words, and I’m going to show you all seven this morning.

This is what we call the word of anguish. He said this: Eloi Eloi Lama. Eloi is My God. Eloi is My God. Lama Sabachthani is two words that run out into our English, why have You forsaken Me? And you know what the answer is? The reason Jesus was forsaken by God, the reason that Jesus cried this cry of agony, is so that we would not have to be forsaken by God. The bottom line of the Gospel is this: either you are going to pay your bill for your sins, and I’m going to pay my bill for my sins, or we’re going to let someone else do it for us. You know what? When we think that we can do enough good to please God, then we are thinking that we’re what? Going to pay our own bill.

Those people who go through life, and you meet them, and I meet them. I talk to them all the time. When you share the Gospel, you hear them say it. I say, do you have an assurance that you’re going to Heaven? And they go I think my good works have outweighed my bad. Have you ever heard them say that? It’s a very common response. You know what? They think they’re paying for their sin, and they don’t realize what happened right here. Jesus said, My God, You have forsaken Me. The reason God forsook Christ was so that He would never have to forsake those who place their trust in Him.

This morning in our sunrise service, the first one, we looked at the difference between historic faith and saving faith. Historic faith is that He lives; one and a half or 2 billion people are proclaiming that today. That’s historic. In fact, even the pagans are proclaiming that today. That’s the Christian holiday for their God who lives. Do you know what saving faith is? He lives in me. Can you say that this morning? Can you say that because of Jesus’ word of anguish? We remember that word because it speaks of Him absorbing the wrath of God against our sin. Either He absorbs God’s wrath, or you have to absorb it forever. Only a perfect God-man could absorb in six hours on that Friday the wrath of God that takes eternity in Hell to pour out. Either you forever pay for it, or He paid it all. We therefore trust in Him. He lives; that’s a fact. He lives in me, that’s salvation. Jesus spoke this word of anguish, His last word, to assure us that He absorbed all the punishment for our sins forever.

Now, the Apostle Paul distilled down salvation to one little verse, 2 Corinthians 5:21. It says this: for He, that’s God the Father, hath made Him, that’s Christ the Son hanging on the cross, to become sin for us. When that happened, when He became sin for us, God turned away from Him. That’s part of what that blackness for three hours was all about. That God forsook Christ. Why? Paul says that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ because we were in Christ on that cross. He was bearing our sins. If we place our trust in Him, He paid the debt. He speaks a word of anguish to remind us that He suffered for us.

The hymn writer, Charles Wesley, reflected on this word. It’s called a word; it’s actually four in Greek. We call the word that He spoke this Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani. As Wesley reflected on that word of agony, he wrote a hymn. Let me read it to you. It says, arise, my soul, arise. Shake off thy guilty fears that you haven’t done enough good, and you might not make it, and maybe one sin too many will hit you, and then you won’t make it to Heaven. Shake off those guilty fears, Wesley said. The bleeding sacrifice on my behalf appears. Before God’s throne, my surety stands, my name is written on His hands.

Did you know that forever Jesus bears the scars of the cross? I think far more than the cinematographers portray. In Revelation 5, when Jesus shows up in front of the throne, like this hymn says, before the throne, my surety stands. Do you know what it says? He looks like a massacred lamb. That’s the literal rendering of the Greek, massacred. A little dot right here and a little dot right there, and a little dot right there and a little dot right there. Sure doesn’t look like a massacre to me. I think probably His face will still bear it. His visage, as Isaiah said, was marred more than any human. I think that forever, all of us who know Jesus Christ will see Him in Heaven and will see the scars on His face, His hands, His side, His feet. We will well up with a wave of remembrance that that’s because of my sin.

Wesley continued. Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on Calvary. They pour out effectual prayer. They strongly plead for me. What do they plead? Forgive him, oh, forgive they cry, nor let that ransom sinner die. My God is reconciled. His pardoning voice I hear. He owns me for his child. I can no longer fear with confidence; I now draw nigh. Father, Abba Father, cry.

Jesus spoke seven times from the cross, the first one being His cry of anguish, of agony, of separation from God. He cried that out so that you and I would never have to experience separation from God. Do you know for sure that Jesus Christ bore your sin? Have you asked Him to pay your bill? Have you asked Him not to require you to pay part of it, and for you to hope that you make it? But have you said, I can’t save myself? I’m unable to do enough good to even merit any favor from You. I humbly bow before you as the publican beating his breast in Luke, saying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. That’s what the word of anguish tells us.

