The Last Words

Silent Reflection


Nailing of the Criminal Titulus


[Pastors ascend the platform.]

Call to Worship

Thomas Cramner, “The Passover Lamb,” Book of Common Prayer, 1662

It is truly right and good, always and everywhere, with our whole heart and mind and voice,

to praise you, the invisible, almighty, and eternal God, and your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord;

for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who at the feast of the Passover

paid for us the debt of Adam's sin, and by his blood delivered your faithful people.

This is night, when you brought our fathers, the children of Israel, out of bondage in Egypt, and led them through the Red Sea on dry land . . .

How wonderful and beyond our knowing, O God is your mercy and loving-kindness to us, that to redeem a slave, you gave a Son.

How holy is this night, when wickedness is put to flight, and sin is washed away.

It restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to those who mourn.

It casts out pride and hatred, and brings peace and concord.

How blessed is this night, when earth and heaven are joined and man is reconciled to God.

Introduction

Illust - famous last words.

Expected:

Joseph Wright was a linguist who edited the English Dialect Dictionary. His last word? “Dictionary.”

Composer Gustav Mahler died in bed, conducting an imaginary orchestra. His last word was, “Mozart!”

Nostradamus predicted, “Tomorrow, at sunrise, I shall no longer be here.” He was right.

, 37-38

32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. . . . . 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Luke 23:34

34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Drama – Simon of Cyrene

We had spent two weeks sailing from the north coast of Africa just to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. My sons were small boys, but old enough to feel the excitement as we approached the city. Though my family had lived in Cyrene for generations, Jerusalem was for us, as for every Jew, our heart’s home.

When we arrived, we joined our cousins in Bethany for the Passover Seder. We ended that meal, as we did every year, praying for the coming of the Messiah. The next morning Rufus, Alexander, and I left early to spend the day in Jerusalem.

As we approached the city we saw what looked like a parade coming our way. But soon we could see that this was no parade. There were Roman soldiers driving three criminals down the road. Each of them was carrying a heavy beam across his shoulders. One clearly had been badly beaten and he could barely walk. I took the boys by the hand and pulled them away from the road. I did not want them to see this terrible thing. Just then the wounded man, stumbled and fell at my feet. I saw that a crown of thorns had been wrapped around his head and suddenly I realized who he was. This was Jesus of Nazareth, whom some had claimed was the Messiah. He had been critical of the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem. I could not believe it—they had actually sentenced him to death.

Everything happened so quickly. I was lost in my thoughts when I heard one of the soldiers say, “You there! You carry his cross!” There was nothing I could do. I told my boys, “Stay close.” I picked up the beam, far heavier than I had imagined, and pitched it over my shoulder. Then I reached out a hand to Jesus to help him up. He was clearly in pain. But there was still, in his face, a strength and determination. He looked me in the eyes, as if to thank me, and then he set his face toward Calvary.

It was only a five-minute walk to the hill where the Romans crucified their victims. Dropping the beam before the executioners, I stepped back, searching for my boys. And then we stood and watched as they laid Jesus on top of the beams. They stretched his arms to the sides before they drove the spikes into his wrists as he shouted in pain. Then they nailed his ankles into the side of the cross, one on the right and one on the left. Finally, they hoisted up his cross and he let out another shout of pain.

I had never been so close to a crucifixion. I wish I hadn’t been. Even more, I wish my boys hadn’t been there to see it with me.

The Romans shouted to the crowd, “Take a look at your king now!” The soldiers began to throw dice for his clothing. Some in the crowd wept. Others hurled insults at him. The religious leaders stood with their arms crossed, a strange expression of satisfaction upon their faces.

And then Jesus took a deep breath.

“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”

I would never forget these words. A dying man, tortured and crucified, praying that God would forgive his tormentors. What kind of man would do such a thing?

Luke 23:34 ESV

34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Word 1: Father, forgive them. . .

Forgive THEM? for THEY? do not know what they are doing.

Who are the ‘they?’ Jesus is referring to? The Romans who nailed him to the cross? The Jews who shouted for his blood? Pilate who allowed the cruelty to happen? The disciples who, for the most part, abandoned Jesus when things got rough? The answer is “yes.” Jesus is looking for forgiveness for all those who played a role in his suffering on the cross. Forgiveness for Pilate, the Romans, the Jews, the disciples, you, and me.

