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Seven words on the cross (7)       [Luke 23:44-46]     This is the seventh word Jesus said on the cross: “Father into your hands I commend my spirt” (Lk. 23:46).   A scholar named Arthur Pink called this seventh word of Jesus ‘the word of satisfaction.  ‘It was an act of satisfaction, an act of faith, an act of trust, an act of love,’ he said.  Arthur Pink divided this word of satisfaction into seven parts and explained them in detail: (1) Here we see the Savior restored to fellowship with the Father.  (2) Here we see a deliberate contrast.  (3) Here we see Christ's perfect submission to God.  (4) Here we see the absolute uniqueness of the Savior.  (5) Here we see a perfect refuge forever.  (6) Here we see how blessed fellowship with God is.  (7) Here we see the true resting place of the heart.  Today I would like to consider the first of these seven, “Here we see the Savior restored to fellowsh...

Seven words on the cross (6)       [John 19:28-30]                      This is the fifth words Jesus said on the cross: “I am thirsty” (Jn. 19:28).   Jesus obeyed God's covenant on the cross and said, "I am thirsty" (v. 28) to fulfill Psalms 69:21, “knowing that all things have already been accomplished” (Jn. 19:28).   Immediately one of those present ran and took something like a sponge, soaked it in sour wine and put it on a reed (Mt 27:48; Mk 15:36), brought it to the mouth of Jesus who was nailed to the cross.   At that time, Jesus received the sour wine (Jn. 19:29-30).   The sour wine that Jesus received here was vinegar.   The fact that Jesus, who was thirsty, received vinegar would have made Him more thirsty, suffered more, and brought Him closer to death.   A scholar named John Stott said that after Jesus received this sour wine, He sai...

Seven words on the cross (5)         [John 19:28-30]       The fourth word Jesus spoke on the cross was “Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthani” (Mt. 27:46).  This word of Jesus is Aramaic, and its’ meaning is “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (v. 46).  What the fourth word of Jesus on the cross shows us is that God is just and holy, so He not only has no sin, but also Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, who knows no sin, bore my sins, our sins, and all our sins and redeemed us and saved us by taking on our sins and throwing them away on the cross as the payment for our sins.  Also, this fourth word of Jesus on the cross shows how heavy and terrifying the price of our sins is.  And this word shows that King David's prophecy of Psalms 22:1 was fulfilled.  In addition, the words of Jesus on the cross, “Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthani,” show us God’s love concretely and clearly.   When Jesus cried out “Eli, E...

“Eli Eli lama sabachthani”       [Mark 15:33-36]       This is the fourth word Jesus said on the cross: “Eli Eli lama sabachthani.”   Look at Mark 15:34 – “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’-- which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”   During the Wednesday service last week, we meditated on the fourth word of Jesus on the cross, “Eloi, Eloi, lama, sabachthani,” centered on Matthew 27:46.   About 700 years before Jesus Christ came to this world, the prophet Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 53:7 that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, would be silent.   And according to this prophecy, Jesus was silent.   But before dying on the cross, He cried out loudly, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani” (Mt. 27:46).   Even though Jesus had no sin, He was forsaken by Heavenly Father because of our sins, so He cried out loudly, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ...

Seven words on the cross (4)       [Matthew 27:45-49]                       This is the fourth word Jesus said on the cross: “Eli Eli lama sabachthani.”                    Look at Matthew 27:46 – “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’--which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”   Here, “About the ninth hour” means about three in the afternoon (v. 46).  And when Jesus cried out with a loud voice, it means that He cried out to Heavenly Father with a loud voice.  Here, when Jesus cried out on the cross, it means that Jesus desperately cried out to Heavenly Father with all His might.                   About 700 years ago, the pro...

Seven words on the cross (3)         [John 19:25-27]       This is the third word Jesus spoke on the cross: “…   ‘Woman, behold, your son!’  …  ‘Behold, your mother!’” (Jn. 19:26-27)    Look at John 19:25-27: “Therefore the soldiers did these things.  But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’  Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’  From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”  Looking at these words, we can see that there were four women and one man by the cross of Jesus.   First, I would like to think of four women: (1) “His mother” refers to Mary, the mother of the crucified Jesus.   (2) “His mother’s sister” is “Salome” (...