The second word is in Luke, and let’s turn there. We go from Mark to Luke. It’s the next book, turn to Luke 23. If you’re a Bible marker, you can write number two. That was the word of anguish. Luke 23 in verse 34 is the word of forgiveness. The word of forgiveness. So, if you have accepted Christ’s anguish, you say, He gave himself for me. He died in my place. He suffered God’s wrath, so I don’t have to. If you’ve done that, then you can experience the second word. Here’s the second word, in verse 34, then Jesus said. Luke doesn’t throw in the actual words for us. He just gives us the translation of them. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. The last one he gave us, the Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani. Now, Luke is just trying to get to the message, and he says exactly what Jesus said. Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them.

Now, notice what the second word from the cross? It’s another prayer. What’s Jesus doing on the cross? Isaiah saw him 680 years before the cross. He saw Him praying. He’s praying again. He’s looking up, and He’s saying, Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do. That’s the word of forgiveness. That’s the pity without end. You remember Bernard of Clairvaux, the 11th-century hymn writer from Germany. He said, oh sacred head, now wounded with grief and shame, weighed down. He goes on and on through looking at the cross, and he talks about thy pity without end. This is the forgiving pity of Jesus Christ. This is reminding us of Jesus offering His love to us even though we’re sinners. Do you remember what the best-known verse in the Bible says? For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Paul adds, while we were yet sinners, Christ died.

Do you know the word of forgiveness? Do you know how you get the word of forgiveness? That whosoever what? Believeth in Him. Those who believe in Him that his anguish was for their sins, not for Idi Amin, the Butcher of Kenya, not for Joseph Stalin, who killed 20 million of his own Russians. For me. I’ve sinned enough in the first few moments of my conscious existence, when I became willful and selfish and wanting my own way, I sinned enough going my own way and never turned from it. I don’t need to be a butcher. I just want my own way. God says, you’re guilty. So guilty, you cannot be in My presence unless you let My Son take your sin. Have you let Him? Have you heard His Word of forgiveness? Do you know that here, the only Intercessor there is, the only High Priest there is, is praying for sinners. Have you received His forgiveness?

Christ’s last words assure us that He offers to us His love, even though He knows we have failed Him, sinned against Him, and resisted Him. He still loves us. Father, forgive them, but He qualifies it. What’d He add, Father? Forgive them for what? They know, not what they do. Caiaphas knew what he was doing. He wanted to get rid of Him. Never said that was the high priest. He never said Jesus didn’t do the miracles. He never said that Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. He never said that Jesus didn’t multiply the bread. He just didn’t want Him to exist anymore because he hated Him. John says he hated the Light and he wanted the darkness rather than the Light. So, Jesus wasn’t forgiving Caiaphas.

He didn’t forgive Pilate. Pilate knew what he was doing. He had a personal interview; he was the only guy who had a personal interview with Christ in His last moments on the Earth. Pilate didn’t respond to that interview, the personal working time of Christ. So, He wasn’t forgiving Pilate.

He wasn’t forgiving Judas. Judas never said he was a sinner. He just said that he shouldn’t have done it, and it made him really feel guilty, so he went out and committed suicide. But he never, as we saw last Sunday night, ever had godly sorrow leading to repentance. Jesus said, forgive those who don’t know what they’re doing. So, He forgives us, and especially if we call upon Him.

But look at verse 43. I want to get to the third word. We have to go through all seven because each speaks to us. The first word we saw is the word of anguish. Jesus suffered for me. The second word is the word of forgiveness. Now, look at verse 43. This is the word of assurance. Now remember, Jesus is in the middle cross, stretched out on the cross, and you can just barely look one way and the other with your head. Remember, both thieves started out cursing and swearing and railing, King James, but one has a change of heart, and that’s where we pick up in verse 43.

He says, previous to this, remember me when You’re coming into Your kingdom. Jesus said, verse 43, this is His third time speaking that we’re looking at here. Jesus said to him, assuredly I say to you today. Not tomorrow, not after a few hundred years or a thousand years, or not after enough prayers, or not after you have soul sleep and all this stuff. But today you, so He is dealing with him as an individual. Today, you shall be with Me. Not alone, not off in some corridor, you’re going to be with Me in Paradise. That’s called the word of assurance.

