Last Teaching Of Jesus from the CROSS

Jesus preached a profound message as he was pinned to the cross. Perhaps the best sermon He ever gave. On that darkest day in history when men rejected God. when they slaughtered the savior of the world, Jesus looked upon them and taught them one last time. He was battered, bruised, nailed to the cross and in agony, yet He was still doing Father’s will. Let’s look at that last sermon from the cross.
^{34 [a]}Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34
As He hung on the cross, Jesus was still showing his love for us all. They did not ask for forgiveness. They actually thought they were doing God’s work by hanging him. He was more concerned about the salvation of those hanging him than his own pain. The forgiveness was not based on their repentance or based on the apology or based on changed life but rather out of love. It has been said that forgiveness is a bondage that creates bitterness and hatred. Perfect love requires forgiveness. Someone has said, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover Prisoner was you.” As we read this account, we may feel those in Jerusalem crucified Jesus that day, but the truth of the matter is, ALL of us are responsible for hanging Him that day. It is OUR SIN that nailed him to the cross. And, He forgave ALL from the cross that day. Why are you carrying the burden of sin? He has paid the price. You are FORGIVEN not because you deserve it, nor because you have earned it but simply by GRACE. As you reflect on that, ask yourself, who do I need to forgive? Set yourself free of hatred and bitterness. Don’t wait for someone to say sorry or apologize. Forgive as you have been forgiven.
⁴³ And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43
After the forgiveness comes to the promise. You accept Christ and acknowledge what Christ has done for you on the cross. You are part of the promise. It is so simple, profoundly simple, and simply profound. People all around the world who go through so many rituals are just hoping to find favor in God’s eyes. They endure physical pain, they go on pilgrimage, pray a certain way, deprive themselves of things & food, even kill just to earn God’s blessing. How sad? The thief simply said, “Remember me,” and Jesus said, “You will be remembered.” In Isaiah 49, God says ¹⁵ “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
^[j]And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget,
Yet I will not forget you.¹⁶ See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me. As soon as you accept Christ, you are promised a place in heaven. It does not matter if you are not baptized, have not read your bible, or you are not a member of a church. Simply believe, and by GRACE, you are part of the promise. Your name is written on his palm, and you will be with him in paradise.
²⁶ When Jesus, therefore, saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” ²⁷ Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. John 19:26-27
After the forgiveness ( reconciliation with God) and promise (eternal security) come relationship and restoration. Families are created at the foot of the cross. In America, a lot of focus is on the family during Thanksgiving & Christmas, but the true family is built on Good Friday. Jesus fulfills his earthly responsibility as a son by caring for his mother. As he hung on the cross, he created a family. Are you struggling as a family? Is there trouble in your marriage? another vacation will not fix things. Simply spending time alone will not fix things, BRING it to the cross. this is where hearts are changed, forgiveness is found, and families are formed & restored.
⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46
For the first and only time in scriptures, Jesus addresses His Father ” My God, My God.” All other times, he calls him Father, but here, “MY God,” Why? Paul tells us Jesus not only bore our sin but became a sin for us ( 2 Corinthians 5:21). Habbakuk declares, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.” Therefore unable to behold evil or look on sin, the father had no choice but to turn His back on His son, and Jesus felt the agony of isolation. The pain was more excruciating than any physical pain he had. He did not fear the storms or whips nor did he fear the crowds mocking him, spitting at him nor did he fear the Roman soldiers but what caused distressed for him was broken fellowship with father even if it was ONLY for few hours. Lots of things cause us to fear, losing a job, our health, our children, our finances, but we don’t really get stressed out about being out of the fellowship with our Father. Here, Jesus teaches us how important it is to be in constant fellowship with HIM. We need to be in prayer and devotion daily.
²⁸ After this, Jesus, ^[e]knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” John 19: 28
“My God, My God,” he cried out as it was written in Psalm 22:1, Prophecies are being fulfilled. Forgiveness has been granted. We have the Promise ( salvation), and a new family is formed, but now Jesus reminds us of the physical distress he is in. And, in doing so, he is fulfilling what is written in Psalm 69: 21 “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. and Psalm 22:15 “my mouth^[a] is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws”; You see John is writing this around 90 AD and at that time new thinking had emerged that Jesus did not suffer any physical pain as He was just a spirit and not a real Physical body. Thus, John emphasizes the pain He went through was real. We can also speculate, as God has forsaken Him, for the first time He is without the Spirit (the living water). In our walk with Christ, as you are forgiven and become part of the promise and family of God, trials and tribulation will come which will seem like God has forsaken you, but if you continue your walk, it will create a thirst in you for a closer walk with God.
³⁰ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30
Jesus’s earthly ministry comes to an end. The purpose He came for was accomplished. Every other religion and cult bases salvation on what ONE must do. Our salvation is based on what is done. There is nothing we can do to make things right with God or get closer to God except to realize that IT IS ALL BEEN DONE. As we continue our walk, we remember, I am coming to you, Father expecting Your blessing not because of who I am but because what Jesus accomplished on the cross. This Greek phrase “TETELESTAI” means paid in full. It was used when an artist finished a masterpiece when the merchant would conclude a deal, when slave would finish the task given by a master and when Priest sacrificed to God. Here we see our High priest sacrificed himself on the cross, painted a masterpiece of LOVE, paid the price for our sins as a merchant, and fulfilled the task of his master. If his hands were not nailed to the cross, he would have raised them to heaven in victory as he cried out, ” It is FINISHED.” Three greatest words ever were spoken. The gospel is not about how to live your life or how to behave, but it is good news of what Christ has done for us on the cross.
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. luke 23:46
Jewish mothers would teach their young children. Psalm 31: 5 says, “Into Your hand, I commit my spirit; They would pray that before going to bed each night. Jesus is submitting His spirit to Father as he breathes his last. What a glorious promise we have when our life is coming to an end. We are submitting our spirit in the hand of God for eternity. This is our blessed hope. Please make a note of the word “cried,” Matthew, Mark, and Luke all said the same thing. It would be impossible for a crucified victim to cry out if he was dying of a natural death because you die of suffocation. No oxygen, no strength, barely able to whisper in the trauma of death by crucifixion. He is strong. He is triumphant. In John 10, he says no one takes my life from me. I lay it down on my own. This is proof of that. All in attendance would have understood his cry. It was their nightly prayer. There were two changes He made in the prayer. He added, “Father.” The fellowship has been reestablished. Punishment is over. And then he left something out. Psalm 31: 5 ends like this: “You have redeemed me, O God of Truth. Well, it was not He who was redeemed at the cross; He was the redeemer.The light conquered the darkness. Death was defeated. So God had slain His own Passover lamb, His only son.
seven is the number of perfection, number of completion. Jesus bled from seven places.There were seven lamps in the Holy place in the temple, seven sprinklings of the blood on the mercy seat, seven churches in Revelation. The seven last words on the cross illustrate our journey from death to eternal life. You are forgiven, instantly you are part of promise, you become a part of the family and as you get closer to God, trials & persecution come which may make you cry out, My God, My God why you have forsaken me but if you stay faithful, your thirst is fulfilled, and you become fountain of living water, work in your life is finished, you understand the Grace and Love of Christ, and at that point you are ready to submit your spirit to the Lord. You are completely in fellowship with God for eternity. Even as we read about the suffering of Jesus thousands of years later, it touches us, yet the crowd mocked, cursed, spat, and taunted him, Jesus died, despised and rejected. They cried out we will not have this man rule over us. What is your reaction to JESUS?