The Sermon From the Cross

While Jesus hung from the cross He made a few statements while He was dying in agony at the hands of those He came to save.   It is significant to note that even while Jesus was suffering, having been scourged and then spiked naked to a cruel cross and left to finish dying a shameful and agonizing death in the site of all, He still spoke words that have relevance to all of the faithful for all of time.   His love for us was so great that He willingly endured the death of the cross so that we could have redemption from sin and He continued to teach both by word and by example till His last breath. 

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."  (Luke 23:34)
Jesus taught about forgiveness from the cross.  The whole purpose of Jesus dying by crucifixion was for the forgiveness of the sins of all mankind, (Hebrews 10:10-12).  This includes the forgiveness of the sins of those who were personally guilty of the death of the Son of God.  Forgiveness of sin requires an act on the part of both God and the sinner.  Jesus petitioned for their forgiveness without either request or repentance on their part.  "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," (Romans 5:8).  Actual forgiveness for any of them did not occur until the day of Pentecost when they repented and obeyed the gospel (Acts 2:36-38).  Jesus taught that we must "forgive men their trespasses" if we want God the Father to forgive us of ours, (Matthew 6:14-15). Jesus, the man, during His own execution, personally asked God the Father to forgive them, thus fulfilling His own teachings as Jesus, the divine Son of God. 

"Woman, behold thy son" (John 19:26), "Behold thy mother" (John 19:27)
Jesus taught us to provide for our parents.  Jesus was not so overwhelmed with his sufferings as to forget his mother.  With all that He owned stripped from Him and in the possession of the Roman soldiers, Jesus made provisions for His mother to be cared for after His death.  When He referred to His mother as "woman", He was not being disrespectful.  This was a common way of speaking in the first century.  Jesus also addressed His mother as "Woman" when He spoke in response to her at the wedding feast in Cana, (John 2:4).  All of the apostles had forsaken Jesus except John who was in attendance at His crucifixion.   Scripture teaches us that we are to respect and care for our parents to the best of our ability.  We are commanded to honor and obey our parents in the Lord, (Ephesians 6:1, Colossians 3:20).  Those who do not provide for those of their own households have "denied the faith" and are "worse than infidels," (1 Timothy 5:8).

Jesus directs his mother to look upon John as her own son: "Behold him as thy son and be as a mother to him."  Then He directs His most trusted friend on earth: "Behold her as thy mother and be a son unto her".  Thus fulfilling in the only way available to Him as her son, the commandment to care for those of our own households. 

"Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)
We can learn so much from this statement from our slain savior.  A justly condemned thief, (Luke 23:41) who had earlier been railing on Jesus, (Matthew 27:44), having been crucified alongside Him and was suffering the same fate, in the last hours of his life appealed to Jesus for mercy and found it.  This teaches us the incredible love for us Jesus has, and likewise His willingness to forgive us no matter what the circumstances.  All the child of God has to do today is repent and seek forgiveness and mercy will be found in abundance.  Truly our Lord is a merciful and forgiving savior. 

When Jesus told the thief he would be with Him in paradise, Jesus affirmed that there is life after death.   In this world, all either of them had to look forward to was a slow agonizing death of the fleshly body.  There was no hint of paradise evident from their perspective, yet Jesus affirmed its existence and proclaimed that both of them would be there that day.  What words of comfort those must have been to that dying thief.  What words of comfort those are to us today.  No matter how horrible things may be on earth, there is rest for God's people, (Hebrews 4:9), those who live and believe in Jesus will never die, (John 11:26).  There are no greater words of comfort that can be uttered.  There is no higher calling, there is no greater hope. 

