Utterances from the Cross
Introduction: If ever there was a holiday to celebrate; it is Easter. What other holiday celebrates an event that promises everlasting life? I love Easter! I look forward to it, especially when the long cold days of winter have me trapped inside the house, cabin fever sets in and I'm longing to get outside. And then just as shortly as we cancel church because of the weather the next week things begin to thaw and a couple weeks after that I drive into town and notice among the sea of gray dead trees, a Bradford pear is turning white and now the Redbud and Dogwood trees are in full bloom. The weather is warming up. I can hear the locusts and the frogs. And the spring lightning storms off in the distance are entertaining. I love Spring because more than anything it reminds me that the cold days are behind us, and the dark trees and dead plants are in the past and new life has begun!
There couldn't be a better time to celebrate Resurrection Sunday than in the spring time! Not everyone appreciates Easter like we do. What a shame. Perhaps they don't understand the gospel. Perhaps they don't know the gospel. Perhaps they don't care or perhaps they just don't believe.
Jonathan Edwards said “If any man could disprove the doctrines of the gospel, he should then sit down and weep to think they were not true, for it would be the most dreadful calamity that could happen to the world.”
Indeed it would. Why any man would choose not to believe the gospel, is beyond me. But I hope they find Jesus soon. I want them to experience this great new life that you and I have found!
Transition: Its been noted that Jesus gave 7 utterances on the cross, but for this morning, I would like us to notice the three that are mentioned in the gospel of Luke. We find forgiveness, hope, and life in the last three utterances of Jesus on the cross.
We find Forgiveness at the Cross
“..Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing..”-Luke 23:34
“Father, Forgive them” Here in his first three words we see Christ's forgiving nature. So let's first draw attention to the fact that it is the will of God for men to be forgiven, not condemned of their sins. (Jn. 3:17) If it were us, that were beaten, stripped naked, cursed, punched, mocked ruthlessly, if we saw the crowds approving our torture and heard them laughing at our pain and although innocent we could sense the condemnation from our persecutors, we might have prayed, “Father, curse them! Father, destroy them! Father, consume them! Father, humiliate them! . . . but Jesus says: “Father, . . . forgive them.” and praise God! His prayer is answered, because Jesus dying on the cross was the only way for men to be forgiven.
Ill. During the war between Britain and France, men were conscripted into the French army by a kind of lottery system. When someone's name was drawn, he had to go off to battle. There was one exception to this, however. A person could be exempt if another was willing to take his place. On one occasion the authorities came to a certain man and told him he was among those who had been chosen. He refused to go, saying, “I was shot 2 years ago.” At first they questioned his sanity, but he insisted that this indeed was the case. He claimed that the military records would show that he had been conscripted 2 years previously and that he had been killed in action. “How can that be?” they questioned. “You are alive now!” He explained that when his name came up, a close friend said to him, “ You have a large family, but I am not married and nobody is dependent upon me. I'll take your name and address and go in your place.” And that is indeed what the record showed. This rather unusual case was referred to Napoleon Bonaparte, who decided that the country had no legal claim on that man. He was indeed free. Another person had died in his place!
This principle of substitution is also at the heart of the gospel. The savior willingly took our place, not because He had any less to lose than we, but because of His infinite love. He died in our place and paid the penalty for our sin. The law, which demands the ultimate punishment, has no claim on us, for we died nearly 2,000 years ago in the person of Jesus Christ. His finished work is the basis of our salvation. We depend on Him – our Substitute! (sermonillustrations: Our daily bread)
This is explained in 2 Corinthians “God made him (Jesus) who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (5:21)
This is the great exchange. Jesus in our place is the doctrine of substitution. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice in every way. He never sinned. Never lied. Never had a sinful thought or desire. He was as perfect as perfect can be. Absolutely innocent in every possible way. And although he was surrounded by wickedness, He was never soiled or influenced by it.
We read elsewhere that Jesus cries out “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me!”
Why would the perfect, innocent son of God be forsaken? What did He do to deserve being abandoned? Nothing. Not. One. Thing! But our sins had become Jesus. And as a result How could a Holy God look upon such filth? How could he see such disgusting perversion? Such arrogant rebellion? Such reckless evil? All of your sins, all of her sins, all of my sins, all of their sins – How could He look at it? He can't! Even when his sinless son became sin for us. He could not be in the presence of something so contrary to himself. The Father had to forsake him! For a moment the Father didn't see him as he was, His Son but saw him for what He became, Our Sin. Of all the physical pain Jesus endured – This abandonment had to be the worst kind of emotional, mental, and spiritual pain anyone could experience. He was thoroughly forsaken, that is until sin was thoroughly suffocated and killed on that old rugged cross.