Jesus asks for forgiveness for his torturers. There he is on the cross, beaten, bullied, bloodied, and bruised. Yet Jesus doesn’t demand justice, he doesn’t even cry out for deliverance; instead, he asks forgiveness for the ones who put him there.

This is Jesus practicing what he preached when he said we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. When pushed to the extreme, Jesus bleeds love. When beaten with hate, Jesus prays for his abusers. Now I’ve never been crucified, but I have been mistreated. How about you? Have you ever been mistreated? Lied about? Maybe even abused? How do you respond? How are you responding right now? Have you ever been pushed to the extreme by someone? Step back, have you ever been pushed to simple annoyance by someone? Was your response to forgive them and pray for them? That’s what Jesus calls us to do because that is what Jesus did. He didn’t wait until the soldiers said they were sorry, he didn’t wait until his wounds were finally healed. Because forgiveness doesn’t depend on the offender’s heart, it depends on yours. And forgiveness doesn’t start when healing is completed, healing begins when you forgive. I don’t think any of us has been as infinitely wronged as the brutal murder of the innocent Son of God. So we have no excuse NOT to forgive. The question is, “How?” Jesus gives us the answer – He gives it to God. Please listen, the more you try to control the things in your life, the harder it will be to forgive. The more you trust the God who is already in control of your life, the easier it will be to forgive. I mean, really, are you going to be able to more about the situation than God? Who do you need to forgive, how do you need to trust?

I find it interesting that most of the people there at the cross are clueless. Jesus says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Jesus says his torturers don’t really understand who he is or why is there. The soldiers have hung thousands of people on a cross, the crowd has probably ridiculed hundreds of condemned men and women, yet this One is different and they don’t see it. The crowd at the foot of the cross misunderstood both the identity of the man on the cross, and the enormity of what it meant for him to be there. They missed Jesus right in front of them. For many, it was another day at work, but for those who were watching, they saw God at work. Remember the soldier who bowed the knee at the cross and said, “Surely this must be the Son of God.”

And so, tonight, don’t miss Jesus.

If you’ve always seen Jesus as just another man, or just another myth, take a look again. Don’t miss what is right here. Don’t miss the fact that God Himself, took on a human body, and came to earth to die for you and bear the wrath of God so you don’t have to. Recognize your need, see who he is, bow your knee, accept him as the Lord of your life.

Don’t miss Jesus.

What will Monday be like for you? Do you have this crazy idea that God is only at work on Sundays? Are you sometimes too blinded by the mundane to see the miraculous? Too numbed by the usual to see the supernatural around you? There are no secular / sacred areas of your life. It’s all sacred. Your time at the gym is sacred. The supermarket is a sacred place. God is there and at work at your school. There is just as much God in your workplace as in church. God is at work all around you to draw people to himself through Jesus. Above the noise and crowds of the world, don’t miss the One who is working to bring salvation to those who look to Him.

Don’t miss Jesus.

The last thing that I find interesting is that Jesus asks his Father to forgive them. Jesus is the one on the cross, shouldn’t he be the one doing the forgiving? Yes, if the only reason Jesus asks forgiveness is for a personal offense against himself, but that is not what Jesus is asking forgiveness for. Jesus asks his Father to forgive those whose sin caused him to be on the cross. What I find fascinating is the only reason Jesus can ask forgiveness for those who torture him is because he is enduring the punishment they deserve. What Jesus is really saying here is, “Father, forgive them,” because I got this. Forgive them, because I’m taking their punishment. Do to me what you would do to them.

This is huge because the forgiveness Jesus offers isn’t given through empty words but with payment in hand. This means we CANNOT take our sin lightly, because every time we ask Jesus to forgive us for something we’ve done he doesn’t simply waive the cost of the sin, he pays it. It also means whatever sin we bring him is forgivable because he has paid it.

What is that sin you’ve refused to fight, rationalizing that it is just a little sin, not as bad as many others. Jesus always forgives, right. Yes, with every stripe to his back and with every drip of his blood. What is the sin you think is unforgivable? Would you stop listening to the lie of Satan because Jesus paid it all. Father, forgive them is not an empty statement - It’s full of the Savior’s love.

