The last words of a dying person are normally never forgotten. A person’s closing comments often reveal their pain and agony. Some enter eternity without saying anything, while others utter sentiments that disclose their values, priorities, and innermost thoughts.
The great Bap¬tist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, said as his last words, "Jesus died for me." And John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, said, "The best of all is, God is with us."
Contrast those words of faith with the final words of some other persons of history. For example, right before P.T. Barnum died, he asked, “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?” Humphrey Bogart’s last words were, “I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis.” Joan Crawford was filled with anger when her maid began to pray out loud and said, “Don’t you dare ask God to help me!” Louis Mayer, the film producer, gave his philosophy of life (and death) when he said, “Nothing matters.
Pancho Villa, the Mexican revolutionary, said, “Don’t let it end like this. Tell them I said something.” Karl Marx turned to his housekeeper, who had urged him to tell her his last words so she could write them down, and shouted, “Go on, and get out. Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.”
Well, today we’re beginning a series to help us focus on the final words of Jesus uttered from the Cross. They’re definitely not the words of someone who didn’t say enough when He was alive. We have our Lord’s teaching in the Gospels and we have His final seven sayings as well, which are full of meaning and significance.
The first three statements were made between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and noon:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
“Dear woman, here is your son . . . Here is your mother” (John 19:26)
From noon to 3:00 p.m., there was darkness over the land.
Then beginning about 3:00, Jesus uttered his final words:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
“I am thirsty.” (John 19:28)
“It is finished.” (John 19:30)
“Into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
Today we will look at the first of these seven sayings. As He hung upon the cross, He prayed for the very one’s responsible for putting Him there - He prayed for a sinful mankind.
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1. The appeal of the prayer - “Father, forgive them”
The tense of the original text is continuous, indicating that this was something Jesus said several times.
As He was laid upon the cross, he prayed, “Father, forgive them.” As He had nails driven through His hands and feet, He prayed, “Father, forgive them.” As he was lifted up and the cross was set in place, He prayed, “Father, forgive them.” As He hung there, suspended between heaven and earth, He prayed, “Father, forgive them.” He could have prayed, “Father, judge them,” or “Father, avenge me,” but He didn’t. He prayed, “Father, forgive them.”
The word “forgive” is borrowed from the world of commerce and banking. It means to cancel a debt or to pardon a loan. Phillip Yancey in his book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” gives some great insight when he reminds us that the word forgive contains the word “give.” To forgive is to cancel the debt of someone so that they never have to pay us back for what they’ve done to us. It’s to give grace to someone who doesn’t deserve it.
2. The argument of the prayer - “for they do not know what they are doing”
Jesus not only made an appeal on behalf of a sinful mankind, He argued on our behalf as well! Truly, what our Savior observed is true. Mankind is ignorant about God and our actions reflect that!
“The very animals whose smell is most offensive to us have no idea that they are offensive, and are not offensive to one another. And man, fallen man, has just no idea what a vile thing sin is in the sight of God.” - J. C. Ryle, Holiness
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” - Romans 3:10-18 (NIV)
Man calls it an accident; God calls it an abomination.
Man calls it a blunder; God calls it blindness.
Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease.
Man calls it a chance, God calls it a choice.
Man calls it an error, God calls it an enmity.
Man calls it a fascination, God calls it a fatality.
Man calls it an infirmity; God calls it an iniquity.
Man calls it a luxury, God calls it leprosy.
Man calls it a liberty, God calls it lawlessness.
Man calls it a trifle, God calls it tragedy.
Man calls it a mistake, God calls it madness.
Man calls it a weakness, God calls it willfulness.
Why don’t we feel as sinful as God says we are? For the same reason that a fish doesn’t feel wet because it is immersed.
Now this would seem an odd argument our Savior presents here to the Father. After all, when one pleads the case of another, they usually affirm their innocence. Instead, Jesus acknowledged man’s guilt as he argued for God to forgive! Why?
Because Jesus already knew . . .
3. The answer to the prayer.
The answer to the prayer was the cross. How could God forgive the guilty? The cross was the answer.
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” - 1 John 2:1-2 (NIV)
Who did Jesus die for? All mankind. Who then, is the answer to this prayer available to? Everyone who will accept it.
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” - Romans 10:13 (NIV)
A certain atheistic barber was conversing with a minister as they rode through the slums of a large city. Said the unbeliever, "If there is a loving God, how can he permit all this poverty, suffering, and violence among these people? Why doesn’t he save them from all this?"
Just then a disheveled bum crossed the street. He was unshaven and filthy, with long scraggly hair hanging down his neck. The minister pointed to him and said, "You are a barber and claim to be a good one, so why do you allow that man to go unkempt and unshaven?"
"Why, why ..." the barber stuttered, "he never gave me a chance to fix him up."
"Exactly," said the minister. "Men are what they are because they reject God’s help."
Conclusion: You and I live in a day of postponed judgment. A day wherein mankind is experiencing opportunity to receive the answer to our Lord’s prayer on the cross. This opportunity is ours because of His prayer on our behalf.
“In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” - 2 Peter 3:9 (CEV)
Charles Wesley wrote in one of his hymns:
Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on Calvary; They pour effectual prayers, they strongly plead for me, "Forgive him, O forgive," they cry, "Nor let that ransomed sinner die.”
