Sermon #14621 Miscellaneous
Sermons
Title: Our
Savior’s Last Words
Text: Romans 15:4 (Luke
Subject: The Message of Our Lord’s Seven Sayings
Date: Sunday Morning –
Tape # W-50a
Introduction:
The title of my message is Our Savior’s Last Words. I want
us to take one more look at those seven sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ from
the cross, as he hung upon the cursed tree, bearing our sin, suffering all the
horror of the wrath of God for us, when he was made to be sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him.
This I know. –
These last seven words that fell from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ are
recorded in the Book of God by divine purpose and inspiration for our learning,
edification, comfort, and hope. This is
what God himself declares in Romans
15:4. -- "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
Here the Apostle
Paul gives us the fourfold purpose of Holy Scripture. "Whatsoever things were
written aforetime were written...”
1. “FOR OUR LEARNING” -- God the
Holy Spirit has by divine and perfect inspiration caused this Book to be
written that we might learn by the things herein revealed...
·
The Character of God.
·
The Condition of
·
The Redemptive Work of Christ.
·
The Glory and Grace of God in the Gospel.
I
realize that sinners are not saved merely by acquiring knowledge. You may
become a proficient theologian, a scholar of Bible languages, and a respected
teacher or preacher, and never know the living God. Knowledge is not salvation.
But no one will ever be saved apart from knowledge. You cannot trust an
unrevealed, unknown Savior. You simply cannot trust Christ until you know
something about who he is, what he has done, and why he did it.
[John 17:1-3]
"These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and
said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify
thee: [2] As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. [3] And this is
life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent."
[1 John 1:1-3] "That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked
upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; [2] (For the life
was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you
that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
[3] That which we have seen and heard declare we
unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is
with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."
And the only way we can obtain this
saving knowledge of God in Christ is by the gospel.
Romans
10:13-17 "For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (14) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not
believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom
they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a
preacher? (15) And how shall they
preach, except they be sent? as
it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of
peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For
Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? (17) So then faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God."
2. “THAT WE THROUGH PATIENCE” --
The Word of God was written to teach us patience.
Psalms
27:14 "Wait on the
LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on
the LORD."
Proverbs
3:5-6 "Trust in the
LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths."
I
have not yet found a more needful or a more difficult thing to learn and
acquire than patience. But we must learn to “wait on the Lord” for...
·
The Fulfilment of His Purpose.
·
The Revelation of His Will.
·
The Performance of His Work.
Note: This business
of preaching the gospel, this thing called the church and
3. “AND COMFORT OF THE SCRIPTURES” --
This blessed Book was written for our comfort. The children’s Bread is the
Bible. This is the Source of all comfort for the believing heart. All the
doctrines, promises, and revelations of this Book are written to minister
comfort to our hearts in this world.
Our
great and glorious God, our heavenly Father delights in comforting his
children. That is why he sent
his Spirit into our hearts. He is our Comforter. This Book is his Word of
Comfort.
John
14:1-3 "Let not your
heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
Hebrews
13:5-6 "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and
be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee. (6) So
that we may boldly say, The Lord is my
helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
It is my responsibility as a
gospel preacher to minister comfort to God’s elect.
Isaiah
40:1-2 - "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. (2) Speak ye comfortably to
When your heart
is heavy and your soul is troubled, do not neglect your God-given Source of
comfort.
·
The
·
The Preaching of the word.
·
Meditation upon the Word.
4. “MIGHT HAVE HOPE” -- Faith
looks to the past, believing God, confidently resting in what he has done. Hope
looks to the future, believing God, confidently resting in what he has
promised. We have “a good hope through grace” of glorious things to
come. In Christ we have a good hope and confident expectation of...
·
Eternal Life.
·
Resurrection.
·
Everlasting Acceptance with God.
What is the
basis of this hope? How can sinful men and women like us face the holy Lord
God and eternity with confident hope? Our hope is Jesus Christ himself (1 Tim.