“Let’s bow our heads now, and reflect on the 1st statement of Christ from the cross.”

(35-second silence)

(25-second prayer)

“Amen.”

The Criminals

Reader 1: 32 Jesus wasn’t the only one being crucified that day. There were two others, criminals, who were also being led to their execution. 39 One of the criminals joined in the cruel talk.

Cynical Criminal: You’re supposed to be the Anointed One, right? Well—do it! Rescue Yourself and us!

Yourself and us!

Reader 1: 40 But the other criminal told him to be quiet.

Believing Criminal: Don’t you have any fear of God at all? You’re getting the same death sentence He is! 41 We’re getting what we deserve since we’ve committed crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong at all! 42 [turning to Jesus] Jesus, when You come into Your kingdom, please remember me.

sentence He is! 41 We’re getting what we deserve since we’ve committed crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong at all! 42 [turning to Jesus] Jesus, when You come into Your kingdom, please remember me.

43 And [Jesus] said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

PJ—Narration, Ending with the 2nd Statement

Luke 23:43 ESV

43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Word 2: With me in paradise. . .

While the first words of Jesus from the cross displayed the broad scope of his forgiveness toward the entire world, the second words of Jesus offer salvation to an individual sinner who placed his trust in Jesus.

Luke writes these words as he hears them from an eyewitness to the crucifixion of Jesus. Luke wasn’t there, but someone he spoke to was. Someone who overheard the conversation of three dying men. Through gasps and wheezes, this listener heard something so amazing that he never forgot it, so profound that it would be worth the space in Holy Scripture almost two thousand years later.

The conversation began among the criminals hanging on the crosses on either side of Jesus. This fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy hundreds of years before when, in chapter 53, he declared that the “Suffering Servant of the Lord” would “[pour] out his soul to death, and [be] numbered with the transgressors.”

While states that Jesus was “numbered with the transgressors,” it quickly follows with, “yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

Jesus, while not a sinner himself, was counted as and displayed as a sinner, in order that he might make a way of salvation for every sinner.

The criminal on one side knew of Jesus even stating his title, “the Christ;” however, he did not truly believe in Jesus or place any trust in him - instead, he mocked Jesus’ seeming inability to save them all physically.

On the other side of Jesus, however, was a man who was aware of his own sinfulness and need for salvation. He understood his greatest need was not physical but spiritual; and he knew there was nothing he could do to save himself - he couldn’t even move - he could only look to Jesus. But a look to Jesus in complete faith and trust that he can do what we cannot is all that is necessary for salvation.

This second word of Jesus shows us three things:

Jesus, while not a sinner, was counted as and displayed as a sinner, in order that he might make a way of salvation for every sinner.

Knowing about Jesus and the salvation he brings is not the same as knowing Jesus and his salvation.

The criminal on one side of Jesus called him rightly, “the Christ” but did not believe in him truly. The difference is found in the trust of the heart. He wanted Jesus for his earthly desire and not his spiritual need.

Who is Jesus to you? A name you know, or a Saviour you trust.

2. The second thing this word shows us is that trust in Jesus for salvation can reach the farthest sinner. The criminal on the other side of Jesus, through his words, revealed his heart’s trust that Jesus could save him spiritually and make him righteous enough to be in the presence of God. The evidence that this man’s trust ended in salvation was Jesus’ words that immediately following death he would be with Jesus in Paradise.

This man was a criminal - a sinner deserving of crucifixion, yet Jesus saved him.

This man had no time to begin to living a holy life to prove over time his belief in Jesus, yet Jesus saved him.

This man was hanging on a cross and had no way to attempt to do good works in an effort to earn salvation, yet Jesus saved him.

No matter how deserving a sinner you are, how far along life you are, a trust in Jesus is all that is needed for salvation.

3. Third, we see that you are either on one side of Jesus or the other. One criminal repented and trusted in Jesus, the other did not. However, both were faced with the decision as both were faced with death.

There’s an old hymn by James Russell Lowell that says,

Once to every man and nation come the moment to decide, In the strife of Truth and Falsehood, for the good or evil side; Some great cause, God’s new Messiah, offering each the bloom or blight, Parts the goats upon the left hand, and the sheep upon the right, And the choice goes by forever ‘twixt that darkness and that light.’