Be grateful this Easter Sunday that Jesus' prayer “Father, forgive them...” was answered. Praise God our sins can not judge us! They can not condemn us! They can not indict us! Although we know our guilt and shame we also know and celebrate today that our sins were punished a long time ago!
In the second part of his utterance on the cross, we see our ignorance.
“..for they do not know what they are doing..” If they had known what they were doing they never would have done it. If they had known they were crucifying the messiah, they would have stopped immediately. Will Rogers said “Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.” Those that crucified Christ were ignorant of the most important subject of all time. They may have prided themselves on their knowledge of scripture and their understanding of the law, but they were thoroughly ignorant to the things they claimed to be so wise in.
Out of pure ignorance do people persecute Christians. Some slander Christianity because they don't understand it, and they don't understand it because they refuse to understand it. “None so blind as those who will not see.” And yet Jesus pities their ignorance and begs their forgiveness. He knows that they don't realize the severity of their crime. Rejecting God's Son, Slaying the messiah was the most reprehensible thing there is. And yet, even the sin of killing the son of God, it too was put on the cross and forgiven - thus answering His prayer! How can you deny the power of God's love after seeing such great forgiveness.
Transition: It was so powerful that as Jesus hung on the cross, an amazing thing happened, it actually effected one of the criminals being put to death beside him. And he said “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” and here we find hope at the cross in the second utterance of Jesus
We find Hope at the Cross
“I assure you today, you will be with me in paradise.” -Luke 23:43
This thief overheard the Lord's incredible petition of forgiveness for those who were treating him so brutally – He was obviously effected by what He heard. Perhaps the thief beside him thought “If he can forgive those who laugh at him, spit on him, make fun of him, if he can pray for those who kick him, punch him, whip him with the cat-o-nine tails, if he could lobby God's forgiveness on behalf of those that stripped him naked, hammered nails into his hands and feet, then I KNOW that man can forgive me!”
This thief wasn't just your average run of the mill shoplifters – in an older translation He was called a 'brigand'. A brigand was a gangster or a robber who would mix murder with armed robberies. Think of Jesse James, Bonnie and Clyde, or John Dillinger. This brigand isn't alone – he has a comrade in sin and suffering. They had been co-criminals, co-sinners, and now co-sufferers. He asks his crucified cohort why he doesn't fear God because He hears him join the crowd and mock Jesus also.
This thief believed in Jesus in his worst possible state when everyone was mocking him – it is easy to swim with the current but it is hard to go against the stream. When the crowd says “Crucify him!!” there are few, no, there are less than a few men that will stand up and say “NO! Jesus IS LORD!” “Jesus IS the Messiah!” “Jesus IS innocent!” This thief witnessed the priests rebuke him! The crowd shout at him! The other thief mock him! His disciples desert him! And his own father forsake him!
In spite of it all . . . he dared to to ask a naked, bloody, unrecognizable Jesus, not to save him, (no. that would be asking too much) but just to . . . remember him. I don't know that there was an equal act of humility from his own 12 disciples. The sons of Zebedee were petitioned for to have a spot beside Jesus in his earthly kingdom. This poor man just asks to be remembered in a heavenly kingdom. One that he has never seen. If we are to be remembered at all. We should want to be remembered in heaven where things are eternal, not on earth where all things pass away. When the Jews and the disciples were thinking of a kingdom on earth without the Romans, here is this scoundrel, a low down robber, with an understanding that the Lord's own disciples did not have, that his “kingdom is not of this world . . .” (Jn. 18:36)
This thief, this repulsive highway man, this brigand seems to be the one and only man in all the scriptures that understood the Lord's kingdom before the resurrection. What. Great. Faith!
People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. God knows there are great people of faith even in the most unlikely places. (That usually seems to be the case) What a sorry and pathetic company Jesus chose for himself; an extorter, a bunch of fishermen, a prostitute, a rebel, and a traitor. He didn't associate with the ultra-religious Pharisees, or the professorial chief priests, or the philosophical Sadducees. No. He was a friend of publicans and sinners. And what better friend could any sinner have, than to have a friend in Jesus!? If he could promise paradise to such a wicked and cruel criminal, then Praise God! I know that there is hope for me! There is hope for you! There is waiting in paradise many mansions and plenty of room for anyone who would believe.
Jesus tells this man that he will see him in paradise. In the original Greek paradise means garden. It is a garden of pleasure, the paradise of God. Alluding to the garden of Eden, that paradise where our innocence was lost. But it is more glorious because it is a heavenly paradise and not an earthly one.
As great as his faith was, How much greater then was the grace of Jesus Christ?
Ill. During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world were discussing whether any one belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began to eliminate possibilities. Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods appearing in human for. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from the death. The debate went on for some time, until C.S. Lewis wandered into the room. “What's the rumpus about?” he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity's unique contribution among world religions. In his forthright manner, lewis responded, “Oh, that's easy. It's grace.”