Jesus Christ says to him, I want to take you with Me to Heaven. Now, did He ever say that before? Yes, just before the cross. The night before, Jesus said some of the most beautiful words in the world, and we all love them. John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Thomas said, how do we get to the Father? And Jesus reminds him of this. He says, I am going and preparing a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again for you. Just for you. I’m going to come and get you, and I’m going to take you to be with Me.

Look what He says to the thief. Look right down at verse 43. Today you will be with Me in Paradise. Ere the day was passed. Before the night hit this lowly, guilty, doomed sinner, this thief, heard the greatest words of all from the King of Heaven, the Lord of Glory. Today you’ll be with Me in Paradise.

You know, this third word, the word of assurance, is so beautiful that a hymn writer 250 years ago wrote a great hymn. There is a fountain filled with blood. His name was William Calper, the man who wrote it. There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins, and sinners plunge beneath the flood, lose all their guilty stains. Do you know what the next stanza says? It says the dying thief hanging on the cross next to Jesus rejoiced to see that fountain in his day. He was looking at Jesus. He said I deserve to be on this cross. I deserve the anguish, but I’m asking You to take my sins. He looks at Jesus, and Jesus looks right back at him with the word of assurance.

He said today. You don’t have to get down and amend your ways. You don’t have to get down and go do some good works. You don’t have to get down and make restitution for all the stuff that you did wrong. You don’t have to get down and get baptized. You don’t have to get down and join the fledgling Apostolic New Testament Church. Today, you’re going straight with Me to Heaven. That’s the word of assurance. Jesus Christ’s last word here assures us He has a place in Heaven reserved for us. If we’ve heard His word of anguish and trust in His sacrifice, if we’ve heard His word of forgiveness and ask Him to forgive us, we can be assured we have a place.

The next one is just a little bit further down. Look at verse 46. If you’re marking, here’s the fourth one. Verse 46 of Luke 23. This is the word of confidence. This is Jesus showing us the confidence we can have because He had that confidence. When Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit. Now, for the harmony of the Gospels, if you put all the Gospels in order and all the events, probably this is the last thing Jesus said. But I’m not going through chronologically. I’m going through each book’s listing. Probably Jesus said it is finished, and then He looked up and said into Your hands, I commit My spirit, and put His head down. But we’re not looking at a chronology here; we’re just looking at each one individually. Probably it was the last one, but because of the loud crying in verse 46, it was probably what we’re going to see in John when he says it’s finished. That’s because it says He shouted that loudly, but we’ll come to that in a moment.

But this is the word of confidence, I call it, because look what Jesus says: Into Your hands I commit My spirit then He breathed His last. Jesus spoke of His power here to keep us secure forever because God was able to take His spirit; He could commit His spirit to God. He says, you can commit yourselves to Me, and I am able to keep you from falling. Remember Jude 24 and 25, now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling and to deliver you faultless before God’s presence with exceeding joy. Jesus says, I’m in charge of your eternity. I’m in charge of your future if you’ll turn it over to Me now. If you won’t try and go your own way, make your own way to Heaven. If you’ll let me, you can be confident that I’m able to keep you. A little earlier in the Gospel of John, He said this: My sheep hear My voice, and I know them. They follow me. Verse 20, chapter 10 says, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. That’s confidence.

I was detained this week. Probably many of you have the same thing happen. I pulled out on my way somewhere, and all of a sudden. I found myself behind a procession, a funeral procession. It was very short. It was just the hearse and one other car, and they didn’t have enough money. They didn’t have the police stop all the roads and everything like that. I thought it was very interesting. I stopped behind them, and then it was a one-lane road, and there was no side to get off on, so I just followed them for a while. I could see the flowers, and I could see the box through the curtains in the back. I sat there reflecting on Resurrection Sunday. You know what? If the person whose body was in that box had, in their lifetime, while they had life and breath, placed their hope in the anguish of Christ in their place, and asked Him to forgive them and said, I know that You died in my place, then you know what? They were far better off not being on this Earth.

