Play Movie Clip: (Brave-Heart – 4 minute clip of his final words.)
Good morning. In that clip that we just watched, we find that William Wallace’s final words were words of freedom. At this time, let me share with you some famous last words of some other people. U.S. President George Washington’s final words were, “I die hard but am not afraid to go.”
J.F.K. on arriving in Dallas said, “If someone is going to kill me, they will kill me.”
In what would be Elvis Presley’s last press conference he ended it by saying, “I hope I haven't bored you.”
James Rodgers, a murderer, on being asked for a final request before a firing squad said, “Why, yes! I’d like a bulletproof vest!”
Here is one from the Bible for you. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, as he was being stoned to death by the Pharisees, assisted by Saul, who later met Jesus in a vision and changed into the Apostle Paul cried out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
Now those are some last words that people really did say. But I heard one the other day that made me laugh. It told what a bug’s final words might be: “Doesn’t that stupid human know that he can’t read that paper all rolled up like that!”
Well, all kidding aside, today we are going to begin a new series that will take us up to our Easter celebration. Over the next 5 weeks we are going to be taking a look at the final words that Jesus Himself spoke to us from the cross.
Before we move on, let’s open our time with a word or prayer. Let’s Pray
In today’s look at Jesus’ final words, I just want to share with you kind of an introductory sermon on these saying of His. Then in the next 4 weeks, we will break these sayings down and take a deeper look into what they meant, and what we can take away from those powerful last words.
As we examine the scriptures today, we will find that there were 7 saying that Jesus made while He was in His last moments of His life. If you have your Bibles with you, get ready to do some jumping around and we will take a look at these 7 last sayings of Jesus.
First, turn to Luke 23:34, and we find that Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Now turn over to John 19:26-27. Here Jesus says, ““Dear woman, here is your son, and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.””
Okay, let’s move to John 19:28 now. Here Jesus says, “I am thirsty.”
In Matthew 27:46 Jesus asks, “My God, my God, why have your forsaken me?”
As we look at Luke 23:43 we find Jesus saying to a thief on the cross beside Him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
In John 19:30 Jesus begins to wrap things up and He says, “It is finished.”
And finally, in Luke 23:46 Jesus speaks His last words before His death and He says, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
Now, those are the final words that Jesus speaks on the cross, and I believe that they have many great things that they can teach us yet today. So, the question is, Why should we listen to Jesus’ final words from the cross?
Well first of all, I believe that as we look at these sayings of Jesus’, we find that His final words sum up His entire life and teaching. We find the importance of God’s amazing grace, and the fact that He is willing to extend forgiveness to us. We see a request of love as God makes people focus on their families even in this desperate time. We find that the word became flesh: He hungered, cried, was tired, He was even thirsty. This shows us the fragileness of life, and the fact that He really does understand us.
In these statements, we see questions of human suffering. Why do people face unjust suffering, it is because of our sin. Sin separates us from God and that leads to suffering. As Jesus speaks to the criminal on the cross we see compassion and a glimpse into the future as Jesus talks about Paradise or Heaven. When Jesus says that it is finished, we see finality to this life, and through that we see the significance of the cross and the victory that Jesus experienced there. And in his final saying, we see Jesus trusting and having faith in the Father as He commits His spirit to God.
As you look through the Gospels, you will notice that these are the very things that Jesus is teaching. His life, and His words always pointed to these truths, and even in the very end, while hanging on the cross Jesus reminds us of these truths in His final words.
Secondly, I believe that we need to listen to these words because His words form the very core of Christian doctrine. Not only is the event itself important to what we believe as Christians, but many of the things that He actually says as He is hanging on the cross support what we believe as Christians. The faith that Jesus kept throughout the whole process is a great example of the kind of faith that God wants us all to live by.
The grace and the forgiveness that we believe in is evident in a couple of Jesus sayings from the cross. And most importantly, the future hope of spending eternity in Heaven with the father is mentioned as Jesus reminds us all that there is a Paradise that we will be going to if we will just remain faithful to Him.