In the strife of Truth and Falsehood, for the good or evil side; So

(35-second silence)

(25-second prayer)

“Amen.”

PJ—Narration, Ending with the 3rd Statement

26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

John 19:26–27 ESV

26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Drama – Mary the Wife of Cleopas

Drama – Mary the Wife of Clopas

I begged her not to follow. “Mary, it will be too hard. You don’t want to see this.” But she said to me, “I will not let my son die alone among these wolves.” And so we went, joined by by Mary of Magdala and only one of his disciples, the young John.

She was a strong and determined woman. And Mary loved her son as much as any woman ever loved a son. He was to her the joy of her life and the purpose of her existence. Jesus tried to prepare her for what lay ahead in Jerusalem. Somehow she had always known he would die as a young man, giving his life to save the world.

Mary was determined to stand near Jesus as he suffered. As the crowd hurled their insults, Mary slowly pushed her way to the front. Jesus’ feet were two feet off the ground, and from where Mary stood she could reach up and touch his chest, though the Roman guards forbade such things. She fought to hold back the tears, she wanted to show her son strength and love. To give him hope.

As we stood there, Mary said to Jesus, “I love you, my son. Your Father will soon come for you. You are in his hands. I love you.”

It was then that Jesus looked at his mother and spoke slowly and tenderly to her, “Dear woman, this now is your son.” He nodded toward John. And then, to John he said, “Here is your mother.” John placed his arm around Mary and held her as if to say, “I understand, I will take care of her.”

(Final Words From the Cross, pp. 51-52)

Jason

Word 3: Woman, behold your son. . .

While the work of Jesus on the cross was first and foremost for our salvation which is our greatest spiritual need, this Third Word of Jesus from the cross reveals his heart of love and care for our every need.

Placing ourselves in that scene on that day, it would be difficult to find anyone with greater physical needs than Jesus who has been up all night, has had nothing to eat or drink for nearly a day, has been betrayed, abandoned, falsely accused, scourged, beaten, nailed to a cross, and now is gasping his final breaths. Yet with one of these breaths, he provides for one under his care. Such a display of selfless love and concern.

We are told little about Jesus’ relationship with his mother after the birth narrative and even less about Joseph, Mary’s husband. This has led many to believe that Mary, at the foot of the cross, was a widow, and Jesus, her firstborn son would be responsible for her care.

I find it interesting, though, that when Jesus calls to her from the cross he does not address her as mother but as “Woman.” Far from indicating a coldness toward Mary by addressing her in a general term, I believe Jesus is making a broader statement showing Mary that he is acting not in his capacity or duty as a son to his mother, but in his love and care of a Savior toward his children.

Jesus addresses Mary similarly another time in John’s gospel when, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the wine runs out at the wedding celebration in Cana. Mary points the situation out to Jesus perhaps to hint that he, in his power, could correct the situation. Jesus, responding about his role as Messiah and not as her son addresses her as “Woman.”

Jesus from the cross was perhaps showing Mary, and by virtue of the Scriptures you and I, that from the cross - even while bearing our sins - he loves. Not out of obligation or duty to the Old Testament Law - he simply loves. Not because Mary was his mother and had physically cared for his needs as a child - it wasn’t because Mary loved Jesus first. Perhaps we could assume this if he had addressed her as “Mother.” Instead, Because she was a woman in need, and not for anything she had done, Jesus loved her and provided for her.

Just like in John chapter 2, Jesus needed Mary to see him as her Lord and not only as her son. If Mary were to view Jesus only as her son then perhaps his love was conditional - based on all the care she had given him. If Mary were to view Jesus only as her son then the love he could offer her in that role would soon end as he died on the cross.

But Jesus loved Mary as her Lord. Unconditional, tangible, and eternal. And Jesus loves you as your Lord. Not because of anything you have done or can do for him, but because,

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

The heart of truth that the world needed to satisfy the sins of the guilty was poured out in love as Jesus saw and responded to his child’s needs. He loved Mary as his child. He loves you as his child. Unconditional, tangible, and eternal.

(35-second silence)

(25-second prayer)

“Amen.”