"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34)
Jesus came to take away the sin of the whole world, (1 John 2:2).  He did this by offering His body as a sacrifice in order to satisfy God's requirement of death for sin.  The wages of sin is death, which includes both physical and spiritual death.  Spiritual death is described in the Bible as separation from God and sin is what separates us from God, (Isaiah 59:2).  Jesus became sin for us, (2 Corinthians 5:21), and in so doing God laid the full penalty of our sin upon His shoulders.  He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, (Isaiah 53:5).  He bore the chastisement all mankind deserved and in addition to the physical pain of the cross, that penalty included separation from God for a period of time. 

It is of significance that the Biblical record gives no indication whatsoever of Jesus crying out from the cross as a result of the physical pain He was suffering.  But He did cry out in anguish when He suffered the spiritual penalty for our sin.  In so doing, Jesus gave mankind a grim picture of just how horrible separation from God will really be.  He only experienced it for a period of time but the unfaithful will bear that penalty for eternity.  We have an eyewitness example of the reaction of a living breathing human being to the horrific experience of being forsaken by God for all to see.   To the child of God, beware lest ye fall, (2 Peter 3:17); To the unbeliever, beware lest ye suffer likewise forever and ever, (2 Thessalonians 1:8) .

"I Thirst"  (John 19:28)
Jesus taught us of His humanity.  Jesus, being as human in His humanity, (John 1:14), as He was divine in His divinity, (John 1:1), was subject to the same fleshly needs and sensations we all face every day.  Jesus' agony over what would soon happen was evident in his prayers to God in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to His mock trial and crucifixion.  He was in all points tempted like as we are, (Hebrews 4:15), yet he never sinned.  His suffering on the cross was as real as anybody's would be.  He felt every stripe, every blow of the scourge, and finally, moments before His death, suffering shock from His loss of blood which brings on overwhelming dehydration, He spoke only the words "I thirst".   The torments of hell are represented by a violent thirst as the rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus with a drop of water on the tip of his finger to cool his tongue, (Luke 16:24).  Were it not for what Christ endured on the cross of Calvary, our everlasting fate would be the same. 

"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit"  (Luke 23:46)
We learn from this statement that there is something that goes on past our fleshly lives.  There is not a better testimony of immortality than this to be found in scripture.  Jesus was at the door of fleshly death and He affirmed to all that He was committing His Spirit which would live on into the hands of God, His Father.  Jesus' fleshly life was done.  All that was left to Him here was finished.  What remained ahead was immortality with God the Father.  Throughout His life, He did always those things that pleased His father, (John 8:29), He gave up being equal with God, (Philippians 2:6-7), took on the form of a servant and became obedient, even unto the death of the cross, (Philippians 2:8).  He finished the work that God sent Him here to do, (John 17:4). 

All those who lived have an eternal spirit just like Jesus.  All those passed, present or future will likewise be faced with the same thing at death, for all are appointed to die, (Hebrews 9:27).  All who ever lived shall see their immortal spirit go back to God for judgment.  Those who have properly prepared themselves and commend their spirits willingly to God will never see spiritual death. 

"It is Finished"  (John 19:30)
Before the world began, (Titus 1:2), God knew He would have to send His only begotten, one of a kind, unique son to earth to die for sin.  The plan of redemption for man from sin required somebody to die in man's place for his transgressions against God.  God's righteous nature demands one single punishment for all sin which is the separation from Him forever which is spiritual death.  He will not allow sin in His presence.   Under the Patriarchal and Levitical law God required the death of something valuable to atone for sin.  But the blood of bulls and goats could never take away the sin of man, (Hebrews 10:4), or make him perfect, (Hebrews 10:1).   What was needed was the death of someone perfect and more valuable than all of creation to God.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, stood in our place for the sins of the world.  He paid the ultimate price.  He died so that we could have a chance to live.  When Jesus shed His blood and died, the plan of redemption for all of mankind was finished.  There would be no more blood sacrifices.  Man would never have to labor under the bondage of sin again.  We can be fully reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.  All we have to do is give the proper and faithful response in obedience to His will, acknowledging Him as our Savior and King.

Hebrews 5:8-9
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 And being made perfect , he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.