7 Last Words

Title of my sermon is The Last Seven Works. In the book of the Bible where it goes into the, I mentioned this before, Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, we have the Ten Commandments listed. And one of the ways in which they taught, we are very blessed today to have Bibles. For thousands of years they didn't have Bibles, any of God's people. And so they had to memorize these things. They had to try to pass them along. And even if someone could write, had to put it on even a cuneiform tablet or even as found in the in Qumran, pieces of the Bible were written on sheepskin in pots that they would have. Very difficult. But here they would teach their children, they would teach each other about the Ten Commandments by calling it 10 words. So they would teach the children to remember 10 words first. Then those 10 words then would help them be able to remember what those 10 words represent. Coveting, they remember covet, thou shall not murder, thou shall not honor. The fifth one, you shall honor your mother and father. This is how they taught. And they called it. It's actually known at the time and historical writings as the 10 words. Because they were so used to doing that for thousands of years. And it's not a bad way to teach.

I used to have flashcards. I used to have to have when I was first hired, we had two or three tests a week and we couldn't use our Bible, but it would be given to us. And so we knew what we were studying. So I would actually have to write flashcards so I could take them during the week and study those certain things that I thought were going to be on the test.

Anybody ever do that in school? Flashcards? Okay, I'm not the only one. I don't feel so handicapped now. I thought maybe I was the only one, but it helped me to memorize when I knew I wouldn't have the Bible to check. And Dr. Ward was not the kindest of teachers. He was a harsh taskmaster when it came to the Bible. And so he was my teacher for three years in different classes. But it did help me to learn, especially those scriptures that I wrote on those flashcards or those names and dates and times.

So today I want to go through as preparation for the spring holy days for the Passover in the days of Unleavened Bread since I will not be here except for the last day. I will be here for the last day of Unleavened Bread. So I'll be in Murfreesboro and come up here. I'll be in Fort Lauderdale and then go to here in Vero Beach. So I look forward to seeing all of you then. But I wanted to cover something that I don't think Bill and Jeff are going to be covering.

Sorry if I do, but I wanted to pull this out. It's called The Seven Last Words, but it's actually known as The Seven Last Statements of Jesus Christ. So I want to do this, and this will be a little interactive even here today because I think getting people engaged and hopefully it will help you to remember these because Jesus Christ is our Savior, Lord, Master, High Priest, and Soon-Coming King, hung on that piece of wood or that cross. And the Bible gives us seven statements he made upon that piece of wood as he was dying.

So you could say those are his last words. Perhaps you have been with people. I have been with people who have died and heard their last words, and they're very memorable. Even if you were not with somebody, but you remember the last word someone said to you. It's very memorable and touching, and you sometimes remember that.

So I'd like to go through as your preparation for another preparation for the Passover to knowing exactly what he was going through that night. What was in his mind was that he had already pictured his crucifixion, as you know, from Psalm 22, that he actually quoted one of his last statements from Psalm 22 that he inspired David to write. He knew what he was going to have to go through, and that's why it was very tough because he may have been God, but he was fully human also, and he felt like we feel. And he definitely feels pain like we feel, and that his pain that he did.

So I'd like to do that because the last seven statements that he made, or the last seven words, or they're not all in an order. As a matter of fact, God inspired that they were put in different places. Maybe for us to think about, maybe for us to remember seven words, seven statements, because God seems to have an affinity to the number seven.

And I think we do too, and I also think that it helps us to remember maybe those last words. So if you will, we're going to take a trip here. If you will join me in Luke 23, the first of the seven. Luke 23, and I'll be reading from the New King James Version. Luke 23 and verse 34. And Jesus Christ had already been hung up on this piece of wood. Nails had been driven in his hands and in his feet.

And whether his hands were up here, or whether his hands out here, it's commonly believed they were out here because most of the time the piece of wood, the cross that he was to bear was put on his shoulders. It was the top piece. The centerpiece of the cross was already in place. It was concreted in, as different historians say, so they didn't have to reinvent the wheel every time they did this. And they knew there was a certain place in which they would take it, because you were not allowed to kill somebody in the walls like that in Jerusalem walls. You were not allowed to kill someone, per se. That was Jewish law.

And so this piece of wood he had put upon his shoulders. As a matter of fact, I gave a sermon one day here and carried a piece of wood like it would be. And so they would have you carry that up to Gogotha as you went through the city. And then you went up to the hill, the skull's hill, as they call it, because it looked like some skulls, rock formation there.