I thought about that when I got where I was going, and I saw the paper about how many of our precious soldiers had died and all those horrible things this week. I thought, every one of those soldiers, especially the one on the ground that everybody was kneeling around that we all saw the picture of, every one of them who had placed their hope in Jesus Christ I’m confident that they were taken right out of wherever they were in that conflict, and they had their spirit committed to the One who said, you’ll never perish. He came to Iraq, or as in the hearse this week, came to Broken Arrow and took them home.

Do you have that confidence this morning? Or you don’t want to talk about that? The older people get, they don’t want to talk about death. They don’t want to talk about it. They don’t want to talk about it because it’s discouraging, it’s depressing. That’s the sign you don’t know the One who said, I am the resurrection and the life. Then you don’t have the word of confidence, the word of assurance, the word of forgiveness, the word of anguish.

Keep going. Now we have to get to John chapter 19. So, go to the right, the next Gospel, and this is the end. You don’t have to turn any further. The last three words are in John’s Gospel. We listen to Jesus now from the cross, and this is what He says in chapter 19 in verse 26. Jesus now is addressing an earthly need. Remember I said most of His prayers are to God, but three times He speaks to people, and here is one of the speaking’s to people. Jesus, verse 26, therefore, when He saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, said to His mother, woman, behold your son, and of course, to John to take care of her.

What is this all about? Why is this in there? What is the emphasis of this? What it’s talking about is that Jesus is expressing, He shares in our humanity. He knows our needs. If you know anything about that culture, back then, a widow had a hard life. If her husband died, she was in trouble. She could beg or go into prostitution. Those were about the only two businesses that were available often. So, of course, knowing the law of God, she couldn’t do the one, and so she became the other, a beggar. So, you hoped in your oldest child that it would be a man, that he would provide for you, and Mary had that. Joseph wasn’t around. He died somewhere in Christ’s childhood. But Mary had this Son. But yet, she already knew the prophecy that He was going to die. So, there was always a concern with her. So, Jesus, knowing her concern, looks down at her and says, don’t worry. You’re going to be taken care of. John, take her and care for her. Take care of him as your own son. He made that little connection right there.

Why did He do that? We have this drama of Hell and the gates of Hell and agony and eternal, all this is going on, and Jesus does that. Why is that? Because it says in Hebrews a wonderful word. Inasmuch as we are partakers of flesh and blood, He likewise shared in the same. Jesus is saying here, I share your humanity. I know your needs. I want you to know I know what it’s like to live on Earth. I know the struggles you go through. I know the fears that you have. I know the pains that you have because it says that He partook a flesh and blood and was tempted in ways like we are.

This is a word of comfort. That’s what I have written right next to verse 26, the word of comfort. Jesus wants to assure me He knows what it’s like to live on Earth. He knows what it’s like to struggle with day-to-day needs. He knows what it means to face the same temptations we face. He says here, I can help you. I can provide what you need, Mary, and us this morning.

Have you let Jesus speak the word of comfort to you? Have you committed, cast all of your cares on Him? Come unto Me, He said, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I’ll give you rest. Take My yoke, learn of Me, and you’ll find rest for your souls. The word of comfort. I’m human He said. I know what you’re going through. Trust Me.

Keep going. Verse 28 has the next word. The word of agony. The word of agony is the shortest of all these words from the cross. It’s one word in Greek, dipsaō. That’s all He said. By the way, this is at the very end. This is according to the chronology of the cross. Jesus has just come through the three hours of darkness. And as the darkness is just ending, toward 3:00 p.m., at that instant, He says, dipsaō. That’s all he could get out. He’s so parched and so compressed by all the weight of sin. We know the story of what the soldiers did.

But I want you, before we go into that, to think about this. How did Jesus’ ministry begin? It began with gnawing hunger, a 40-day fast in the wilderness. Matthew 4, Luke 4. 40 days of fasting, gnawing hunger. How did Jesus’ ministry end? Raging thirst. He who began hungering and feeling our pain ended with the single most intense agony expressed in one word, I thirst dipsaō.

