The Seven Words

The Seven Words

Introduction

We have been making our way through Matthew’s Gospel, following the life of Jesus from his birth, baptism, ministry, and parables. Last week we studied the last of his teachings before the events began to quickly lead him to Calvary. In a flurry of activity we read about the Passover meal, the prayer in Gethsemane, the betrayal of Judas, and the trials. Today our service is meant to focus attention on the moment planned before the creation of the world. The crucifixion of Jesus. Let us see it, hear the sounds, remember the sayings of Jesus as presented by the Gospel writers. Seven words Jesus said from the cross. We will begin by tracing the final steps to Calvary.

Reading: Matthew 27:27-35

Song: O Sacred Head

Prayer

The First Three Words: Others Around The Cross

1. A Word For His Enemies

Luke 23:34 LSB “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.”

In this most painful hour, Jesus does not pray for himself. He did not pray for his loved ones, nor for his friends. He prayed for his enemies.

Who was he praying for? The soldiers who were crucifying him? The teachers who hated him, the priests who bought him with silver, the traitor who sold him to them, the crowd who had cried "crucify him" at the farce of his trial, and in the distance was Pilate in his palace trying to salve his conscience by blaming somebody else for what was happening. (Bourgaize)

Lutzer says, “The Greek text implies that He kept repeating the words ‘Father, forgiven them…’”

"They know not what they do." He was not affirming their ignorance. Each one of them knew they were doing wrong. “Pilate, washing his soiled hands … Judas, who hurried away to empty his soiled hands of the thirty pieces of silver … Annas, who had spun his web in the dark, knew that out of greed and envy he had helped to hound a good man to his death.” (Chappell)

They did not and could not realize just how great was their guilt.

F. B. Meyer says that "in uttering this first cry from the Cross, our Lord entered that work of intercession which he ever lives to continue on our behalf. He thinks, not of himself, but of others; he is occupied, not with his own pain, but with their sins. He makes no threat but instead offers a tender prayer of pleading intercession." (via Bourgaize)

Clarence Cranford (via Lutzer): “By this prayer from the cross Jesus was building a bridge of forgiveness over which his tormenters could come in penitence to the Father.”

2. An Answer to Prayer

Luke 23:43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

The thief had made a request of the King: Luke 23:42 “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”

This was a prayer of faith. Clovis Chappell wrote, "I think a more daring faith is hardly to be found in the Bible or out of it….he was convinced that to have a place in his heart, to be remembered by him, was the very best that could be his, either in time or in eternity. Thus he asked for no throne, no seat among the mighty, only to be remembered.”

Jesus gave assurance here…

-Asurance that life goes on.

-Assurance of an abiding fellowship with himself.

-Assurance of a heavenly home. he called the place of meeting paradise.

-Assurance of the immediacy of our heavenly home.

-Assurance that those who turn to him are saved instantly.

There were two thieves there that day - but only one turned to Jesus.

It is thought that Jesus died before the two thieves. Spurgeon (via Lutzer) observed, “This man who was our Lord’s last companion on earth was His first companion at the gates of paradise.”

3. A Word for the Two He Loved Most

John 19:25-27 …Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his home.

William Barclay (via Lutzer): There is something infinitely moving in the fact that Jesus in the agony of the cross, in the moment when the salvation of the world hung in the balance, though of the loneliness of his mother in the days when he was taken away.”

“...In providing for Mary, Jesus was simply doing the duty that was closest to him. Even the burden of a world’s redemption could not obscure for him his loving obligation to his bereaved and widowed mother.” (Chappell)