Reader 1: 29 Those passing by on their way into or out of Jerusalem insulted and ridiculed Him.

Him.

Some in the Crowd: So You’re the One who was going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days? 30 Well, if You’re so powerful, then why don’t You rescue Yourself? Come on down from the cross!

three days? 30 Well, if You’re so powerful, then why don’t You rescue Yourself? Come on down from the cross!

Chief Priests and Scribes [mocking Jesus among themselves]: 31 He rescued others, but He can’t rescue Himself. 32 Let the Anointed—the King of Israel—come down from the cross now, and we will see it and believe.

rescue Himself. 32 Let the Anointed—the King of Israel—come down from the

cross now, and we will see it and believe.

Reader 1: Even the insurgents who were being crucified next to Him taunted Him and reviled Him. 33 At noon, the day suddenly darkened for three hours across the entire land.

PJ—Narration, Ending with the 4th Statement

;

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Matthew 27:46 ESV

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Drama – Man in the Crowd

It was a morbid sense of curiosity that made us stop. We were on our way to the city when we noticed the crowd watching three men nailed to Roman crosses. It was a gruesome way to die: hanging by the hands and feet—with the added humiliation of being stripped of clothing—and slowly dying as breathing became increasingly impossible. For all its horror, we were drawn to take a closer look at the suffering inflicted on these men.

I was embarrassed to be watching yet, at the same time, unable to turn away. It was clear that there was something unusual about the man in the center. Some were hurling insults at him Three women stood weeping near him. He’d clearly been flogged—

I asked what had he done wrong? Someone in the crowd answered, “That’s Jesus, the man from Galilee, who many believed would lead the revolt to expel the Romans. But He seemed more intent on revolting against the Sanhedrin. They convinced Pilate that he was a threat to Roman rule so here we are; a pacifist preacher crucified as a threat to the Emperor!”

The crowd was restless. Some of the merchants seemed to gloat that he who had cast them out of the Temple courts a few days earlier was now getting his “just reward.” I’d like to say that as we watched this scene unfold, our hearts were filled with compassion, but it was quite the opposite. The anger and venom of the others was like an infection, rapidly spreading to each of us. My friend Levi was the first to join in the act, saying, “He got what he had coming to him. He preached salvation but look at him now. This friend of drunkards and prostitutes couldn’t save a soul!”

My friend Jacob looked up at Jesus and shouted, “Who do you think you are anyway? Some kind of Messiah you’ve turned out to be. Look at you—naked, bleeding, dying!” Levi picked up the refrain. “I’m sick just looking at you. Get it over with already!” As I listened to them shouting, hate began to well up in me. This man hadn’t done anything to me, yet as the others were shouting I found myself filled with anger. I walked up to him and said, “Some Jew you are. You make me sick! Tell us to love our enemies! This is what happens to people who love their enemies! ” And then I spat on him.

I don’t know why I did it. He hadn’t done anything to me. In fact, by all accounts he was a good man. But somehow, hearing the priests and religious leaders mocking him, my friends hurling insults at him, and even the thief on the cross next to him letting him have it, a kind of evil seized my heart. I discovered that day that I had the capacity to hate an innocent man and a sick desire to be a part of making him hurt.

It was after I shouted at him that he looked up to the heavens and shouted the words of the psalmist: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” When I heard him cry out, I was filled with shame. My God, what had we done?

(Final Words From the Cross, pp. 65-66)

-Jason

Word 4: My God, my God. . .

“Forsaken”

What a horrible word. It’s not a word of passive neglect but of active rejection. Jesus was forsaken by God.

One pastor wrote about this scene:

“There is a depth of feeling in this cry from the hear, made with an intensity matched only by the darkness which had draped itself over the terrible spectacle. It’s surely symbolic that the sun couldn’t shine upon such a scene as the crucifixion of its Creator. The darkness lasted three hours and was an outward sign of the darkness that now wrapped itself around the soul of Jesus.”

Up to and until this point, Jesus had described his relationship with his Father as “one.” Jesus knew he would be betrayed by Judas. He knew he would be abandoned by most of his followers. In Jesus told his disciples that soon they would abandon him and “leave him alone.” However, he then said, “Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.”