Well, the soldiers respond. In fact, the Roman Army’s drink for conscripts was vinegar wine. All Roman Legionnaires carried the skins of wine vinegar. It wasn’t the good stuff. It was the low-grade stuff that everybody got, and it was good. It was antiseptic, it relaxed them, and did what wine does. So, they carried it around, and it was very present. So, Jesus, when He said I thirst, notice what it says in verse 28; that what the Scripture said might be fulfilled. What did the Scripture say? Psalm 69:21. They gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. So, Jesus, who had drained to the bottom, the cup of God’s wrath against sin, doesn’t suffer a bit more than He needs to. And He has now finished His suffering. So, He asked for a drink. Why? Because He didn’t want to go out whimpering. He didn’t want to go out low. He wanted to go out with a shout of triumph, and that’s His last word that we’ll see in a moment. How can you shout when you’re totally parched? So, He got a drink.

He thirsted. He had to drink to allow Him to shout, His shout of triumph. This last word from Christ, of I thirst assures us He knows where we are, He knows how we struggle, He knows our pain and suffering, and He wants to help us. He wanted that drink because He says, I want you to know. I want you to know that I understand your anguish, your agony, your pain, your struggle. I have suffered too, and I receive comfort, and I will comfort you.

But now look at verse 30, and here we end. This is what Jesus says in verse 30. When He had received the sour wine, He said one word, in Greek, tetelestai. Only He didn’t just say tetelestai, He shouted. The Scriptures say that He shouted triumphantly it is finished. Now, if you could have had spiritual antennas on, and if you could have heard the shockwaves going through the spiritual realm when He said that.

We know what happened. The Scriptures say that through His death, He destroyed him that had the power of death. But as Jesus received the vinegar and His lips were moistened and His voice returned, He shouted it is finished. At that word, you could have heard tombs exploding, chains breaking, prison walls crumbling, barriers that had sprung up ever since the first sin beginning to fall, and gates opening as death fled before the Lord of Life.

Jesus spoke seven times from the cross. He spoke the word of forgiveness so that we can know that we are forgiven. Do you know that this morning? Do you know, as John’s saying, He’s alive, I’m forgiven, and Heaven’s gates are open wide. He spoke the word of assurance so we can know that we’re Heaven-bound. He spoke the word of comfort to Mary so we can know we’re not going alone. He’ll care for us. He spoke those words of anguish and agony for us to know He feels our pain and He’ll never leave us. He spoke the word of confidence so we can know we are accepted in the beloved. And He spoke this final word of triumph so we can know that our salvation is assured.

I wonder this morning whether you have heard His voice? Have you heard Him speak to you? My sheep hear My voice, He said. They know Me, and they follow Me, and I give them eternal life. Do you know that you have eternal life? Can you say this morning, this Resurrection Day, that God has forgiven my sins in Jesus’ name? Not in historic faith He lives, but saving faith He lives in me. Do you know that this morning? If you don’t, right where you’re sitting, looking at me right now, from your heart of hearts, you can say, God, be merciful to me. Forgive my sins. I want Christ to live in me. I want to be in Him. I want His anguish to be for my sins. I want His forgiveness to be for my sins. I want the assurance that my sins are gone and will never be remembered. And I want to know the confidence that because He lives, I’m going to live forever too.

If you don’t know that, you can ask for that right now by faith because it says whoever believes and repents shall be saved. Do you believe enough to turn from your own way to Him and let Him save you? That’s the message. He lives. The tomb is empty. Death has been destroyed. God is in control, and His Word is true. Whoever calls in the name of the Lord will be saved.

Let’s bow together for a word of prayer. Dear Lord, I ask You to move in hearts. Draw some who have historic faith in You to saving faith this morning. May they make that eight-inch move from their mind to their heart. May they place their hope and trust not in that they’ve done enough, but that You did it all. May they believe that whom to believe is life eternal. I pray that this would be the greatest Resurrection Day they’ve ever known because they’ve heard Your last words and believed You. We pray also that You would help us to not just be excited about Your resurrection today, but that we would be going through this world telling people, I tell You He’s alive and I have been forgiven. Heaven’s gates are no longer barred to me; they’re opened wide. In the name of Jesus, we pray that, and all of God’s saints said, Amen.

Jesus lives. The Tomb is empty. Death is defeated. The Grave is opened. God is in control. His Word is true.

The Devil is destroyed. Death, Hell, and the Grave are rendered powerless by Christ’s Resurrection. God won.

When Jesus rose the disciples were able to talk with Him, learn from Him, and get established by Him. But how did He do all that? Jesus reminded them of all that He had spoken to them. You could say He took them back to His Words.

