The
Seven Last Sayings of Jesus
Luke 23:32-49
Introduction: As we
look at these seven last words, some carry more meaning for us today. When we hear the words “It Is Finished”, a
shout of praise rises up on the inside of us.
The Old Covenant was fulfilled and His shed blood ratified the New
Covenant, our salvation was secured in heaven, we have been redeemed, bought
back.
I.
The Crucifixion
A. This
was the cruelest type of execution of that day.
1. A
long, lingering death, sometimes taking days.
II.
The first three words
A. The
first words were spoken between 9 AM and 12 noon.
1. Father
forgive them
2. Woman
behold thy Son
3. Today
you will be with me in paradise
B. The
last four words were spoken between 12 noon and 3 PM
4. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me?
5. I thirst
6. It is finished
7. Father, into Thy hands I commend my
Spirit
III.
The words spoken; “Father, forgive them” Luke 23:34
A. In
Jesus’ time of great suffering and shame, He only had compassion.
1. He
was asking His Father, the God of the universe, to forgive them.
2. He
said, “They don’t know what they are doing”
3. They
had not accepted Jesus as Messiah
4. They
did not realize the evil they were committing.
5. Jesus
had compassion on them all.
IV.
“Woman behold thou Son”, John 19:26
A. Jesus
was concerned for His mother, both temporal and eternal.
1. The
disciple was John
2. He
just told John to take care of His mother
V.
“Today thou shall be with me in paradise”, Luke
23:40-42
A. The
repentant thief, a picture of true repentance
1. He
said he feared God
2. Accepted
Jesus as righteous
3. He
asked Jesus to remember him
B. Jesus’
answer, “ Today, you will be with me - - - -” GLORY!
1. They
were to enter paradise together
2. They
were the last ones to ever enter paradise
VI.
Jesus had been on the cross for three hours. Matthew 27: 45-56
A. This
time was from 9Am until 12 noon
1. The
next time sequence is from 12 noon until 3 PM
B. Several
important events happened in these next three hours.
1. All
the demons of hell thought they had the victory.
2. But
this was Messiah’s greatest triumph, the cross
3. The
terrifying darkness that began at noon.
4. There
was a mysterious cry, Vs 46-49
5. The
great shout of triumph and yielding up the Spirit, Vs 50
6. The
great veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom Vs 51
7. The
terrifying earthquake, Vs 51
8. The
resurrection of many Saints, Vs 52-53
9. The
Centurions confession, Vs 54
1. A
supernatural darkness hung over the land for three hours.
a. Think
for a moment who that was hanging on that cross.
1. God’s
only Son, the Lord of all. Col. 1:16
2. The
great Architect and Creator of the whole universe
b. What
was He doing on that cross?
1. He
was baring the sins for all men
2. He
was bearing the judgment and wrath of God against sin for all men.
3. He
was dying the death for all men
4. He
was freeing man from the debt of sin, death, and judgment so they might live
forever.
c. What
the depth of God’s plan is. Romans
11:33-36
d. The
darkness demonstrated and symbolized several things.
1. Those
around realized Jesus was the Son of God
2. All
mouths were stopped, no jeering or mocking for a while
3. The
darkness symbolized the darkest day in human history.
4. Darkness
symbolizes sin
5. Symbolizes
the darkness of the human soul and its works
6. Symbolizes
the withdrawal of the light of God’s presence from sin.
a. Christ
hung on the cross as a sinner, all for us, the One who was becoming sin for
us. 2Corinthians 5:21
7. Darkness
symbolizes the anger of God at sin.
a. Darkness
deserves judgment
b. Sin
deserves no light from God’s presence
2. The
fourth cry from the cross. Vs 46
a. This
was the great separation; the moment God forsook Christ His Son.
b. God
had withdrawn His presence
c. God
had withdrawn His deliverance
d. But
now, hanging on a cross, God had forsaken Him.
e. He
was all alone
f.
Why? Because He was bearing the curse of God, the curse
of separation.
g. The
curse of judgment and condemnation of God against sin.
h. Jesus
sensed that God’s life and holiness had left Him
i.
He had been delivered into the hands of the enemies of
life and holiness, into the hands of sin and death.
j.
He was made sin for us and had to die
k. Sin
and death were foreign to God
l.
Sin and death stood as enemies of God
3. Fifth
cry from the cross, “I thirst” John 19:28
a. Psalm
69:21
4. The
sixth and seventh cry can be almost together.
a. It
is finished and into thy hands - - - -
b. John
19:30, Luke 23:46
c. He
gave up the ghost, he gave up His spirit
d. We
must remember that Jesus gave up His life willingly.
e. The
spear: Two ordnances – baptism and the Lords supper
f.
The water and the blood. Titus 3:4-5, 1John 1:7
5. “It
is finished” “Father, into thy hands - - - “
a. The
great shout of triumph!
b. Three
important points here:
1. A
victorious shout, He had finished, completed His work, mission.
2. Yielded
up the ghost, willingly gave up the Spirit. Luke 23:46
3. One
the cross, Colosians 2:15
4. On
the cross after death, 1Peter 3:18-20
5. After
death, Ephesians 4:8-10
6. Jesus died at the ninth
hour. [3PM]
a. This
was the time of the evening sacrifice of the Passover Lamb.
b. While
they were about to sacrifice the symbolic lamb, the True Lamb, was being
sacrificed for the peoples sin outside the city walls.
c. The
veil was rent from top to bottom, opening a direct access to the Holy of
Holies. Hebrews 10:19-23
7. Two last events that took
place
a. An
earthquake;
b. Shook
because of the weight on the architect and creator
c. This
symbolized a fatal blow to Satan
d. Stirring
a waiting for that glorious day of redemption
8. Believers resurrected,
about five hundred. Matthew 27:52
a. Opened
during the earthquake
b. Symbolized
the conquest of death by Christ
c. Strengthen
faith in the resurrection
Conclusion: The
Centurions statement is one we must all make daily. Truly Jesus is the Son of
God. We must all confess that Jesus is
Lord and He is the Savior of our souls.