1:1). And our hope in Christ is based upon the Word of God.
John
This
is the purpose of Holy Scripture. All that is written in the Book of God has
been “written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through
patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
[Psalms 119:49-50] "Remember the word unto thy servant,
upon which thou hast caused me to hope. [50] This is my comfort
in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me."
[Psalms 119:74] "They that fear thee will be glad when
they see me; because I have hoped in thy word."
[Psalms 119:81] "My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but
I hope in thy word."
[Psalms 119:114] "Thou art my hiding place and my
shield: I hope in thy word."
[Psalms 119:147] "I prevented the dawning of the morning,
and cried: I hoped in thy word."
In
this Volume of Inspiration the Holy Spirit has taken very special care to
record for us each of those things that were spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ,
as he hung upon the cross suffering the wrath of God as our Substitute, to put
away our sins. As you know, there were seven things spoken by our
Redeemer from the cross.
1. “Father,
forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
2. “Today thou
shalt be with me in Paradise.”
3. “Woman,
behold thy Son!” - Son, “Behold thy mother!”
4. “My God, my
God, Why hast thou forsaken me?”
5. “I thirst!”
6. “It is
finished!”
7. “Father, into
thy hands I commend my spirit.”
There
have been mountains of words and thousands of sermons preached from these seven sayings of Christ from the cross. I
cannot add anything to what has already been spoken and written by faithful
men. But I do hope that God the Holy Spirit will enable me to give you a
glimpse of what I see in them. That is what I want to do in this
message, for your learning, patience, comfort, and hope in Christ.
The
only fear I have in preaching this message is the tendency to reduce these
tremendous themes to mere homiletical points of dry doctrine and lifeless
theology. May God forbid that from being the case!
These
are the very words spoken by our great God and Savior in his humiliation,
spoken as he engaged the forces of hell and endured the indescribable wrath of
God in the place of sinners.
The
horrid load of all my guilt
Was on my Savior
laid;
When He who did
and knew no sin
For sinners sin
was made.
Enduring
all God’s wrath in death,
My Savior prayed
for me;
In love He took
my place and died
Upon the cursed
the tree.
Oh love
amazing! Love beyond
The reach of
mortal tongue;
This love shall
be the subject of
My everlasting
song.
E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing
wounds supply,
Redeeming love
has been my theme
And shall be
till I die!
Proposition: In these seven words
from the cross I see the glorious Person, work, and offices of our Lord Jesus
Christ beautifully demonstrated.
I. The first word from the cross
is found in Luke 23:34. "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive
them; for they know not what they do." Here I see CHRIST OUR MEDIATOR.
Here
is the Son of God suffering by the hands of wicked men, suffering with wicked
men, suffering as a wicked man, and yet praying for the men who made him
suffer. “There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men,” and that
Mediator is “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).
A. We must have a
Mediator (Heb. 5:1).
B. The Mediator
must be a man of God’s choosing (Heb. 5:4-5).
C. The Mediator
must pray and be heard (Heb. 5:7).
Who
meets all these qualifications? Only the Lord Jesus Christ!
·
John 14:6
·
Romans 8:34
·
Hebrews 7:25
Illustration: Peter - “I have
prayed for thee!”
1
John 2:1-2 "My little
children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is
the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
II. The second word is found in Luke 23:43. "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I
say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in
paradise." Here I see CHRIST
OUR KING.
Even
as he hung upon the cross, suffering untold agony under the wrath of God, Jesus
Christ reigned as Lord and King over everything.
·
Here is the sovereign King, the Ruler of the
·
Here is the King of Grace opening the door which no mere man can ever open.
·
Here is the Prince of Peace, giving peace that no man can give.
·
Here is the King of Glory, promising mercy and eternal life that no man can merit.
Would
you obtain mercy like this dying thief? If you would, come to the King, Christ
Jesus. Acknowledge him as your Lord, and cry, “Remember me!”
