Famous Last Words:forgiveness Series

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

Today we are standing on holy ground.

Today we stand before the cross of Jesus Christ.

At the cross, we see the Master of heaven and earth as He hangs between two thieves.

We see the soldiers. We see the swelling crowd and we hear their mocking shouts.

We see the cross stained with the royal blood of Christ. We see the darkness of the sky and we hear the cracking of the boulders as the ground shakes.

Everything we see and hear at the cross plays a vital role in the crucifixion. Every part and every moment at the cross has a story and a message to tell.

But today, as we approach the cross, I want you to open up your heart and hear the final words of Jesus.

Every breathe was a struggle and of all that He could have said from the cross, these are the final words He chose for us to hear. And hear them we must.

I humbly apologize to you and to the host of heaven for the pathetic job I am about to do. For there is no way that I can adequately covey to you the fullness of the eternal, life changing power of Jesus words. For His words are truly life changing. His words are packed with eternal power and truth. And it is imperative that we hear His words. We cannot bypass the cross of Jesus Christ without hearing His final words.

For the next few weeks we will stand before the cross and hear His words; the final words of Jesus the Christ.

John 19:16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away. 17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. NKJV

WE CANNOT BYPASS THE CROSS

No matter how we view history, there is absolutely no way we can bypass the cross.

The cross of Jesus Christ is the hinge upon which all of history turns. History and the word of God are filled with many unique and spectacular events, but there is no historical event that can match the significance of the cross of Christ.

The cross of Jesus Christ is the not only the dividing line of history but the dividing line of eternity.

There is nothing more important than for you to see the cross, to know the power of the cross and to embrace the message of the cross.

If you truly desire to fulfill the purpose of your life, then you must go to the cross.

If you are in need of peace and forgiveness, then go to the cross.

It is impossible for you to fulfill the purpose of God for your life apart from the cross.

To understand the cross and to understand the power of the words that Jesus spoke from the cross, there are three powerful thoughts that we must capture in our souls.

First, there is the cross and the message of the cross.

Paul said it well when he wrote;

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. NKJV

The message of the cross is very simple. It says that the only way to eternal life is through the death of Jesus Christ at the cross.

There is no other way and the world rejects that message.

To the world, the message of the cross is foolishness, because to the world it is foolish to believe that eternal life can only be obtained through the cross of Jesus Christ.

For the believer, the message of the cross is a message of salvation and eternal life.

For the believer, the cross is the assurance of God’s love and forgiveness.

Second, if you are to understand the cross and if you are to hear the words Jesus spoke from the cross, then you must personally go to the cross.

When Jesus first spoke of the cross, He spoke of it as a personal experience.

That means the message of the cross is more than just a significant moment in history.

The message of the cross is a personal message that speaks to every person of every generation, and that includes you. It is a personal experience.

Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. NKJV