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15 Feb:
The Final Words of the Lord on the Cross
John 19:30 “…. It is finished!
And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
If you get on the internet, you can find several documents about people’s final words: some famous, some infamous, deep and insightful. Here is brief, a very brief excerpt:
Sir Winston Churchill’s last words were, “I’m bored with it all.” Honest.
When Groucho Marx was dying, he let out one last quip: “This is no way to live!” Truthful.
Murderer James W. Rodgers was put in front of a firing squad in Utah and asked if he had a last request. He replied, “Bring me a bullet-proof vest.” Very smart.
Johnny Ace, an R&B singer, died in 1954 while playing with a pistol during a break in his concert set. His last words were, “I’ll show you that it won’t shoot.” Wrong!
John Wayne died at age 72 in L.A. He turned to his wife and said, “Of course I know who you are. You’re my girl. I love you.” Endearing!
There are a lot of final words with truth, insight, good advice, funny, sad, angry and so on. But if we are interested in some final words that might have an impact on our lives we should look no further than what the New Testament records regarding Jesus’ final words that He uttered on the cross.
Before we get to His words on the cross, we should look at what preceded that event.
Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.”
Jesus clearly submitted to what was to come. In the Garden He prayed that these events would be by-passed, but, realizing what God’ s will was, He submitted to God’s plan of sacrifice and redemption:
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Colossians 1:13-14 “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Hebrews 9:12 “He did not enter by the means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all – by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.”
God’s plan of redemption for mankind required the blood of a sinless sacrifice which is what Christ provided for us. We should be eternally thankful for Christ’s love and sacrifice. But over and beyond this we can also be thankful for His example of how to live before God in a pleasing and serving fashion. We have four Gospels which give us the life of Christ and the teachings of Christ. Scripture after scripture tells us of the importance of knowing and following the teachings of the New Testament and especially the teachings of Christ.
Rom 15:4 “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope.” Eph 4:11.12 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ”. Mtt 28:19,20 “Go therefore and make disciples …. teaching them to observe all that I commanded you”.
Believing that what we read and understand teaches us how to properly live our lives then I think looking at the final words of our Lord while He was hanging on the cross would bring us great benefit. One commentary made the point of highlighting that on the cross Jesus spoke seven words or phrases while hanging there. And seven is the Jewish number for signaling ‘sacred and complete”. So today I want to look at the first words that Jesus spoke on the cross:
Luke 23:33,34 “When they came to the place called ‘The Skull’, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’. And they cast lots dividing up His garments among themselves.”
Remarkably, Jesus starts His ministry in prayer: Luke 3:21 “Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened.” And here we see it closing in prayer. And the amazing thing is the nature of His prayer – He is praying for forgiveness to those who are killing Him. He is praying for them and dying for them at the same time. Do you see Isaiah 53:12 here? Isaiah 53:12 “He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Mark 1:35 “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Jesus clearly made prayer a significant part of His life. It started His ministry, carried Him through His ministry and was part of His final hours. If this behavior was important to our Lord then it should clearly be important in our lives as well.
“But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them” Is it not amazing that as He is hanging on the cross – dying, that He prays for those who are doing this to Him? But I want to ask this question – is it SURPRISING that He is doing this? Consider:
Mtt 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Mtt 6:12 “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
Mtt 6:14 “If you forgive others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Mtt 18:21,22 When Peter asked how many times should he forgive his brother Jesus replied not seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
Consider the parables He told about forgiveness – specifically the servant forgiven 10,000 talents but he throws into jail someone who owed him much less than his debt. His lack of forgiveness cost him dearly.
“But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them” ‘Them’ who?
The Roman soldiers/Pilate? The religious leaders?
The deserting disciples? The crowd crying “crucify Him”?
The entire fallen race of Adam – past, present, and future?
Or maybe ‘YOU’? Maybe he was praying for Me!
What is the answer to this question – who is Jesus praying for? Wonderfully Jesus was praying for ALL these groups and thankfully that includes you and me.
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Wonderfully, thankfully, Jesus prayed that we ALL be forgiven.
“But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
As I was preparing my lesson I started thinking about this part of the prayer. And it answers the question as to how they could crucify Jesus. It is because they DO NOT know what they are doing. They do not know they are crucifying the Messiah. They do not know they are crucifying the Son of God. As a matter of a fact – there are two scriptures that corroborate this:
- Acts 3:17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.”
- 1 Cor 2:8 “Had they know [the wisdom of God], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
So, what is the grand synopsis of today’s lesson?
1) Jesus is our role model who we are to follow:
1 Cor 11:1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Eph 5:1,2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” 1 Thess 1:6 “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit”.
2) Jesus loved and forgave – and as His followers we too must love and forgive :
Mtt 6:14 ““For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you…” Luke 6:27,28 “But I say to your who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”
“Christians” means ‘Christ like’.
If we are going to wear the label, then we must live up to that label.
