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THE SEVEN STATEMENTS FROM THE CROSS

Introduction: While hanging upon His cross the Son of God made seven statements. These are often called seven words. We will now examine each and every one of them.

Discussion: I. HIS FIRST STATEMENT WAS CONCERNING HIS ENEMIES: HE PRAYED UNTO THE HEAVENLY FATHER: “FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO” (LUKE 23:34). A. Those such as the self righteous Pharisees probably expected Jesus to curse them. Instead, He expressed concern for their spiritual welfare. 1. On the first Pentecost after the resurrection of the Son of God those responsible for His crucifixion had opportunity to obtain forgiveness by obeying the gospel.

Acts 2:36-39, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

2. During His personal ministry here upon earth our Lord taught us to be of a forgiving nature. You and I must be willing to forgive those who in penitence ask us to forgive their offence against us.

Matt. 6:13-15, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

3. You and I are responsible for the death of the Son of God. Although we were not there and cried out: “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” He died because of our sins. I believe that if I had been the only one to have sinned the Son of God would have died for me. Listen to the sentiment of the Apostle Paul concerning this matter.

Gal. 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

II. HIS SECOND STATEMENT WAS ADDRESSED TO A SINNER: “VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, TO DAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE” (LUKE 23:43). 2

Luke 23:35-43, “And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

A. There are those who say, “Why can’t I be saved like the thief on the cross?” 1. What they are actually implying is that the penitent thief on the cross was not baptized. How do they know that? They don’t! He may have been baptized during the personal ministry of John the Baptist or that of the Son of God.

Matt. 3:5-6, “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”

John 4:1-2, “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)”

2. But whether the penitent thief was baptized or not does not affect our salvation. Jesus had not yet died upon the cross when He assured him “today thy shall be with me in paradise.” a. Our Lord’s New Testament will did not come into effect until after His death.

Heb. 9:16-17, “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”

b. After the Son of God was resurrected, He declared: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:16). 3

III. HIS THIRD STATEMENT WAS UNTO HIS EARTHLY MOTHER AND THE APOSTLE JOHN: “WHEN JESUS THEREFORE SAW HIS MOTHER, AND THE DISCIPLE STANDING BY, WHOM HE LOVED, HE SAITH UNTO HIS MOTHER, “WOMAN, BE THY SON!” THIS HE STATED IN REFERRING TO JOHN (JOHN 19:26). A. In relationship to that statement He said unto John: “Behold thy mother!” 1. That passage further states: “And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home” (John 19:27). 2. Grown children should be considerate of their elderly parents and look after their needs.

I Tim. 5:8, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

IV. HIS FOURTH STATEMENT WAS ADDRESSED UNTO THE HEAVENLY FATHER: “AND ABOUT THE NINTH HOUR JESUS CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE, SAYING, ‘ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI’ THAT IS TO SAY, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?” (MATT. 27:46). A. From noon until 3:00 p. m. there was darkness in the Garden of Gethsemane. 1. The Son of God felt all alone in bearing the sins of humanity in His own body.

I Pet. 2:21-24, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

2. Jesus was our propitiation to appease God’s wrath because of our sins and to satisfy God’s justice.

V. HIS FIFTH STATEMENT WAS A NATURAL HUMAN RESPONSE: HE SAID, “I THIRST!” (JOHN 19:28). A. While here upon earth Jesus was both human and divine. It was necessary for Him to be incarnated into a physical body in order to be tempted in all points as we are and to remain without sin as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

Heb. 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

1. A vessel full of vinegar in which the soldiers dipped a sponge in and then extended it by a reed unto the mouth of Jesus. The Son of God received it because He had already suffered for the sins of humanity (John 19:29). 4

VI. HIS SIXTH STATEMENT WAS MADE IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE RECEIVED THE VINEGAR. HE SIMPLY SAID, “IT IS FINISHED!” (JOHN 19:30). A. The scheme of redemption was being consummated in the suffering and death of Jesus Christ upon the cross.

B. He won a great victory over the devil. Jesus dying upon the cross brought a crushing blow to Satan’s effort to completely capture the souls of humanity.

Gen. 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

VII. HIS SEVENTH STATEMENT WAS MADE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE HE DIED UPON THE CROSS. THE SCRIPTURE STATES: “AND WHEN JESUS HAD CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE, HE SAID, ‘FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT:’ AND HAVE SAID THUS, HE GAVE UP THE GHOST.” A. Like the Apostle Paul, our Lord could have rightly said: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” 1. Christ’s physical life ceased when His spirit was separated from His body.

James 2:26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Conclusion: The Son of God gave His life for us. We, in turn, should devote our lives unto Him. You and I should take to heart and apply the words of the Apostle Paul unto ourselves. Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).