Now, on the cross, in the dark, God (as it says in 2 Corinthians) “made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” At this moment something happened that the world had never before seen. The sinless Jesus now bore the sin of the world and his Father could no longer face him.

In that one moment, Jesus felt guilt, shame, and rejection for the first time in his life - and not just for one sin, but for the sins of the world.

In that one moment, absorbed the wrath of God for every one of my sins.

In that one moment, Jesus tasted hell for you.

In that one moment, somehow far beyond what my mind can comprehend, my sin, your sin, caused a rip in the relationship of the Godhead itself.

Jesus, never ceasing to be God, now bore the sin of all mankind.

Jesus tasted hell for you and drank the cup of God’s wrath to make atonement for you.

**Communion**

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”

Drama – Nicodemus

I was drawn to Jesus since the first time I laid eyes on him. Three years later I stood by as he was crucified.

The first time I heard Jesus speak was in Jerusalem. He preached with such power and conviction, and his words were accompanied by the most remarkable deeds. The sick were healed, sinners came to God, and demons were cast out. He also had a knack, however, for alienating my colleagues in the Sanhedrin. He healed on the Sabbath, he did not follow our rituals and customs, and he had the irritating habit of pointing out our sins. Yet I found him compelling, perhaps for these very reasons.

I could not let my colleagues know of my intrigue. When I finally met with him, I requested a meeting by night so that no one would see us together. It was at that meeting that he looked me in the eyes and said, “Nicodemus, you must be born again. You must be born not only of water but of the Spirit as well.” Such an odd thing to say! But it was just like Jesus. I left him that night confused, feeling like I, a scholar and leader among our people, was a mere child in the eyes of this man. Once more I was deeply drawn to him.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016),

The night before He was crucified, the Sanhedrin had been called together for a hastily arranged meeting. My heart sank when Jesus was brought in by the Temple guard. I’m ashamed to say that I was silent as the others called for his death. I wanted to speak up, but I was too afraid. I knew I could lose everything. Even now I’m embarrassed just thinking about it. That night he was sentenced to die, and I said nothing. I was so ashamed I dared not even look up at him as he stood there like a lamb before the butchers.

The next morning, as they led him to be crucified, I wanted to run and hide. Yet I knew that by my silence, I had allowed this to happen. The least I could do is have the courage to show up and see what my silence had wrought. I wanted him to see in my eyes my sorrow and pain and the deep regret I felt in not speaking out for him.

I turned way as he was nailed to the cross, and then I watched in silent agony as his cross was raised. I listened as my fellow priests hurled insults. Still I was silent. After some time the soldiers mocked him, offering him wine—a kind of toast to the crucified king—but they kept it just out of his reach.

Near the end of the ordeal, after he had hung there for six hours, he spoke again. He hadn’t said a word in hours. He said, “I thirst.” I could not stand it anymore. At this point, watching him die, I found some small amount of courage. I no longer cared what anyone else thought. I took a branch, fastened a sponge to it, dipped it in wine, and lifted it to his lips. He drew from the sponge, and, shortly after, he breathed his last.

(Final Words From the Cross, pp. 83-85)

Jason

Word 5: I thirst. . .

Did you ever wonder why these words are included? With all the other noise of the crowd, the jeers and the wailing, the cursing and the gambling, why did these words ring in the ears of the Gospel writers long enough for them to use precious ink and parchment to be sure we read them? I mean, it’s a simple statement about a common need. Maybe that’s just it. This simple statement about a common need tells a deep truth about an uncommon man.

Such a human need. I thirst. A statement of human need from the One who made humans and their needs. The irony of the Living Water in need of something to drink.

The first thing that this statement reminds us is that while Jesus was truly and fully God, he was also truly and fully a man. He wasn’t a myth or a fair tale. Jesus isn’t a nice bedtime story or some fuzz on a flannel graph. He’s not an idea or concept – He was a real man, in a real place, at a real time. This is significant because it says that Jesus experienced the same things we experience – the same joys, the same pain, the same confusion, the same heartache, the same temptation, and the same needs. I’m going to let you in on a little secret – Jesus didn’t cheat. What I mean by that is that when things got tough, the days got long, the people got annoying, and the devil started tempting, Jesus didn’t tap into his divine mojo to pull him through. He walked through it. He stuck it out. He called on God. He resisted.