Jesus grants this thief such grace that He promises to give him more than he asks for. He told his disciples to 'ask and you shall receive' but considering the incredible humility of a dying thief Jesus not only remembered him, but promises to see him again, and see him soon! Not on a beastly cross but in a beautiful heaven. Of all the men, Jesus would see in Heaven that day; picture it, there is Abraham, Moses, here comes Isaiah, Job, and Joseph, congratulating his victory and then there He is. . . slowly walking through the gleaming white gate, that old scoundrel. The one time sinner crucified is now a redeemed sinner glorified!
Transition: Jesus has one last thing to say from the cross in our gospel this morning and in it we find life.
We find Life at the Cross
“..Father, into your hands I commit my spirit..” -Luke 23:46
After He said these words He breathed his last breath. Jesus prays his last prayer. How great it is when our last words are the words of prayer! Like the thief praying to Jesus, we now see Jesus praying to the Father. And what did He say? He said what king David said in Psalm 31:5. into your hands I commit my spirit. Although David was speaking about escaping his enemies, he trusted God with his spirit. Jesus commits his spirit to God and leaves the greatest legacy ever. As Jesus surrendered to the Father, we must surrender to the Son. Because He is the only way to the father (Jn.14:6)
Ill. Bruce Larson tells how he helped people struggling to surrender their lives to Christ:
For many years I worked in New York City and counseled at my office any number of people who were wrestling with this yes-or-no decision. Often I would suggest they walk with me from my office down to the RCA Building on Fifth Avenue. In the entrance of that building is a gigantic statue of Atlas, a beautifully proportioned man who, with all his muscles straining, is holding the world upon his shoulders. There he is, the most powerfully built man in the world, and he can barely stand up under this burden. 'Now that's one way to live,' I would point out to my companion, 'trying to carry the world on your shoulders. But now come across the street with me.'
On the other side of fifth avenue is Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and there behind the high alter is a little shrine of the boy Jesus, perhaps eight or nine years old, and with no effort he is holding the world in one hand. My point was illustrated graphically.
“We have a choice. We can carry the world on our shoulders, or we can say, 'I give up, Lord here's my life. I give you my world, the whole world.” (sermonillustrations.com - Bruce Larson, Believe and Belong)
Have you put your life, more importantly, your life beyond this life, in God's hands? Once our work is finished here on earth, there is nothing left to do other than to give it to God. While there is life there is still hope of heaven. The door to heaven is open – take advantage of it. But I offer a warning from Matthew Henry who says 'While it's never too late for true repentance, late repentance is seldom true'. If the Lord isn't worth following today – why is he worth following tomorrow or the next day. Don't be deceived. Many people make the mistake of thinking they can live in sin, and die in Christ and go to heaven. In this area, it isn't wise to tempt God. But if you or anyone is sincere, the Lord has, does, and always will save you no matter where you're at or what you're doing.
Jesus gave his spirit up. This wasn't a last ditch effort to save his soul, like some people hope to do on their deathbed. No. This is knowing a loving father and trusting Him with a spirit that is ready to be welcomed home after a work well done. The harder our labor, the more enjoyable our rest. The more toilsome the task the more beautiful our home, the more painful our ministry the more sweet our reward. Think about how comfortable those bed sheets are after working a double shift and knowing that you don't have to work the next day?
After the most painful and grueling work of saving us, Jesus surrenders all. He forfeits his spirit to God knowing that “It is finished.”
Conclusion: For the disciples, it must have been the most devastating moment of their lives – not only did they lose their friend, their teacher, their Lord – They lost their hope - “He told us he was the messiah?” “We thought He would overcome the Roman government” “Now He is dead!?” But didn't Jesus tell them He had to be executed and come back? Yes. In Mark 9:31 we read “the son of man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him and after three days he will rise.” But we read in the next verse that the disciples didn't get it. “But they did not understand what he meant and was afraid to ask him.” -Mark 9:32
to hear a master teacher, a great prophet, a well respected Rabbi and as Peter said the Messiah say He would come back to life after being dead? Surely this was another metaphor like being “born again.” Surely this was like one of those other parables we heard.”
We then read in the next chapter that the women took spices they had prepared and when they approached the tomb the stone enclosing the tomb was rolled away but they didn't find the body. In stead they saw two angels who then said “why do you look for the living among the dead” And then most glorious words in scripture “He is not here; He has risen!” -Luke 24:6
He is the way, the truth, and the life. We read in Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God rose him from the dead, you will be saved! If you want a new life, new hope, new peace, new joy believe in Jesus and pray that he comes into your life today! Happy Resurrection day!