Open with me to Luke 24.44

Luke 24:44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

After the Resurrection Jesus took His own back to what He had said before His Death. He opened their understanding to those words. That is what we are going to look at this Celebration Sunday. Only instead of looking at all His words, we will just look at His Last Words of Hope and Life.

The Last Words of Jesus – there are seven last words of Jesus. Seven times He spoke to us from the Cross. Last words are always treasures, but Christ’s last words are beyond measure.

Before Jesus died, He wanted to say these things. From the dying lips of Jesus, from His raging thirst dried mouth, in spite of excruciating pain, horrors of sin and death and hell – He speaks. Let us listen!

Pray.

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Remember Christ had been acquitted by the highest court of appeal but He is still subjected to the cruelest of punishment. • Seized by calloused Roman soldiers • rudely stripped • harshly pushed onto a rough and filthy wooden beam • cruelly pierced by Roman spikes • raised aloft to be seen by all on an instrument of horror and torture

But in the midst of all that there is a stir, the prisoner held by spikes, thorns and bleeding wound is about to speak to His cruel tormentors. His lips begin to move . . .

Jesus spoke from the Cross. What words to clasp, hold, and take to heart. He spoke in pain. He spoke in short gasps. He spoke to us. He spoke exactly seven times. Each word holds an ocean of truth for the seeking heart on Resurrection morning. Dive in this morning. Listen and receive what He so freely offered.

1. The Word of Anguish (the 4th Word from the Cross) Mark 15:33-34 Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” • Remember this word that speaks of His absorbing of the wrath of God against our sins. He was forsaken so that we would never be. He was made sin so that ours can be removed. He faced God’s Wrath so we never will. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. • Christ’s Last words assure us that He absorbed all the punishment for our sins forever. We are saved to the uttermost.

For a moment listen to the heart of Charles Wesley reflected in the hymn Arise my soul arise.

Arise my soul arise, Shake off thy guilty fears; The bleeding sacrifice, In my behalf appears; Before the throne my surety stands, My name is written on His hands.
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Five bleeding wounds He bears, Received on Calvary; They pour effectual prayers, They strongly plead for me; Forgive him, O, forgive they cry, Nor let that ransomed sinner die.

My God is reconciled, His pardoning voice I hear, He owns me for His child, I can no longer fear; With confidence I now draw nigh, And Father, Abba Father, cry.

2. The Word of Forgiveness. (the 1st Word from the Cross) Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. • Remember this word that speaks of His offering His love to us though we are sinners. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. • The word of Forgiveness: It is right there in verse 34, “Father forgive them.” Here is His intercession as the only intercessor priest, our only High Priest. What does He demonstrate by this word of forgiveness? His Pity Toward Sinful Humanity. Bernard of Clairvaux, a believer in Jesus Christ of the 11th century wonderingly said – O Sacred head now wounded for this Thy dying hour, Thy pity without end! This Resurrection morning have you experienced the pity of Jesus Christ toward you a sinful human? If so, you’ve been born again. • Christ’s Last words assure us that He offers His love to us even though He knows that we have failed Him, sinned against Him, and resist Him. 3. The Word of Assurance. (the 2nd Word from the Cross) Luke 23:43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” • Remember this word that speaks of His wanting to take us with him to Heaven. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
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except through Me. ere is the promise to a lowly, guilty and doomed sinner from the King of Heaven, the Lord of Glory. • TODAY THOU SHALT BE WITH ME IN PARADISE Yes, heaven, the presence of God forever, no sin, no sickness, death nor sorrow, endless conscious bliss. • William Cooper said “The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day and there may I though vile as he wash all my sins away”. • Elisha Hoffman wrote a question, “Have you come to Jesus for the cleansing flood, are you washed in the blood of the Lamb, are you garments spotless are they white as snow, are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?” • Christ’s Last words assure us that He has a place in Heaven reserved for us. 4. The Word of Confidence. (the 7th Word from the Cross) Luke 23:46 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. • Remember this word that speaks of His power to keep you safe forever. Jude 24-25 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen. John 10:27-29 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. • Christ’s Last words assure us that He has the power to get us safely home to be with Him forever! 5. The Word of Comfort. (the 3rd Word from the Cross) John 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” • This word speaks of His sharing in our humanity and knowing our needs. Hebrews 2:14-15, 18 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who
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through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. • Christ’s Last words assure us that He knows what it is like living on earth, struggling with day to day needs – and has faced the same temptations we face. He can help us! He can provide all that we need. 6. The Word of Agony. (the 5th Word from the Cross) John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” • Remember this word that speaks of His feeling our pain. No one ever knows us like Jesus; no one can ever comfort us like Jesus. Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. • I thirst (dipso) is the shortest of all the words from the cross. Jesus began His ministry with the gnawing hunger of 40 days fasting in the wilderness, He closed it with six hours of burning thirst. One word with two syllables in Greek, expressed the most intense agony the human body is capable of experiencing. The One who spoke heaven and earth into being has a parched tongue! Psalm 69:21 They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. The Roman Army’s wine was vinegar, was common, and was always with them. When offered vinegar wine mixed with a pain reliever (myrrh) He refused to drink. Jesus faced death fully and unmuzzled. But now He takes a refreshing drink. Just as Jesus drank to the last drop His cup of suffering, so He would drink no more than the Father had given. The drink allowed Him to shout out His triumph. • Christ’s Last words assure us that He knows where we are, knows how we struggle, knows all our pain and suffering – and waits with open arms to help us every time we cry out to Him! 7. The Word of Triumph. (the 6th Word from the Cross) John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
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• This word speaks of His power to save us. He has done all that ever needs to be done. Nothing is left but to believe. Jesus save me now is what He waits for us to ask. Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Hebrews 7:24-25 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. • After Jesus received the vinegar, He said, IT IS FINISHED.” At that word you could have heard — tombs exploding, chains breaking, prison walls crumbling, barriers falling, the gates of Hades opening and Death fleeing. • Christ’s Last words assure us that He has done all that ever needs to be done to save us forever and get us home!

