Truth Archive

We have been singing, Calvary, Calvary, we remember Calvary. It is Sunday morning and very appropriate for us to set aside some time to remember Calvary. When Jesus took three of the disciples up into the mount of transfiguration, they saw Moses and Elias speaking to Jesus. They were talking to Jesus about his decease that he would accomplish at Jerusalem. It was not long afterwards that the disciples were standing and witnessing that death. I am sure that it did not seem to them like that event was an accomplishment. It would seem to them like a bitter defeat. It would seem like an irreplaceable loss. It would seem like a serious set-back to the work they had been called to do. It would seem like a miserable failure. But, in reality, it was a glorious victory, a huge gain for them and for us, a giant step forward in the work they had been called to do. It was not a miserable failure, but a success, an accomplishment that was to have far reaching effects for all mankind.

Several years ago, we noticed a picture on the wall of a home where we were visiting. It was a picture of a beautiful, gleaming white snowbank up in the mountains. The sun was shining, and a little trickle of water was running out of the base of the snowbank. You could tell that it was melting and that it would soon disappear altogether. Under the picture there was this caption, What may seem to be the end may just be a new beginning. That is how it was with Jesus. If you could get up to where the snowbank was, it was a beautiful sight, but it was trapped in one place. Those that lived near to where it was might have felt sad about seeing it disappear. But just think of all the potential that was being released because of it melting. The water from it was flowing out and beginning a journey that could eventually take it to the far corners of the world. It would eventually find its way into a river and then into a lake. It would be evaporated and lifted into the heavens and carried to where the parched land awaited the rain. Down it would come to stimulate and nourish new life only to be evaporated again and carried by the clouds to some other place where there was a need. This is such a vivid picture to me of how it was with Jesus. Indeed, at the time of his crucifixion what seemed to be the end to those disciples was really just a new, glorious beginning.

This morning, what I would like to do is to take you to the cross. We are going to consider the things Jesus said when he was on the cross. No gospel writer wrote this down completely in order. We must read three of the four gospels to get all that Jesus said on the cross. For this reason, we cannot be sure in what order Jesus may have spoken these words. However, those who have studied these scriptures carefully have put them in an order that seems reasonable and we will consider them in that order this morning.

Father, forgive them; for they know what they do. Luke 23:34

Verily, I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43

Woman, behold thy son! (Spoken to Mary). Behold thy mother! (Spoken to John). John 19:26 – 27

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34

I thirst. John 19:28

It is finished. John 19:30

Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Luke 23:46

Before we go any further with this, let us take an overview of these verses. It is interesting that Matthew and Mark both recorded the agonizing cry that Jesus uttered from the cross, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?  Luke and John did not record that while Matthew and Mark did not record any of the things that Luke and John recorded. Luke recorded three of the remaining six things Jesus said and John recorded the other three.  Sometimes we wonder why there needed to be four gospels. The accounts differ one from the other to some extent as we see in the accounts of what Jesus said from the cross. However, we can see that all four gospels are needed to get the full picture. After this meeting, if we were to ask each of you to write what you heard in the meeting, a lot of what you would write would be the same as what others wrote. But in every report there would be something unique, something that had particularly touched the writer’s own heart. It took all four writers to give us the full picture of what happened on Calvary. I understand, as I try to share a few thoughts on what Jesus said on the cross this morning, that my report will not be complete. I am not attempting to share everything there is to be learned from these verses but want to share what has touched my own heart. There are 53 other speakers at this convention, and it will take them all to fill in a more complete picture of the provision that God has made for us through the sacrifice of His Son.

I like to consider these seven messages from the cross carefully because they help me understand what was being accomplished there. Remember that when Moses and Elias talked to Jesus they talked to him about his decease that He would accomplish at Jerusalem. There were some very vital things accomplished by Jesus being willing for that cruel death on the cross. I want to try to share with you some things that I have gleaned from a study of what Jesus said while on the cross with particular focus on what those words reveal to me about what He was accomplishing.

