Seven cries from the cross

This is the second in our short series about a world turned upside down. Last week we heard Jesus surprising his disciples by explaining that those who wanted glory should first be servants and slaves.

Now the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God is going to demonstrate just how far he is willing to put into practice his own teaching – by going to the cross, by being crucified for us.

It is an event which is so familiar to us, and in that I think we sometimes have a problem… it’s very familiarity robs it of its emotional impact. I’d like us to spend some time together examining what the four gospels have to say about the crucifixion, framed around the seven cries from the cross; the seven things that Jesus said while he was hanging there in our place.

In the film clip we were reminded of the Via Dolorosa, the way of suffering; a graphic reminder of the unjust torture and pain that Jesus underwent even before the cross.

“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34).

Luke’s gospel contains the first of Jesus’ sayings from the cross. He was led out to the place of crucifixion with two other criminals, and there he was crucified with them, one on each side.

Ps 22v18 prophetically said “The divide my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing” and we see it fulfilled here – the soldiers who had stripped him, held him down and nailed him to the cross now gambled with one another for the choicest bits of his clothing.

And through the pain, the blood and the indignity of his situation, Jesus looked upon his torturers who had nailed him there, his accusers who had placed him there, his disciples who had abandoned him there, and one thought was on his mind.

Forgiveness.

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus preached “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute you”. Here we see him startlingly put that into practice.

At every moment of his life, Jesus has been concerned with forgiveness for sinners, for wrongdoers, for people like us. It was the whole purpose of his life, the entire plan of the gospels was leading up to the cross. Not a terrible misunderstanding, a life cut short before its time, but a plan made before even the universe was created to save people, to forgive people. Jesus’ heart was big enough to forgive those who had just nailed him to the cross. It is big enough to forgive a Richard Dawkins, or a Joseph Stalin. It is certainly big enough to forgive you.

I’m reminded of the lovely children’s bedtime story of the big hare and the little hare, where each one is trying to outdo the other in terms of how much love they have for each other. “I love you as high as I can jump”, “I love you down to the river”, “I love you to the moon… and back”. I asked Jesus how much he loved me and he said “This… much” as he stretched his arms wide on the cross.

Have you accepted Jesus’ forgiveness? He said it for you too.

This leads me to the second words from the cross, also in Luke’s gospel.

“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”  (Lk 23:43).

Two criminals had been crucified with Jesus. Two criminals who in their pain and fear joined in with heaping insults on him according to Mark. And then something different happened. Both of them had heard Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness, one of them responds.

“We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”.

Two people alongside Jesus, helpless to help themselves. Both offered forgiveness, one responds. And one receives an amazing word of assurance. “Today you will be with me in paradise”.

Jesus offers that same assurance to everyone who responds to his offer today.

Do you know what the difference is between life insurance and life assurance policies? Life insurance will pay out money if something comes to pass that may or may not happen, such as unemployment or accident. Life assurance is provision of coverage for an event that is certain to happen – such as death.

Jesus gives assurance to everyone who comes to him because paradise for every believer is a certain thing. We don’t hope that maybe we get into heaven when we die. We can be certain that Jesus will greet us into heaven.

Forgiveness is offered to everyone. Assurance is given to those that respond to Jesus.  

 

“Dear woman, here is your son.” 27 And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” (Jn 19:26–27).

Tradition places this sentence third of Jesus’ utterances from the cross. Mary, Jesus’ mother was standing nearby, seeing her son crucified and helpless to do anything about it. Surely her heart must have been breaking to see her son so ill-used.  As the prophet Simeon had said to her “a sword will pierce your own soul too”.

Jesus is not concerned only with our future in heaven, not only concerned with our salvation from sin. I think this shows us that he is also concerned with a compassionate life for his disciples now. I’m not saying that God provides luxury from heaven for his people now. I’m saying that God expects his people to look out for one another and look after one another.

Three hours into the crucifixion, and darkness unexpectedly falls over the whole land. From the sixth hour to the ninth hour – from noon to 3pm, the sun stopped shining. Everything would be dark and unaccountably cold

“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mt 27:46).

Has the earth ever heard a cry of desolation like that one? We remind each other that Jesus bore our sin when he was on the cross; in these words we see the price of that most starkly. Justice demands that sin be punished. Mercy allowed Jesus to take that punishment instead of us.

As horrible as the physical pain of crucifixion must be, even that must pale into insignificance compared to the awful wrath of God against sin which Jesus bore there for us. He had been forsaken by his hometown, by his nation, even by his disciples, but never before had be been forsaken by God.

And how terrible for God to allow his own beloved Son suffer so much, on behalf of people who were at best ignorant of him?

(the signalman story)

“I am thirsty.” (John 19v28)

Jesus knows that his work has been completed (John 19v28). The one who offered living water, the one who said “if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink”, he now says “I am thirsty”.

So much has already been fulfilled – from Psalm 22 we feel something of the agony of the moment “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax, it is melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth”. Psalm 61 reminds us that they would “give me vinegar for my thirst”. And so it was. But there were two more things he needed to say, and he needed people to hear clearly.

I know how I shrink from pain, and I can tell you that I’ve been suffering from an agonizing toothache for the last few days – it prevents me concentrating, prevents me talking, drives me to the medicine cabinet for rarely-taken painkillers. I hate it – but I can’t help realising that this is a poor shadow of the pain which Jesus faced without remission.

 

“It is finished!” (John 19v30)

These last words which John records are not resignation, but triumph! Jesus is crying out it is done! It is accomplished! No more needs to be done! Nothing is left to do!

It was the end of his suffering at the crucifixion, but not just that.

It was the end of his mission to earth, but not just that.

He had completed the plan which would bring redemption to the world, which would heal the wound of sin which began back in the garden of Eden.

The Greek word used here was used in common parlance to mark the payment of a bill or clearing of a debt.

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46)

This is a quote from Psalm 31; when David was in great trouble he put his trust in God. At the very end, Jesus is putting his trust in God. The great task finished, Jesus is returning to his father in heaven.

This speaks of Jesus’ confidence in God, his father – pointing the way for all who die believing. The first Christian martyr, Stephen, left his life with this same security “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”.

We too, come what may, can put our trust in God at the very end.

 

“Father, forgive them” – there’s forgiveness for you at the cross
“Today you will be with me” – there’s salvation for you at the cross
“Woman, here is your son” – there’s love for you at the cross
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” – there’s atonement for you at the cross
“I thirst” – Jesus suffered for you at the cross
“It is finished” – Jesus was the victor over sin for you at the cross
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” – there’s eternal security for you at the cross.

 

Alex White