That's where the crucifixion took place. And so they took him up and they had him carry that up. He needed some help doing that. But when they got up there, they would have nailed his hands to that to that piece of wood. Some say they nailed it like this. Others said they nailed it like that. So he would be in more pain. But whatever it was, it was put up. And then soldiers would actually pick up that piece of wood with him on it and hang it on the top vertical piece of wood that was already there, notched out.

So all they had to do was set it in place. And it wasn't three foot off the ground. His feet were only inches above the ground when he was hanging there, unlike some of the pictures. So let's look at this first statement he said as he's hanging there in Luke 23 and verse 34. Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.

Very first statement. Forgive them, they don't know what they are doing. Shows the mind of Christ that he was willing to forgive. This heinous, brutal, insane act, what they were doing. He said, Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. Who was he talking to? Who was he talking about? Whether he was talking to God. Who? Us. We did that, didn't we? I mean, because of our sins, he took our place. And I think we should never forget that. But there were specifics there also besides us. Who? Ah, the Pharisees and the leaders.

Let's go there. Matthew 26, just a couple pages over if you'll go with me there. Matthew 26, very short. Well, I'm in Luke. Sorry, Matthew. Matthew 26. Matthew 26 and verse 3. It says, Then the chief priests.

Who were they? Sadducees. The scribes. Pharisees, lawyers, teachers of the law. And the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill him. A lot of people involved in that. The scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, all those. They were going to take him by trickery. Think about that. Would you dwell on that during this week? How are they going to do it? I think their plan was to take him when he's away from everybody and just get rid of him. Find some way to get him off by himself. He disappears. During this feast, nobody knows. Except God had other plans.

But who else? Who else? Did he talk about? Yes, Frank. The Romans, the soldiers who actually beat him, scourged him, and get that crown of thorns pushed on his head.

They drew that blood first. And some of them, if you watch Passion of the Christ, I don't know how much it's worth, but it shows them even enjoying what they're doing. Whether they did or not, I don't know, but to have to do that as your job, you'd have to be a little warped. Well, yeah, it was the Romans, soldiers who did that. Is there anybody else? Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing.

Talk about the leaders. Talk about Caiaphas.

Frank? The Barabbas crowd. The Barabbas crowd. They asked for him, which was the majority of the people. Yeah, forgive them, because he would have been released if it wasn't for Barabbas. Anybody else? Yes, Jeff.

Very good. Yes. I mean, think about it. Father, forgive Judas. Did he really know what he was doing? Don't know. Did he think, oh, they wouldn't put him to death? Did he even think? Dale was his mind clouded by the amount of money he was going to have to fill the money bag up with because he had stolen from it, and that clouded his memory. Or did he even think, as one philosopher theologian suspected, that he wanted a revolt of the people, and so he thought this would get the revolt of the people, and people would overthrow the government. So, yeah, Judas is one that Christ was willing to forgive. I have one more. Anybody have one more?

Yes. Yes, because it's all mankind. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. One man. I think it hit harder than anyone else.

Peter. Peter denied him after telling him I never will. Can you imagine? I mean, whether Peter was there, seeing we just know John was, or whether Peter was there, or Christ even knew how it would hit Peter.

Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing. What an incredible statement when you look at everything involved. Could we do it? I don't know that I could. The second statement that I want to give today. If you will join me back in Luke, where we were, before I took you away from there. Luke 23 again.

Luke 23. Join me, if you will, in verse 39. Luke 23. Number two. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed him. What does that mean?

Cursing. Cursing. Could have been. Or just mocking him in such a, you know, calling his mother something. Everything you could think of. But he blasphemed. Him saying, if you are the Christ, which he denied, you know, he was denying that he was, save yourself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, do you not even fear God? What a statement! Because one is on his left and one is on his right. Why were they up there? Why were they being crucified? What did it say they did? They were thieves. Thieves were not crucified, were they?

I mean, the Romans didn't even cut your hand off. That was later done by the Arabs. But the one thing they did do, they put your first crime listed first that you committed. And so the only way you could be up there is if you revolted against the government or you committed murder. So the educated thought in this is they either tried to usurp the government and one of the soldiers were killed. Or they were in the process of stealing something. They got caught and they killed a Roman soldier because they didn't mess with you.