Luke 23:34 – Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment and cast lots. From this we see that forgiveness for our sins was made possible by Jesus’ death on the cross. That is one thing that was accomplished through His sacrifice. The door was opened to the possibility of forgiveness for our sins, no matter how serious the sin we have committed. There is no sin that any person could have committed that would have been worse than the sin of putting the Son of God to death. In Daniel 9:24, we read a vivid description of some of the things that were going to happen before and when Jesus came. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. The children of Israel had a long history of transgressions. Not long after they were first led out of Egypt they began to murmur. First it was murmuring in their tents, then murmuring openly, then rejecting the guidance and authority of Moses. From there they went on to mingling with the heathen nations around them, learning their pernicious ways and serving their gods. They went from one transgression to another, deeper and deeper into sin, until they were killing the prophets and stoning those that God sent to help them. In Matthew 23:37 Jesus agonized over their sinful natures and hard hearts saying, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! The transgressions had kept mounting and mounting, but this was the end. There was no transgression worse than to crucify the Son of God. Their long list of transgressions was completed or finished at the cross. After such a heinous crime was committed, Jesus looked down from the cross on those who had committed it and said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

I wonder if the thief who was hanging on the cross beside Jesus that day saw a glimmer of hope for himself when he heard those words. Perhaps that was what gave him the courage to acknowledge his sin and plead for mercy. The realization must have come to him that if Jesus could forgive these people for what they have done to him, perhaps there is hope for me. That is what God would like us all to understand. None of us have a past that we can be proud of. Possibly some here have come feeling that you have gone too far, that there is no hope that you could be forgiven and set free from the penalty of your sin.  Remember those words of Jesus. Through his sacrifice the door of forgiveness has been opened. We can have it, just as the thief received it, if we are prepared to take the steps that will bring us to that door and through that door.

Luke 23:39-43 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, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. In these words, we see another thing that was being accomplished through Jesus’ sacrifice. The door into paradise was opened for repentant sinners on Calvary. The two thieves who were on the crosses beside Jesus represent the whole world. Everyone is a sinner. Everyone is a thief. We have all robbed God of time, and of opportunities to use us because we have been self centered.  We have robbed Him of His rightful place in our hearts because of just wanting to please ourselves. Every one of us should be on the cross instead of Jesus. Both thieves were sinners.  One was a repentant sinner and the other an unrepentant sinner. We get to choose which one we will be. If we acknowledge that we  have sinned, and sincerely declare that we are sorry for our sin, and are prepared, with the help of God, to do what we can to please God with whatever future God sees fit to give to us, we, too, can have the promise of entering the door into paradise at the end of life.

There was another thief who got his liberty on the day that Jesus was crucified. We read about Barabbas who was jailed because he was a murderer, a robber and involved in an insurrection. He had a lot of crimes on his list. He was in prison probably awaiting his day of execution. He heard the guards coming down the hallway, then the door into his cell being opened.  Likely he thought, They are coming to lead me to my execution. The guard said to him, You are a free man. Someone else has taken your place. We don’t know what happened to him after that, but he got a second chance, didn’t he? We would like to feel that he was deeply grateful for the One who took his place on the cross and that he took advantage of the door of forgiveness and the door into paradise that had been opened for him making it possible for him to go free. We need to have that kind of gratitude for the liberty we enjoy because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Now we come to the third thing that Jesus said from the cross. It is John who tells this part of the story. John 19:26,27: When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!  Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.  When John writes of the disciple whom Jesus loved, he is writing about himself. I am sure that it was not because he felt that Jesus loved him more than the others. John was not one of Jesus’ favorite disciples.  This was just John’s humble way of telling us about himself without using his name. And I am sure that John felt just like the rest of us do. We all marvel that Jesus could love us, and I am sure that it never ceased to be a miracle to John that Jesus loved him.

It is wonderful to see the compassion Jesus was showing to his mother that day. She was having a big part in that sacrifice. When she took Jesus to the temple when he was only 40 days old, she had been told by Simeon, that old prophet of God, that the child was set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign that would be spoken against. Then he added in Luke 2:35 Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. She was experiencing that piercing sword to her heart that day as she watched her son dying that cruel death. Jesus’ heart went out to her and he comforted her and made provision for her future. That is very touching, but can you see something else in these words of Jesus? This is what I see. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, the way was being opened for the New Testament fellowship to be established. It was to be a family fellowship embracing all nations of people. Mary did not belong to John’s family but from that time onward John’s family took her into their own home and she became a part of that family. You and I do not have a right by birth to belong to God’s family.  During the Old Testament period, that was the exclusive right of the Jewish people. In Ephesians chapter 2, Paul explains this very clearly. Ephesians 2:13 – 14 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. The law that separated the Jewish people from all other people, was fulfilled and taken away at the cross. In its place was established the family fellowship which makes it possible for we who are Gentiles to say that we are no more strangers and foreigners but are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God. That was accomplished on Calvary.