This is why the writer of Hebrews writes, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Jesus knows how you feel. He’s been there. He’s felt it. In fact, he chose to feel it. It doesn’t matter the hell you’ve been through, because this cross says he’s been through hell for you.

Thirst is one of our strongest needs. We can live for weeks without food, but only days without water. Extreme thirst is one of the concepts the Bible uses to describe judgment and curses. In the Rich Man calls to Abraham from hell for a drip of water to be placed on his burning tongue. Jesus suffered hell on the cross for you, and his statement of thirst reminds us that he felt it. The worst physical, emotional, and spiritual pain that this world has to offer, Jesus has felt as he took hell for you.

And because of that, the writer of Hebrews can continue with this, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

What are you feeling now? What pain, hurt, or temptation are you going through right now that you feel like no one else would understand? Would you dare to believe that Jesus knows how you feel and that the cross shows that he cares enough to do something about it? Will you take it to him? Stop struggling alone. That’s what this cross it for. Bring your hurt, pain, or temptation to Jesus and you’ll find your not alone, there will be others there with you.

The second thing this statement reminds us is that Jesus experienced a need for thirst on the cross so that he could satisfy our deepest need – for God. Just like when Jesus met the woman at the well in John chapter 4. As she came alone and to the well thirsty, Jesus described her needs, exposed how she had been apart from God dipping into the temporary wells of elicit relationships in an effort to satisfy her thirst for meaning and purpose. Jesus offered her living water – a relationship with himself – that would satisfy her needs for meaning and purpose.

What wells do you “draw” from in an attempt to satisfy your need for meaning and purpose? Here’s a test for you: What is it in your life that if it were gone, you’d feel like you’d just die? Is it that relationship that means everything to you? That job that is the only thing that gives you purpose? These are all wells that will run dry. If you are chasing these things to find meaning and purpose in life you will thirst again, and you will not be satisfied until you stop digging new wells and find your meaning in being a child of God and your purpose in loving, following, and serving Him.

Jesus ‘the man’ suffered physical thirst so as the Living Water he might quench our spiritual thirst.

Jesus knows and understands you suffering. And his suffering makes a way through your suffering.

“Let’s bow our heads now, and reflect on the 5th statement of Christ from the cross.”

(35-second silence)

(25-second prayer)

“Amen.”

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

John 19:30 ESV

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Drama – The Centurion at the Cross

It was a job for angry men—men who had been abused as boys and those who were adept at compartmentalizing their work into the dark recesses of their mind when they came to the end of the day. We would brutalize men, drive spikes into their hands and feet, gamble for their final earthly possessions, and watch them die. Then we would go home and have supper with our wives and children.

It was about 8:30 in the morning when we led Jesus and the others to Calvary that day. I knew of Jesus. A friend stationed in Galilee told me how he had gone to him and asked him to heal his servant. Jesus never even touched the servant; he merely spoke a word and the man was made well. My friend was convinced it was a miracle.

My friend told me that Jesus was not like the typical would-be messiahs. He wasn’t raising up an army to drive us out of the country. He taught the people to love their enemies, to pray for those who harassed them, and to turn the other cheek. I told my friend that we could use a few more like him in Judea! Yet here he was, being marched to “the Skull.”

As I looked at him—naked, the crown of thorns upon his brow—for the first time in a long time I felt a deep regret for what I was about to command my men to do. Yet this was my job, and he was just a Jew. Pushing back any semblance of compassion from the recesses of my mind, I gave the order for them to nail him to the “tree.”

I watched him throughout the day, listening as he spoke. He took the abuse hurled at him with dignity and strength. It was as if he, with his crown of thorns, really was the king and we were his rebellious subjects. Yet far from calling for our destruction, this king pled for our mercy. Remarkable.

I watched as dark clouds rolled in at noon. An eerie feeling lingered for three hours. It was as if the heavens themselves were proclaiming the darkness of the deeds we were witnessing. Something felt dreadfully wrong. Then a small earthquake shook the ground. Some people fled in fear, terrified that this might be a sign from God.