It's interesting because, as I talked about last time I was here when we actually had a Bible study, I talked about who that who that middle cross was for. It wasn't for Christ because this was already planned. It was for Barabbas. And it said he was a murderer. So were these two thrown in with him? Were they part of his game? It sure makes sense if it is. But think about that. This one said, don't you even know who he is? So obviously this thief had heard of Christ, may have even followed Christ at one time, may have just listened to him many times. But it says, do you not even fear God's seen? You are under the same condemnation and we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. We're guilty! But this man has done nothing wrong. He knew him. He knew of his reputation. Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into Your... What's it say? Did he say, remember me when you go to heaven? Remember me for any scriptural reference you want here. Remember me when you come into Your kingdom. He'd obviously heard him preach about the kingdom. And Jesus, in verse 43, said to him, assuredly I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise. You will be with me in Paradise. It's interesting because the Greek does not have commas and so forth and so some people have wanted to put today you will be with me in Paradise. But all it takes is changing the comma and you find out I say assuredly you today. I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise. Paradise is... No, you didn't. Paradise is... You actually look at the Greek word and it means the Garden of Eden, which what the kingdom will be like. So Christ is telling him that. But that is a very, very strange thing to say that some people have asked me. How could how could Christ, this guy, he's a criminal, he's a thief. They have done worse. How could Christ give him entrance into the kingdom when I've had to spend 40 years trying to follow Christ and Christ just lets him in? It doesn't seem right, does it?

How many of us? That man's sins put Christ up in on that piece of wood too. Forgive them? Don't know what they're doing? Think about it. Who is going to judge everyone? All will stand before the judgment seat of... So here, this man may not be standing, but he's hanging, and he's being judged by Christ. And Christ said, and Christ said, you're with me. My kingdom comes, you'll be there. Isn't that amazing? But some people say, that's not really fair, is it? Oh, maybe I'll just need a deathbed confession. I can go live my life and then do that. You really want to take your chance? Think about it. Some of the things that God says to the carnal mind, the carnal mind is what? Did he say in Romans? Is it an enmity? Hostile towards God? Because they can't understand it because he sounds like a nut to them. Because he said, the last shall be first and the first shall be last. What? That doesn't make sense. If I'm first, why do I have to be last? Because God's mind works different than ours. My thoughts are not your thoughts, your thoughts are not my thoughts. My thoughts are much greater and higher than yours. Why? Because he looks at the lowly as being great. And the great, he says, I want you to be lowly. Incredible for this young man. What about the widow's might? That doesn't make sense. You'd say she gave more than everybody, all those combined, and she gave less than a penny of our money in there. Is that right? It is to God.

He's a heart God, and he asks for heart people to worship him with all their heart, their soul, and their being. And then he goes and does that crazy thing, says, love your enemies.

So, you want to figure out God? I'm not smart enough yet. It's not my place. And all I have to do is wait to 1 John 3 and verse 2 and says, then I will see him as he is, and I will know him. So I will someday be able to understand, but in the meantime, I just have to take his words. And these were very, very powerful words. Let's go to his third statement. Go with me over to the book of John. This is the order in which they are giving.

So I'll go to John. John 19. John 19.

19 verse 25. Now there stood by the cross, stars, of Jesus, the cross of Jesus, his mother, his mother, sister Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. A whole bunch of Marys. When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by, he said to his mother, Woman, behold your son. Then he said to the disciple, which was John, behold your mother. He said it. For all you have children, can you imagine watching your child die, the most hideous death that could have happened at that time?

Imagine Christ seeing his mother in such pain. He wanted to make sure she was taken care of, and he knew John would take care of his mother. Why? Not because he was a first cousin, Jesus. He could have asked James, he could have asked Peter, he could have asked any of those. But he didn't ask John. Why did he ask John? Anyone have a thought? He was trusted him, closest to John, and he's even mentioned the disciple who Christ agape loved. Loved the deepest. And John was that type of person. You can read it in his epistles. You can read it in 1st, 2nd, 3rd John. That's written. But I want you to think for a moment that here a man is dying, and he looks down, and he doesn't say, Why me? Why me? Does he? He said, Woman or mother. He was thinking about others, just like he did the entire 33 and a half years of his life.

You want to make sure she was taken care of. Imagine, imagine incarnate Christ from this date. Imagine 35 years from this date. It would have been a year and a half before Jesus Christ was born. He chose this woman. He chose this woman. She would have been a teenager, a young woman.

Imagine his thoughts. According to historians at the time, there were between 250 and 300 million people living on earth at the time. Of those who were young virgins that fit the description of being from the house of Judah and clicked all the boxes, he said he could have been a million. He could have been as little as 15,000. He had. He chose. Say 15,000. He chose her out of 15,000 women. Her character? Yes. Why was he God? He saw the day she was born. He knew the character she was growing up. He had an attachment to her because he chose her along with the father. They were looking because this was the event. She wasn't someone who favored abortion. Couldn't take that chance, could they? She wasn't someone who would have just gone out and had sex with whoever she wanted. She wasn't going to be a prostitute. She was going to be the very top woman on earth that they could pick. And this was her. She didn't ask for it. She was chosen. He was having to put her through this because he chose her.