So as we examine these statements that Jesus makes on the cross not only do we find that it supports what He taught and lived during His entire life, but it also teaches us some very foundational thoughts about our Christian doctrine. But I also believe that His words show the meaning of His death. I mean, why did Jesus die? What is the importance of His death on that cross?
As we look at these statements we realize that the purpose of His death, was so that we can live, and not only live, but live for all eternity with Him if we will just believe in Him and accept Him. In Isaiah 53:12 it is talking about Jesus before He even arrives on the scene. Here is what it has to say. Isaiah 53:12 says, “…He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
You see, the purpose of Jesus coming and dying on the cross was so that we wouldn’t have to die for our sins. It very well should be us hanging on that cross and dying. However, God wanted to make an ultimate sacrifice for OUR sins, and so He sent His one and only Son, so that we could be forgiven. He didn’t have to do this, He wanted to do this for us. He poured out His life to the point that He died. He took on our sin so that we wouldn’t have to. And He made things right between us and God on our behalf. That is the reason for His death, and it was the reason for His birth as well.
Now, that is what WE can see in the final words of Jesus. But I wander what JESUS sees in His own final words from the cross. Let’s take a look at why Jesus may have said the things that He did.
First, I believe that He said what He said because Jesus sees the worth and value of every person. First off, we see that in His response to the thief on the cross. Even that guy had value and worth in the eyes of God. The very people that were beating and killing Jesus, He asks God to forgive them. John 3:16 let’s us know that “…WHOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” You see, in Jesus’ eyes everyone has value and worth.
When you go through your day to day activities, do you have that same kind of appreciation for all people? We were all created in the image of God Himself, and therefore we all have worth and value. In Jesus’ statements from the cross, He shows that we all matter to God, and that we all have value and worth.
Secondly, I think that in these statements from the cross, Jesus sees the enormity of sin. Not only does He take on the sins of the world, but He actually pays the price for them as well. The Bible tells us, “… For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Jesus sees that everyone has sinned, and just how big of a deal that really is. We also read in the Bible that, “…the wages of sin is death…”
Jesus knew how big a deal sin really was. And what is even more amazing is that He was willing to take our sins upon Himself, and pay our penalty for us. Doesn’t that make you more appreciative that you are a Christian this morning? And if you are not a Christian, doesn’t that make you want to learn more about this Jesus guy?
So, Jesus sees the worth and the value of every person, He sees the enormity of our sins, and finally, I believe that Jesus sees the meaning of real victory.
Jesus ends things here on the cross by declaring that it is finished, and committing His spirit to God. You see, no one killed Jesus; He laid down His own life. Then, we find a real victory a few days later as Jesus defeats death and goes home to the Father. That is the true victory that Jesus experienced. And the best thing about that is that we can experience that same kind of victory if we have a relationship with Christ.
Let me share a few scriptures with you about real victory. I Corinthians 15:57 says, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Galatians 4:7 tells us that, “You are no longer a slave but a son. And since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”
I believe that William Wallace would like this next passage. Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Romans 8:1 tells us, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
And finally, Romans 8:37 says, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
If we will just believe in Him, we will see a real victory in our own lives. The only question is, “Has the church lost her victory cry?” I think that sometimes we take for granted what we have in Jesus Christ. But while Jesus was hanging on the cross, in what He says, I believe that He sees the victory of His church. And that same victory cry that Christ had CAN be and SHOULD be ours to share as well.
Now, today serves as just an introduction to what we will be looking at in the next 4 weeks, but I hope that as we have looked at each of these sayings, the importance for us to listen to these sayings, and what they meant to Jesus, I hope that we have all be able to be challenged and be drawn closer to God through this time today.
So as we close today, I want you to keep in mind part of what William Wallace said in that movie clip at the beginning of the sermon. “As you approach the end of your life, would you be willing to trade every moment from now until then, for one chance, just one opportunity to claim your freedom and to join Christ in the victory that He has already won?”
Let’s Pray |