At three o’clock Jesus cried out, “I thirst.” One of the religious leaders surprised me by breaking away from his colleagues and giving Jesus a drink. Then Jesus said, “It is finished.” What a strange thing to say as he approached his death. This was a cry of victory, a man successfully completing a mission. Just before he breathed his last he gathered his strength, pulled himself up by the nails in his wrists, and said in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Then he bowed his head. It was the most remarkable death I’d ever seen, and I’d seen many. I stood there looking at this man, and I was overwhelmed by a sense of fear. What had we done? I turned to my men and said to them, “Surely this man was innocent. He was, as he claimed, the Son of God.” And for the first time in years, I wept.

(Final Words From the Cross, pp. 101-103

Jason

Word 6: It is finished. . .

The Sixth Word of Jesus from the cross is one word in the Greek - Τετέλεσται - It is finished

But what was Jesus referring to? What was it that Jesus was saying was now finished? While Jesus was certainly nearing the end of his life, his statement had more to say about what he had accomplished for us than what he had accomplished for himself.

In this Sixth Word, Jesus is saying that the work which he was sent to do was now finished.

All the prophecies about Jesus from on were now complete - it is finished.

The Old Testament rituals of sacrifice symbolizing the atonement of sin were no longer needed - it is finished.

The veil separating the people of God from the presence of God is now torn - it is finished.

The work of choosing and training men to make disciples and then release them to call others to follow Jesus is now completed - It is finished.

Death no longer has a claim on those who trust in Christ - it is finished.

The work of redemption is done - it is finished.

There is nothing left for us but to receive it. Christ has completed the work.

cifically, acting as the atoning sacrifice on our behalf.

There is victory over death and sin - We no longer need to struggle against sin or death.

The word used here was often used in the context of business, marking the completion of a bill paid or a debt satisfied. It is as if God looks at us and in relation to our sin sees “paid in full” meaning nothing more is needed.

This means there is no longer any guilt or shame necessary for sin that has been confessed, repented of, and paid for by Jesus.

To return to your sin or allow Satan to discourage your walk is to say the work of Jesus on the cross was not enough, that you must somehow pay what Jesus could not.

To actively participate in unrepentant sin is to scorn and mock the price paid by the blood of Jesus.

Live instead in victory because the price has been paid, there is victory over sin and its effects - IT IS FINISHED!

(35-second silence)

(25-second prayer)

“Amen.”

PJ—Narration, Ending with the 7th Statement

46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Word 7: Into your hands. . .

In his First Word Jesus addresses his Father on behalf of the people. Now in this last Word Jesus calls on his Father on his own behalf.

What he says, however, serves as both instruction and example to us.

With these words Jesus quotes - A psalm of David which describes David’s struggle with some unknown enemies and trials in which leave David in sorrow, in grief, and in pain. Throughout the psalm, however, it is clear that David places his trust in God, and the words of Jesus remind us to do the same as well.

At the very end of his life Jesus, in his humanity was physically helpless. His response to this was to place his trust in his good Father who loved him. Maybe you can identify with David in your experience of sorrow, grief, or pain. Maybe you can identify with Jesus - realizing you have nothing left - you are at the end. If so, you can echo both of these men, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” And like David in you can say, “But I trust in you , O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand.”

Through his dying words, Jesus gives us words for our life.

In addition to giving us words we can use in life, Jesus’ final Word from the cross serves as an example to us of how we might trust in God even in our death.

There are perhaps no calmer words associated with a more violent death. After such unimaginable pain in the face of such uninhibited hatred, Jesus responds as a child leaping into his father’s arms.

For those who follow Christ, death is similar to such an event. Because of what jesus accomplished on the cross, death is simply trusting our spirit to our good Father. There is eternal security found at the cross.

Stephen, a Christian in the First Century, understood this security as the stones hitting him pushed the life from his body, he responded with, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Whether in life or death, Jesus’ las Word gives us eternal security in the hands of our Good Father.

“Father, forgive. . .” - 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 gives you victory over sin at the cross.”

“Father, into your hands. . .” - There’s eternal security for you at the cross.

In these seven Words from the cross Jesus’ dying words give us life.

[Song / Video?]

PJ—Invitation & Nailing instructions

[PJ nails testimony then stands to assist nailers]

PJ—then stand stage right on platform to assist nailers.


??—then stand stage left on platform to assist nailers.

Depart in silence.