HE SPOKE THE WORD OF FORGIVENESS so we can know we are forgiven. HE SPOKE THE WORD OF ASSURANCE so we can know we are heaven bound. HE SPOKE THE WORD OF DEVOTION so we can know we are not going alone. HE SPOKE THE WORD OF ANGUISH so we can know He feels our pains. HE SPOKE THE WORD OF AGONY so we can know He will never leave or forsake us. HE SPOKE THE WORD OF TRIUMPH so we can know that our salvation is secured and finished. HE SPOKE THE WORD OF CONFIDENCE so we can know we are accepted into the beloved! This morning I am going to ask you to respond to our Lord Jesus Christ’s first two words from the cross. I am going to ask you to set aside your plans to hurry to Sunday School or brunch. They can wait for you. This Easter morning Jesus speaks from the Hill called Calvary. His words ring out loud and clear: forgiven, secured, cared for, assured!

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Have you personally experienced in your life this Resurrection morning *The pity of Jesus Christ toward you a guilty sinner? Are you born again? Saved – Have eternal life? That’s the powerful promise of the King of Heaven risen for you! Do you know you are saved? Are you washed? As we sing, I ask you, don’t delay – come!

His ministry was culminated. His work was done!

• Matthew 1:21 promised “Save people from sins”: It is Finished! • Matthew 2:11 promised He was the One we could worship and give ourselves to: It is Finished! • Matthew 3:15 promised One who would “Fulfill all righteousness”: It is Finished! • Matthew 4:10 promised One who would defeat the Devil “Be gone Satan”: It is Finished! • Matthew 5-7 promised One who could make us live God’s way as our Power source : It is Finished! • Matthew 8:3 promised One who had power to cleanse: It is Finished! • Matthew 9:5 promised One who had the Power to forgive: It is Finished! • Matthew 10:28 promised One who had the Authority to judge all: It is Finished! • Matthew 11:28 promised One who would Comfort the burdened: It is Finished! • Matthew 12:40 promised One who would give the Ultimate sign: It is Finished! • Matthew 13:30 promised One who had the Power to redeem from hell: It is Finished! • Matthew 14:30 promised One who had the Power to heal eternally: It is Finished!

But, even more the scope of the Scriptures! Think of this, He’s from cover to cover. Genesis 3:15 The one promised to crush the serpent did it – It is Finished! Leviticus 1:2 The ultimate sacrifice to take away sin – It is Finished! Numbers 21:9 The one lifted up on the pole for the people’s sin unlike the temporary brazen serpent. It is Finished! Joshua 5:14 The way into the eternally promised land – It is Finished!