Secular :          Friday before holidays mentality

                        Home or work… get everything done

                        Work like crazy…      

paper off desk

                                    Last minute instructions:

                                                             - Stop paper

                                                            - Plants watered

                        All will be well after we are gone…

In closing moments of Jesus’ earthly ministry… He in engaged in a little of that Friday before I go dialogue… he wrapped up the loose ends before returning to glory!

This is a sermon series packed into a single day… temptation to preach for 3 ½ hours J

TGIF – Good Friday has traditionally been very solemn… and we need to reflect… but we are not in Jerusalem in 33 A.D. we can clearly see the empty tomb from here!! But we do need to reflect on the cross… and Thank God for Good Friday!

Jesus’ Last Seven Statements From The Cross

1)      "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." NAU Luke 23:34

·         Pillar of cloud… God with Them

                                                              i.      Did they get it….

                                                            ii.      Did the those in Jerusalem get it?

                                                          iii.      Do we understand…

·         Matthew 21:11 And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee."

·         It was not the prophet of God but Jesus Christ son of the Most High… God Incarnate hanging from the cross

·         God was in control

NIV Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

TGIF – Christ took care of the atonement… paying the price for our sins!

2)      "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." NAU Luke 23:43

·         Repent and believe and know that your inheritance is in heaven!

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

·         No sins so heinous

·         Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

                                                              i.      No works, no confessional, no baptism, no adding to the cross… period!

TGIF – Christ took care of our justification… making us innocent before God.

3)      "Woman, behold, your son!"… 27 "Behold, your mother!" NAU John 19:26

·         Jesus was not a Pharisee that said live out the letter of the law… Serve others only as it serves you… LOOK AT ME!

·         Jesus put value in relationships

·         Jesus put value in family

·         Genuine Compassion

                                                              i.      Loving Neighbour as self

                                                            ii.      Serving and loving God in recognizing he value of others

TGIF – Christ cares about us and about relationship and support…

4)      "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" NAU Matthew 27:46 Mark 15:34

·         THIS IS BIG

·         Holy Unity…severed… at this point the reality of Christ bearing our sins comes into full view

                                                              i.      IT IS NOW THAT GOD IS POURING OUT THE SINS OF THE WORLD ON HIS SHOULDERS

                                                            ii.      IT IS NOW THE PERFECT RELATIONSHIP IS SHATTERED… THE HOLY FATHER IN HEAVEN separating himself…his perfect love from the Son as our sins mount on him…

                                                          iii.      Psalm 22…

                                                          iv.      But even in this agony… apart from the love of the Father… calls MY God… My God (did not renounce!)

5)      “I am thirsty." NAU John 19:28

·         Stressed, dying, sweating in agony…

·         Fully Human

                                                              i.      From the Manger to the Cross

·         Was fully tempted

·         Not only spiritual agony but a physical one

·         Perfect without Sin… perfect lamb amongst the blemished lambs

NIV Psalm 69:21 They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

·         Christ continues to let the world know He is the fulfillment of Scripture

1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men-- the testimony given in its proper time.

TGIF – Christ haven taken the form of humanity and never relinquishing Deity… was the perfect lamb… the perfect Mediator

6)      "It is finished!" NAU John 19:30

·         And Christ yelled out “Okay the Job is half done… now the rest is up to you!”

·         You have to claim this or claim that… then the job will be done!

·         Only if you do lots of good deeds…then the job will be done!

·         Christ completed the task

                                                              i.      Justification by grace through faith in Christ alone!

1.      Sola Scriptura

2.      Sola Fide

3.      Sola Graita

4.      Sola Christus

5.      Sola Deo Gloria

TGIF – And in Christ alone we can trust!

7)      "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." NAU Luke 23:46

• Ps 31:5NIV Psalm 31:5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

• Even in the midst of the darkness… the suffering… the separation of God from the evil borne by the Son… God is still present…

• Neither God’s presence nor Jesus’ relationship to him can be doubted here…

• Jesus manifests his faith in suffering…

TGIF – Jesus Christ trusted in the Father… was at the darkest moment able to commit his spirit

Conclusion:

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