“Come, humble sinner, in
whose breast
A thousand thoughts revolve,
Come with your guilt and
fear oppressed,
And make this last resolve
‘I’ll go to Jesus, though my
sin
Hath like
a mountain rose;
I know His courts I’ll enter
in,
Whatever may oppose.
Prostrate I’ll lie before
His throne,
And there my guilt confess;
I’ll tell Him I’m a wretch
undone,
Without His sovereign grace.
I’ll to the gracious King approach,
Whose scepter pardon gives;
Perhaps He may command my
touch,
And then the suppliant
lives!
Perhaps He will admit my
plea,
Perhaps will hear my prayer;
But if I perish, I will
pray,
And perish only there.
I can but perish if I go,
I am resolved to try;
For if I stay away, I know,
I must forever die.
But, if I die with mercy
sought,
When I the King have tried,
This were to die (Delightful
thought!)
As sinner never died.’”
Edmund Jones
“Salvation
is of the Lord!” Grace
comes from the throne of grace; and the King who sits upon that throne is the
Lord Jesus Christ.
1
Peter
John
5:20-21 "For the Father
loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show
him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. (21) For as the Father raiseth up the
dead, and quickeneth them; even so
the Son quickeneth whom he will."
John
17:2 "As thou hast given
him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou
hast given him."
III. The third word spoken by our
Lord as he hung upon the cross is found in John
19:26-27. "When Jesus
therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith
unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! (27) Then saith he to the disciple,
Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own
home.” Here I see CHRIST OUR
REPRESENTATIVE AND EXAMPLE.
Even
in the agonies of death, under the penalty of sin, enduring the wrath of God,
fulfilling the everlasting covenant, accomplishing eternal redemption for us,
and satisfying the divine justice, our Lord Jesus Christ did not neglect the
responsibilities of manhood! Our Savior, as our Representative and Example,
deliberately gave attention to his responsibilities as a man, even in the time
of his dying agony. He fulfilled all
righteousness! He did everything that it is right for a man to do.
·
He was circumcised.
·
He was subject unto his parents.
·
He was baptized.
·
He attended the synagogue.
Our Lord Jesus was “made of a woman,
made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law.”
A. He
fulfilled all righteousness as our legal Representative.
Romans
B. He
fulfilled all righteousness as our Example of Righteousness.
[John 13:13-15] "Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say
well; for so I am. [14] If I then, your Lord and Master,
have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. [15] For
I have given you an example, that ye should do as I
have done to you."
C. If you would learn how to live in
this world for the glory of God, if you would learn how to serve your
generation, if you would learn how to worship God, go to
·
Submission to the Will of God.
·
Patience in Suffering.
·
How to Love Your Brethren.
·
How to Love Your Wife.
·
How to Give.
IV. The fourth word is found in Matthew 27:46. "And about the ninth hour(at
This
is the only time recorded in Scripture that the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to the
Father as God. Here he takes the lowest place of humanity and cries out to his
Father and our Father as a creature to be pitied by his Creator. In his great
agony, this mighty Man who is God reverts to his childhood, speaking in his
native Syrian tongue, not in the Hebrew of his fathers or in the Greek he
acquired as he matured.
At
the height of his obedience to the Father, the Lord of Glory, was forsaken by
his Father, because we deserve to be forever forsaken of that God whom we have
spent our lives forsaking!
He
was forsaken of God because he was made to be sin! Reproach has now broken his
heart! “My God! my God! Why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
This is a cry arising from depths of infinite anguish no human being can know.
This cry no mortal mind can comprehend. This mystery no creature can fathom!
Martin Luther, after studying
and meditating upon this text for hours, closed his Bible, slammed his fists
down on his desk and cried, “God forsaken of God! My God, no man can understand
that!”
I
will not attempt to explain what no man can understand. But I rejoice in the
fact of this our Substitute’s greatest sorrow. He was forsaken of God. That
means all for whom he died shall never be forsaken of God!