Imagine hurts us sometimes when we see somebody else hurt. Think of Christ, what he did there with his mother. Imagine him coming across with his disciples in his ministry and he comes to the city of Nain about 10 miles off the Sea of Galilee. He comes into the city and there's this funeral march and this woman, widow, is crying. People are crying as they're carrying this casket out to bury it because her only son had died. Think Christ didn't think that that widow woman, one day, soon, that's going to be my mother crying over me. And he didn't reach in, touchy, just inside the box. The rise! And the young man who's up inside. Can you imagine the tears of joy that came from his mother, the widow? Now maybe she had someone who could earn money, they could eat again.

Christ had such incredible vision. And then, above it all, he had to look down at his mother after saying these words. And remember, people are not going to believe you. They're not going to believe in an immaculate conception. They're not going to believe this. And you're going to have to endure this all your life. Yeah, Joseph, yeah.

Uh-huh. But this woman did, and she lived with it, because he put her through that, and he wanted to make sure she was taken care of. The fourth! Fourth! I'd like you to go back to Matthew 27. As we hear now Christ, he is Matthew 27. Verse 46, and he says, Christ is quoting from Psalm 22. And in verse 46, excuse me, 45, Matthew 27, it says, Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness, from noon to three, darkness in the middle of the day, and about the ninth hour, three o'clock, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, which is my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? It's very interesting that El, whether it's Daniel, Michael, whatever it is, we all realize that his name forgot. And this saying, Elie, because the eyes are pronounced, he is Aramaic, and is translated just as Aramaic. So we would understand as he cries out and what the exact words he heard. Oh, they all heard. Why have you forsaken me? Did God forsaken me? Boy, you too. Google that one and see how many different arguments there are about it.

Did? Did God forsaken? Not totally. Well, it's my opinion, and I know about this. God, Jesus died for us. The eternal death that we're supposed to die, which is death without the spirit of God, eternal death. In my opinion, always as man would. Even if he had the spirit within him, he didn't die in the death, I would. So my own opinion is that he did forsake you with just a short period of time, and then he rose him up because he can do that. The spirit of God is not necessary to raise a man who did. That's right. Well, when you think, and I have mentioned this once with Christie's granddaughter, which I met, of how beautiful, what a beautiful little girl. Can you imagine watching these vicious men stand around, watch them spit on him, mock him after they've beaten him and he's barely hanging on there? And it's interesting because in Habakkuk 1 and verse 13, it actually says that Habakkuk is crying out to God to do something about these people because he said, oh yes, we have a wicked nation, but now you're going to bring even more wicked people. You're going to bring the Babylonians in here and they're going to wipe us out. And then he makes that incredible statement in 13 that you are a pure eyes than to behold evil. So sometimes does God have to look away?

Especially this time, did he have to look away? Because he feels more deeply than we can ever dream of. He loves deeper than we ever thought. And this is an innocent, his innocent son, his innocent baby that is having to be tortured. And if he didn't turn away, how much easier would it be to just, it's done. The whole world's wiped out. I can do it again.

But this was a plan, as it says. You were slain from the foundations of the world. How many billions of years ago was that? This was their plan. And as tough as it was, on God, he was going to have to maybe turn away. And that darkness, because there was darkness, is that why Christ felt it? Because he's a God of light. His father is a God of light. And all of a sudden, there's darkness over those three hours, and he's about to die. And he feels alone.

He's never been alone.

God's never been alone. This was a very crucial moment in this life.

So, will we know? Someday. Someday, we will be able to understand. But did God leave him to rot in the ground? Did he leave him for his body to be taken and thrown into Gehenna? No. No. Just enough to fulfill. And he had to feel for Christ. He had to feel it. Could it also be that Jesus himself had to, as he would have said, always sin by himself? Yes. Had the mantle to carry all the sin. And he also knew he inspired David to write Psalm 22, verse 1. My God, my God, have you forsaken me? Incredible story. Someday, we'll hear it from him and ourselves. But for now, I think there's enough written so we can picture that. And know that it's Christ who says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. He could, for a moment, perhaps he understood that. And he never wants us to ever have to feel it, even as we are dying. Let's go to number five. John. Go back to John 19, the fifth statement. John 19, verse 28. John 19 and verse 28. It says, After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Was he fulfilling Psalm 22.1? Yes. Was he fulfilling this? And it says, I thirst. I thirst. Another translation says, I am thirsty. He was thirsty for water, wasn't he? Water symbolic of what?

