HOW TO LIVE AND ACT IN THE MIDST OF OUR OWN PAIN AND SUFFERING!
1.Luke 23:34 “FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.”
The first thing Jesus did was pray to God the Father for the forgiveness of others!! Jesus thus practiced what He preached from Matthew 5:43-44. Jesus died praying for others!! PRAYER AND INTERCESSION! In Acts 7:60 Stephen, the first Christian martyr imitated our saviour Jesus as he was being stoned to death by saying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” In the midst of our own suffering and pain, are we willing to still pray and intercede for others? Are we willing to FORGIVE our enemies just like Jesus did?
2.Luke 23:43 “I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
Secondly Jesus spoke out a PROMISE over the criminal on the cross who last minute recognised himself to be a sinner in need of Jesus’ mercy and recognised Jesus to be sinless!! Even while on the cross of suffering, Jesus was still looking past the cross to what was to come!! Jesus still showed mercy to a criminal in His dying breath!! Jesus’ statement reminds us that it is NEVER TOO LATE TO BE SAVED by Him!! In Acts 16:27-30 Jesus reached out to a Philippian jailer (who was about to kill himself) with the gospel which saw he and his whole household saved! Even in your dying breath He can still save you if you cry out to Him because of His wonderful mercy!! (Matthew 20:1-16)
3.John 19:26 “DEAR WOMAN, HERE IS YOUR SON,” Jesus said this to his earthly mother Mary! Even while dying on the cross, Jesus made sure His mother would be looked after physically and spiritually!! Psalm 68:6- God sets the lonely in families!!
Jesus showed us what it looks like to sacrificially honour your parents!! (Mark 7:9-13, Ephesians 6:1-2) JESUS DIED, TAKING CARE OF OTHER’S NEEDS! (James 1:27)
4.Matthew 27:46 “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” The 4th statement Jesus made was a fulfilment of prophecy!! The word “forsaken” in the Greek can mean to abandon!! Jesus quotes Psalm 22:1 here and shows us the full extent of God’s judgement and punishment (that we deserved) because Jesus took on all our sin on that cross (Isaiah 53:6)!! The worst thing about Jesus’ death on the cross wasn’t the nails in His hands and feet, it wasn’t the crown of thorns piercing His head, it wasn’t the asphyxiation, it was being cut off from Our Heavenly Father- whom Jesus has been in perfect fellowship with from eternity!! This is the punishment that we deserved!! (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, Matthew 25:41) This is part of what makes hell so tormenting- being eternally out of the presence of our loving Heavenly Father!! This is what Jesus took on our behalf! What makes this statement so amazing is the context that because our Heavenly Father forsook Jesus on the cross, we as Christians now have His promise that HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US NOR FORSAKE US! (Hebrews 13:5)
https://youtu.be/KsorSzhhoCQ
In that moment on the cross, also notice that Jesus referred to Him as “God” and not “Father”. We therefore see the effect of our sin that Jesus took on our behalf, and how it impacted the intimacy Jesus was able to have with God our Father in that moment on the cross!! (Almost every other time, Jesus called God “Father”, yet at this point on the cross, it appears He wasn’t able to!) OUR INTIMACY WITH THE FATHER IS AFFECTED BY SIN!! (Notice that Once Jesus said it is finished in John 19:30, He called God “Father” again as He gave up His spirit in Luke 23:46!)
5.John 19:28 “I THIRST.” Jesus reveals His humanity here!! His need for water reminds us that He died as a human (Hebrews 2:14-18), which means His sacrifice could truly represent us!! JESUS’ HUMANITY ALLOWED HIM TO REPRESENT US!!
6.John 19:30 “ IT IS FINISHED.” The sixth thing Jesus said was a PROCLAMATION! “It is finished” in the Greek can mean “paid in full”. This shows us when Jesus died on the cross, He paid for the punishment of our sins IN FULL!! All other Religions today are still trying to pay their way into heaven through their good works, but every time we try to make our way to God through our good works, we fail to recognise that JESUS PAID OUR DEBT IN FULL!!
7.Luke 23:46 “FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Jesus shows us here, that at the time of death, our spirit separates from our body (James 2:26), and (for those whose whole trust and hope is in Jesus) goes to be with God The Father in heaven!! (Acts 7:59) This is the great hope we have as Christians!! DEATH IS NOT THE END FOR THE CHRISTIAN!!
May these 7 statements said by our wonderful Jesus on the cross give us encouragement and strength in our times of pain, suffering and trials!!
Comments