[Isaiah 53:9-11] "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done
no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. [10] Yet it
pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou
shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall
prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his
hand. [11] He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be
satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he
shall bear their iniquities."
[John 3:14-16] "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in
the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: [15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
eternal life. [16] For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."
[Romans 5:6-8] "For when we were yet without strength,
in due time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For scarcely for a
righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. [8] But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
[2 Corinthians 5:20-21] "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's
stead, be ye reconciled to God. [21] For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
[1 Peter 2:24-25] "Who his own self bare our sins in his
own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. [25] For
ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and
Bishop of your souls."
[1 Peter 3:18] "For Christ also hath once suffered for
sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to
death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"
[1 John 4:9-10] "In this was manifested the love of God
toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we
might live through him. [10] Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our
sins."
A. What an
infinitely, horribly evil thing sin must be!
B. How holy,
just, righteous and good our God must be!
C. O my soul,
how great, how infinitely great is the love of God for me!
·
Eternal, Electing Love!
·
Faithful, Covenant Love!
·
Sovereign, Free, Unconditional, Immutable Love!
·
Sacrificial, Sin-atoning, Redeeming Love!
·
Distinguishing, Saving, Keeping, Everlasting Love!
D. How anxious,
willing, ready the holy Lord God is to save poor sinners! – “He delighteth
in mercy!”
V. Our Lord’s fifth word form the
cross is found in John 19:28. -- "After this, Jesus
knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be
fulfilled, saith, I thirst.” – Here I see Christ the Man.
“The Word was made flesh.” Here we see our Savior’s
real humanity. This is the shortest of the seven words of the cross; but it is
every bit as instructive as the other six. I am sure it is meant to teach us at
least these three things.
A. Bodily
Thirst -- Being in anguish of body, burning with fever, his
tongue swollen and cleaving to his jaws, he thirsted for water, just like the
rich man in hell, as he endured the fire of God’s hot, holy wrath for us.
B. Soul
Thirst -- Being forsaken of God, he thirsted in his soul. – “As
the hart planteth after the water brooks,” so panted his soul for God.
C. Heart
Thirst – The Lord of Glory was made to be sin, made to endure
all the horror of God’s holy, unmitigated wrath, because he thirsted for the
souls of men. He thirsted for his people! He thirsted to be thirsted after!
When I hear the Master cry, “I thirst,” I can almost hear his heart
crying, “I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I
am, that they may behold my glory.”
VI. Stay here in John 19.
Read verses 28-30 again. -- "After this, Jesus knowing
that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled,
saith, I thirst. [29] Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they
filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
[30] When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed
his head, and gave up the ghost." Here, in this sixth word from
the cross, as I hear the Immanuel cry, “It is finished,” I
see Christ our Surety.
“It
is finished!” – What a blessed, triumphant word! Our blessed Savior
was not crying a sigh of relief. He was not saying, “At last, it is over.” Oh,
no! Most men leave this word with things unfinished. -- So many plans
unfinished! – So many hopes unfulfilled! – So many desires unsatisfied! – So
many works incomplete! So many things they wanted to do, or see, or experience,
unfinished! – No so with the Lord Jesus Christ, our great Surety! He
accomplished everything he came here to do.
A. What did he come here to do?
·
The Father’s Will (Heb. 10) -- “It is finished!”
·
Save His People (Matt.
·
Fulfill All the Types, Promises, and Prophecies of the Scriptures -- “It
is finished!”
·
Make an End of Sin
-- He came here to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself! --“It
is finished!”
·
Bring Everlasting Righteousness -- “It is finished!”
·
Obtain Eternal Redemption (Heb.
·
Redeem us From the Curse of the Law -- “It is finished!”
·
Fulfill and Make and End of the Law – To Magnify the Law and Make it
Honorable -- “It is finished!”