Yes. Yes. Think on that. He knew as he was dying, he needed more of God's Spirit, didn't he? Just as he needed water, mouth so dry, your tongue can't even move in your mouth. As he is breathing his last breath and it's so dry. But at that moment, he needed God's Spirit to help him make it through this. Just like us, sometimes we've gone through things that without God's Spirit, we wouldn't have made it through. We would have quit. We would have done other things, right? Because he's flesh and he's weak, and his humanity has kicked in. And you remember what he told just a few hours before? He had his three disciples right there, and he said, stay awake and you go and pray. Stay awake. And then he came back. They were asleep. He said the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. So he knew it. Now he knew it even to a deeper degree, because of what he was having to endure here. That thirst. Because I don't know that there's anything. I've been hungry. I fasted this week. I didn't got food. Didn't bother me, but I needed. Well, I wanted my water. You know, and you can go. I forget how many days they say you can go without food, but you won't last anything like it without water. Our bodies are 70, 72 percent water. Is that right, Tracie? It's supposed to be. She's a nurse. You are, too. Is Jamaican bodies 70, 72 percent water? All right. We harp mostly water. He was the life of him was draining away. And there's that thirst. I've been by bedside. People dying. And now they've asked for ice. Could I have an ice cube? We can't have water. Ice cubes like Christ. Thirst. Do we learn from that? And will we be thirsty? Thirsty for his Holy Spirit this week to guide us as we cleanse this temple, as I mentioned this morning, cleanse that temple, get it all clean, and then also work on this chamber up here of your temple in your mind. Think about that thirst. Let's go to number six. Number six, also in John, John 19. Let me go to verse 30. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, they tried to stick up sour wine with him when they, he says, I thirst.

He said, it is finished. It is finished. Bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. It is finished. The sinless life. The ultimate sacrifice. The ultimate sacrifice. The countless healings, healing the brokenhearted.

Remember being slain from the foundation, it was finished. He had done it. He knew he didn't have much, but he had done it. And now he said, I want the glory with which I had with you before the world was. He knows he can do that now. Go with me. I think I have time. Romans 5. Didn't I didn't give you this? I just came across this this morning when I was studying. Romans 5. I think it helps us to see. Romans 5 and verse 6. It says, For when we were still without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. That was us at one time. We're not ungodly anymore. We strive to be godly, but he dies for the ungodly too. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone will even dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us before we were born. He died for us much more than having now been justified by his by his blood. We shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received the definite article, reconciliation. We're reconciled back to God. We're still his family. We're still because of Jesus Christ. So when you come into that room over there on Friday night, you're proclaiming that you're going to be a part of our reconciliation. These men will hear will guide you through that and they're going to show you just how great the Passover is and what he did for us. It's a reminder. But don't we all need a physical every year? Doctor says I do. Well, the great physician says you need a spiritual checkup exam every year and we get it. In the next seven days, we're going to get that at that time. So what a powerful statement. Finally, I'll go to the last one. Go with me to Luke 23 because that was not his last words. This statement is his last words. Luke 23. As you can see, some of them were scattered out through various places. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, he said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. There are no better hands to put yourself into. As a matter of fact, Isaiah 41 tells us that he's got us in his strong right hand. In the resurrection, he's got you. We are in his hands now. We are in his hands when we die because we have said that Christ is our Savior. How much better can he get because our Father has the best hands. I always tell family members, though they're standing around waiting for a loved one to die. And when he does, I always say he's in God's hands now. He is. Everybody is in God's hands. Now, I had somebody come up one time. Yes, pastor, you're right. You're right. He's with God right now in heaven looking down on us. And I said, not according to my Bible.

Well, he said, but everybody says that.

Brother, we have that understanding, incredible understanding. All we have to do is wait for the resurrection. And maybe I'm wearing his hands. Spirit returns to God. It's not an eternal living soul, but he saves it about us. So think about that. So maybe you can help people.

So what do you want your last words to be? You want your last sentence to be a famous preacher, theologian, Harry Beecher, Harry Ward Beecher, Henry Ward Beecher, famous 1800s preacher. Preach all those years. You know what his last words were? Now comes the mystery. Brother, we have no mystery. We know what happens after death. We know that God has us in his hands. So I don't know about you, but I want my last words to be the same as they are today. I'm living. And those words are, I am yours.