The Seven Sayings of Christ from the Cross, concluded
FIVE:
Out in a desert village in Pakistan with the thermometer rising to 115 degrees, I remember thirst. Since the water offered was dipped from a canal, I had to drop a Halazone tablet into the glass and wait for it to take effect. The wait was excruciating. But it was nothing like the thirst Jesus felt on the cross.
Near the end of the three hours of darkness, agony and great loss of blood, “knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I AM THIRSTY’” (John 19:28-30). All he was offered was wine vinegar. This fifth word from the cross highlights the mystery of his humanity. Paul expresses it, “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). Jesus suffered as man, a real man with flesh and blood.
The one who became our sacrifice had to be made like us. He came as a baby, grew as a child, knew weariness, fell asleep in a boat, was hungry and thirsty. [See Luke 2:7, 52, John 4:6, Matt. 4:2; Mark 4:38; John 4:3, etc.] Neither God nor angels thirst. He was not a deified man such as the Hercules of mythology nor a humanized god like the Zeus of mythology.
In Jesus we face the mystery of the God-Man. He is one with the Father as the Son of God (John 10:30) yet he was born of Mary as to his human nature. As hammered out in the great creeds, he was not two persons but one person with two natures. As God, he voluntarily surrendered the independent exercise of his divine attributes such as omnipotence and omniscience, submitting their exercise to the Father’s will. He emptied himself. He said, “I do always those things that please the Father.” (See Phil. 2:5-11.)
His cry of thirst expresses his identification with us in our humanity. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death….he is able to help those who are being tempted…We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet without sin” (Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:14,15).
Whatever we feel today, we should bring to Jesus. He understands and intercedes for us that our sufferings and temptations may not overwhelm us but contribute to our growth in grace.
SIX:
We all looked forward to the end of the pandemic and freedom from lockdowns, but the use of masks seems to continue in some venues. Will that ever end so we can see whole faces again? Hopefully soon. After hours of agony on the cross, Jesus cried with a loud voice, “It is finished” (Matt. 27:5; John 19:30). HIS SIXTH WORD.
Three of his words from the cross expressed his love for others. Two expressed his own agony as he endured suffering for our sins. The last two echoed his triumph.
This sixth word, uttered with a loud cry, expressed the CONCLUSION of his sufferings, the end of the old dispensation and the declaration of our emancipation from the slavery of sin.
It is a cry of COMPLETION. All the prophecies of his first coming are fulfilled. The work of his incarnation is complete. Describing his coming he said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34). “I glorified Thee on earth, I have accomplished the work which you gave me to do” (John 17:4).
It is a cry of PERFECTION. The law of God is perfect, yet none of us have kept it. “But when the fulness of time came God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:4,5). As Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to abolish but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17). He fulfilled the law perfectly by his obedience and sacrifice.
It symbolizes a perfect salvation! Heb. 10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected forever those that are sanctified (Set apart by salvation)” (Heb. 10:14). Through his suffering he has secured for those who repent; forgiveness, justification, redemption, adoption, reconciliation, sanctification and glorification. A perfect salvation!
It is a cry of TRIUMPH. Note that he gave up his spirit. It was not taken from him. He died on his own terms, not a cowering victim but a triumphant Saviour. Because of him we can cry, Hallelujah! Imagine a symbol of humiliation is now a symbol of triumph!
SEVEN:
One of the most challenging things about the pandemic was being told we must wear a mask, where we can go and not go, who we can meet with, and the distance we must stay from others. We don’t like to be compelled to do anything. We believe in freedom and thus the protests we have seen. This whole matter of freedom brings up the question; was Jesus compelled by the Father to die for our sins?
With our punishment paid, THE SEVENTH WORD FROM THE CROSS was uttered in a loud cry of victorious triumph. “Jesus called out in a loud voice,” (John 19:30): “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. When he had said this he breathed his last. He bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (Luke 23:46).
His first and last words from the cross were addressed to the Father. In this final word we see that the separation between the Son and the Father has ended as has his suffering. His sufferings did not destroy his relationship in the Godhead to the Father.
By saying, “into your hands I commit my spirit,” he indicates that his death was VOLUNTARY. He chose this path for you and me! Matthew 27:5 indicates that “he yielded up his spirit,” while John 19:30 describes it as “he bowed his head and gave up his Spirit.” Earlier he had predicted this. “The reason the Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:”17,18).
It is important to note here that the sinless man, Christ Jesus died. Neither the Father nor the Spirit died. It is incorrect to say that God died on the cross.
Note also the REDEMPTIVE EFFECT of his death. The hardened Roman centurion who had seen countless deaths and been unaffected by the whimpers, gasps, cries and curses uttered by others dying was astounded at this death. He had never seen a man die with a loud voice of triumph while uttering a prayer. Seeing Jesus die after hours of darkness in the midst of a terrible earthquake, he “praised God and said, ‘surely this was a righteous man’”
Matthew 27:54 records; “When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God!’” I have no doubt that at least the centurion became a believer in Christ that day.
Meanwhile the crowds who had gathered to leer and jeer at the crucified suddenly sobered. “When the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.” (Luke 23:48).
What should be OUR REACTION? His redemptive death teaches us that while our obedience must be absolute our service must be voluntary, not compelled. We can trust God in the darkness for his grace will enable us to persevere to the end and die triumphantly.
You can’t imagine a more victimized person than Jesus. Yet when he died, he didn’t say, “I am finished” but “It is finished.” He did not play the victim, and thus he emerged the victor. (Joni Eareckson Tada)
Praise God for the victory He purchased for us. Have a blessed Easter weekend knowing that the cross leads to the empty tomb.
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