Now we come to the fourth thing that Jesus said from the cross. He had said three things before this and was to say three more things after this. This is the center message from the cross and contains the core of the whole matter. Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? What was it that prompted that cry of anguish from Jesus? His Heavenly Father had turned his face away from Him as the sins of the whole world were being placed on him. Hymn #3 and the last two verses explain it clearly. The last verse says, Tell how exceedingly bitter His cry, nailed to the cross where they left Him to die; Grieved and forsaken, God spared not His Son; Love’s mighty work of redemption is done.   On Calvary the sins of the whole world were shouldered by Jesus and being atoned for through the shedding of His precious blood. In this way, and this way alone, is it possible for us to be cleansed from our sins. John the Baptist said this of Jesus when he introduced Him in John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Animal sacrifice as prescribed in the Old Testament law could not take away sin. Those sacrifices when offered in the right way and with the right motive only covered sin. God accepted those offerings and those who offered them only because the offering represented the sacrifice of Jesus. Only Jesus could TAKE AWAY sins and on Calvary that is what He did. This is truly the greatest accomplishment that Jesus achieved on the cross that day.

The fifth message that Jesus spoke from the cross contained only two words, I thirst. John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.  It says that Jesus knew that all things were now accomplished. I believe it means that He knew all the necessary things had been accomplished. But there was one last verse he needed to fulfill. He had told His disciples early in His time together with them that not one jot or tittle of the law would pass away until all was fulfilled. Throughout His lifetime He had been fulfilling prophecies and types and shadows which helped to describe what he would do, be and say when He came.  There was just one last verse that had not yet been fulfilled and it is found in Psalm 69:21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. What was accomplished on Calvary? Everything that the law foreshadowed and everything that the prophets foretold concerning Jesus was finally fulfilled on the cross. Thus, the Old Law was folded up and taken away, paving the way for the veil in the temple to be rent from the top to the bottom which opened up the new and living way.

The sixth message from the cross contains only three words: It is finished. John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. There is no person who has ever been born that had more to accomplish in His lifetime than what Jesus had. He was sent to the earth to fulfill all that had been prophesied and foreshadowed about Him in the Old Testament.  It is little wonder that, at the age of 12 years He said, I must be about my Father’s business. It is a great wonder that, at the age of 33 1⁄2 years he could say, It is finished. Everything that the Old Testament had foretold that he would do and say and be, he did, and said and was. God would like us all to have a goal like that. There is a lot written in the New Testament about what we should do and be. During our recent study of Peter’s letters, we often came across the word ‘be’. Be sober, be holy, be all of one mind, be pitiful, be courteous, etc. Our aim should be to follow this example of Jesus so that everything the New Testament says that a child of God should be and do, we would aim to be and do. Thus, by our words, actions, spirit and even dress we can declare plainly to the world that we are God’s children.

This brings us to the last message Jesus spoke from the cross. Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. There was only one honourable way for Jesus to go back to his Father and he took it. If he had left part of what He had been asked to do unfinished and gone back to His Father, where would we have been today? For you and me also there is only one honourable way for our spirits to return to God who gave them and that is to be willing to fit in to all that He has planned for us during our lifetime. Indeed, what Jesus accomplished during His lifetime and in those final hours on the cross is a perfect example to us of how we should live and how we should die.

Today is Sunday morning, the morning of the resurrection. Until now we have been focussing on the crucifixion. Now let us briefly look at how the resurrection fits into the picture. In Matthew’s gospel, the last two chapters begin by telling of a morning that was dawning. Chapter 27 begins this way: When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.  Chapter 28 begins like this, In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. In Chapter 27, the morning was dawning on the darkest day in Jesus’ whole lifetime, the day of His crucifixion. In Chapter 28, the morning was dawning on the brightest day in Jesus’ whole lifetime, the day of His resurrection. There were only two days in between which separated those two extreme experiences. There could not have been a Matthew 28 if there had not first been a Matthew 27. Hymn 348 reminds us that suffering must precede the glory. In our own experience as well, there has to be a cross, a dying and a willingness to deny ourselves if we are to have a Matthew 28 in our experience.

We do not have the old hymn book anymore, but if we did have, I would ask you to sing hymn number 311.  Unfortunately, that hymn did not get included among the hymns in our latest hymn book. Since we cannot sing it, I will close by quoting the first and last verse of that hymn:

Light after darkness, Gain after loss,
Strength after weakness, Crown after cross,
Sweet after bitter, Hope after fears,
Home after wand’ring, Praise after tears.

Near after distant, Gleam after gloom,
Love after loneliness, Life after tomb,
After long agony, Rapture of bliss,
Right was the pathway Leading to this.

If Jesus could speak to us today, He would tell us, Yes, right was the pathway leading to this. May we be willing for the earthly loss. the loneliness, the self denial, the daily dying and all the other experiences that make up our cross knowing that one day we will understand clearly that this pathway was right because it led us home to God.