B. This is the Surety’s cry of
accomplished suretyship to the Father. -- “It is finished!”
“I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do!” – Here
our Covenant Surety says to his Father, I have finished all the work trusted to
my hands. I have redeemed all the souls trusted to me. I have ransomed all the
sheep. I have found all the lost ones I came to find. All the work is fully
done, well done, perfectly done!
C. This is
the cry of our great Surety to pour, needy sinners! -- “It is finished!”
·
Wrath is finished!
·
Judgment is finished!
·
Sin is finished!
·
Righteousness is finished!
·
Redemption is finished!
·
Justification id finished!
·
Sanctification is finished!
·
Salvation is finished!
“It is finished!” Sinners, hear it:
Hear the dying Savior’s cry;
“It is finished!”
Angels Sing it,
Sing the praise of Christ on
high.
“It is finished!” --
“It is finished!”
Tell it through
the earth and sky!
Justice now
demands salvation
For those souls
whose wrath Christ bore;
And it smiles
with approbation
On the ransomed
evermore!
Grace and mercy,
grace and mercy
Freely flow from
boundless stores.
Hear the Son of
God declare it,
All is done He
came to do!
Needy sinners,
Hear, believe it. –
Is not this good
news to you? --
“It is finished!” “It
is finished!”
All is done! Oh,
yes, it’s true!
“It is finished!” All
is over.
Jesus drank
damnation dry!
Never can a
ransomed sinner
God’s salvation be denied!
“It is finished!” “It
is finished!”
Cries our Sur’ty
now on High!
Who is he that
shall condemn us?
Who shall charge
us now with sin?
It is God who
justified us
Christ, Who died, cries in our name, --
“It is finished!” “It
is finished!”
Praised forever
be His name!
VII. The Savior’s last word from the cross is found in Luke
Once our great Redeemer had finished his work, he “cried with
a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having
said thus, he gave up the ghost.” Thus he entered into his rest and
obtained eternal rest for us.
[Hebrews 4:9-11] "There remaineth therefore a rest to the
people of God. [10] For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath
ceased from his own works, as God did from his. [11] Let us
labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same
example of unbelief."
A. Our
Savior died with the Word of God in his heart and on his lips (Ps.
31:5).
[Psalms 31:1-5] "In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let
me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. [2] Bow down thine
ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an
house of defense to save me. [3] For thou art my rock and my
fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. [4] Pull
me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my
strength. [5] Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me,
O LORD God of truth."
B. Notice,
here, our Savior who had cried, “My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me?”
now calls his Father by that endearing name, “Father.”
The storm of God’s holy wrath beat
fiercely upon his holy soul; but now the storm is nearly over. Only one thing
is to be done. He must yet die; but here he seems to say to poor, needy
sinners, “Look here. Look unto me. Behold, now reconciliation is made. Anger is
turned away. Judgment is gone!”
[Isaiah 12]
"And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though
thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
[2] Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid:
for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is
become my salvation. [3] Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of
the wells of salvation. [4] And in that day shall ye say, Praise the
LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention
that his name is exalted. [5] Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done
excellent things: this is known in all the earth. [6] Cry out and
shout, thou inhabitant of
C. Our
blessed Savior committed his spirit into his Father’s hands, not Satan’s.
Some vainly imagine that the Lord Jesus was
now taken to hell to be tormented of the devil for three days. Not so (Heb.
[1 Peter 2:22-24] "Who did no sin, neither was guile found
in his mouth: [23] Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he
suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth
righteously: [24] Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed."
C. At
last, in sovereign majesty, “he gave up the ghost,” he dismissed his
spirit.
This Man who is God our Savior did what
none but God, who gives life and takes life at his will, could do. “He gave
up the ghost.” That is to say, He dismissed his spirit!
D. Come,
now, to Christ and enter into his rest.
[Matthew 11:28-30] "Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29]
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light."
1 See Misc.
#1242 – Preached at