8 Feb: Are We Still Living in Babylon? Taken from an article by Dr. David Talley
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind …”
If you remember the story of Israel’s captivity, Babylon came down to Israel and conquered it as punishment from God for their sinful ways, predominately engaging in idol worship time and time again. But then, in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, after 70 years God brought His people back home – Ezra 1:1-3 “Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus so that he sent a proclamation throughout all of his kingdom, and also put it into writing, saying: ‘… the Lord, the God of heaven, has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people may go up to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel: He is the God who is in Jerusalem.’”
To make a long story shorter, all those who were moved to do so were allowed to go back home and begin to re-establish their Jewish heritage. They began this rebuilding by rebuilding the temple. Ezra 3:10,11 “Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the Sons of Asap, with cymbals, to praise the Lord according to the directions of Kind David of Israel. They sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘For He is good, for His loving-kindness is upon Israel forever.’ And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.”
During these early days things seemed great and wonderful. It seemed like nothing was going to stop them – but then, and now and always, LIFE happened. Adversaries of Israel began in a variety of ways to disrupt and distract Israel from continuing their rebuilding. Years into this venture Haggai brought this word to the people: Haggai 1:4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house (of the Lord) lies desolate?”
Apparently, what has happened is that during the previous years the people became distracted from their mission of rebuilding the temple because of outside influences and internal/personal influences. They began focusing on their own personal welfare at the expense of following God’s expectations. They did not reject God but simply became distracted and off course.
Does this strike you as being something familiar that you have heard before? Consider one portion of the Parable of the Sower: Mtt 13:22 “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Again, the struggle is not outright rejection, like the seed in the rocks, but a gradual loss of sight on God and His word do to the things of this world and this life.
Spiritual struggles rarely begin with open rebellion but rather when our eyes begin to wander, when responsibilities crowd out prayer and bible studies and when weariness supplants worship.
Gal 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” Eph 4:14,15 “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking in the truth of love – we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.”
When we let the cares of this world overtake our focus, devotion and commitment then we are going to find ourselves on a path that is not pleasing to God. If we want to stay on that narrow path leading to the Lord, then we must learn to rely on the Lord for the strength and guidance that we need. Jesus has told us that He came to bring us an abundant life! That is a life that enjoys the blessings of God and resists the temptations of the devil. What does Paul warn us about in Ephesians? Eph 6:12,13,18 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” Remember, this armor is to help us resist the devil; this armor and our prayers for all of us – each and every one of us to live and enjoy that life He has promised.
God reminded Israel that they were HIS people through His prophets. Zechariah 4:6 “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord” John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Weakness becomes the perfect stage for God’s strength. In their weakness, the Spirit would carry them and the work forward (Paul’s thorn in the flesh). God’s work, done in His ways, accomplishes His purposes. Transformation is not about human effort—it is about trusting Him. 1 John 5:4,5 “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” We must be trusting, turning to and obeying the words that God has given us to guide our lives.
When we find ourselves slipping into old patterns we must trust God’s corrections.
As time went by, Nehemiah found a community slipping into old patterns. Even rebuilding the temple did not solve their struggle. Sabbaths were ignored. Leaders abused power. Idolatry crept in. Nehemiah discovered empty storerooms and neglected responsibilities in the temple and asked, “Why is the house of God neglected?” (Nehemiah 13:11).
Not hated. Not rejected. Not abandoned. Not repurposed. Just … neglected.
That is also a quiet danger of compromise. It does not announce its arrival. It seeps into routines unnoticed. It justifies itself through busyness, stress, or fatigue. And over time, little compromises become devastating decline. Neglect slowly destroys until its victims are defeated. But time and again, God calls His people back - He called them to action by giving them a vision for the future: “But now be strong … and work. For I am with you … The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house … And in this place, I will grant peace” (Haggai 2:4-9).
The Lord reminded them that He had a good plan. Peace was within their reach if they regained their focus and joined together with Him in His work.
If we want to make sure that we are on God’s path, then we must make sure we are doing God’s work. What does 2 Tim 3:16,17 tells us: 2 Tim 3:16,17 “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Engage in the Lord’s work!
In Israel’s struggles/failures they were not running from God and His response to them was tender: “Return to me, and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7; Zechariah 1:3).
This is not the voice of an angry judge, but of a loving Father calling His children home again exactly as we see portrayed in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Like this son we must continually seeking to align our hearts with God’s heart daily! Luke 9:23 “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.” Our journey with the Lord is a daily effort.
Israel’s journey reminds us that faithfulness is not measured by simply getting out of Babylon—it is about allowing God to get Babylon out of us. God does not expect flawless devotion; He desires continuous transformation, daily returning to Him. The Lord understands our distractions, our disappointments, our weariness—but He also refuses to let us settle for a faith that is fading. He continually invites us toward life, renewal, and intimacy with Him. Continuing with the Lord is a lifelong journey of accepting His invitation to trust Him. And through it all, He meets us every step of the way.