The Seven Phrases of Jesus on the Cross

First: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke 23:33-34)

THE GREATEST ROADBLOCK TO A JOYFUL LIFE IS THE LACK OF FORGIVENESS IN OUR HEARTS.

Second: "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:39-43)

A PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS AND SALVATION TO THOSE WHO REPENT

Third: "Jesus said to his mother: 'Woman, this is your son'. Then he said to the disciple: 'This is your mother.'  (John 19:26-27)
 

 

I BELIEVE THAT AT THIS POINT JESUS CEASED TO BECOME MARY'S SON TO BECOME MARY'S SAVIOR. FURTHERMORE, JESUS SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE CHILDREN TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR PARENTS. 

 
 
Fourth: "Elo-i, elo-i, lama sabach-thani?" which means, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)
 
 

 

JESUS PHYSICAL SUFFERING WAS CERTAINLY HORRIBLE, HOWEVER, THE SPIRITUAL SUFFERING WAS EVEN MORE. JESUS EXPERIENCED HELL ON THE CROSS BECAUSE GOD TURNED HIS BACK ON HIM WHEN ALL THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE WERE PILED UP AT HIS BACK. HE EXPERIENCED SEPARATION AND REJECTION FOR OUR SAKE.

 
Fifth: "I thirst." (John 19:28)
 

JESUS WAS NOT PHYSICALLY THIRSTY. HE WAS LONGING FOR THE FELLOWSHIP OF GOD, AND THE LOVE OF THE PEOPLE HE DIED FOR.

Sixth: It is finished." (John 19:29-30)
 

 

WHAT IS FINISHED?

 

ALL THE LAW IS FULFILLED

(Matthew 5:17)

 

THE SACRIFICE OF SIN IS COMPLETE

(Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 10:4; Hebrews 9:28)

 

THE DEFEAT OF SATAN IS FINISHED

(Luke 10:18-19)

 

THE SALVATION PLAN IS FINISHED

(John 3:16; Romans 8:1)

 

HENCE, THE SALVATION WE RECEIVED WHEN WE BELIEVED AND ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD IS COMPLETE!

 
 
Seventh: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46)
 

 

The last words of Christ describes what kind of relationship and attitude we have with God... for

 

FATHER signifies INTIMACY

 

     INTO THY HANDS signifies FAITH

 

          I signifies WILLINGNESS

 

          COMMEND signifies SURRENDER

 

MY SPIRIT signifies EVERYTHING I AM

Jesus Makes Sin Forgivable......... For Everyone

In the Old Testament, when a person sinned, he was required to take the best lamb he could find, one without any spots or blemishes, to the priest at the temple. There, in front of the priest, the sinner would grasp the lamp with both hands and confess his sins. His guilt was transferred to the lamb as though it had traveled through his arms and hands to the terrified little creature. The priest would then hand the sinner a knife, and the sinner would kill the lamb so that it was obvious the lamb had died as a result of the sinner's action. Then the priest would take the blood of the lamb and sprinkle it on the altar to make atonement for the man's sins.

Throughout the years, fountains of blood and rivers of blood and oceans of blood flowed from the temple altar as God's children sought His forgiveness for their sins. Yet when they walk away from such a sacrifice, their hearts must have remained heavy as the burden of guilt clung like river slime to their souls. The writer to the Hebrews put it bluntly: "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats (and lambs) to take away sins." So why the sacrificial slaughter?

The entire bloody ritual was like an IOU note that bought the sinner temporary atonement until a perfect sacrifice would come and pay it off. And the perfect Sacrifice did come. John the Baptist pointed and identified Jesus Himself as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." He would be the perfect lamb who would pay off all those IOU notes with the sacrifice of Himself.

The pervasive misconception today is that since Jesus died as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, then we are all automatically forgiven. But we overlook the vital truth that we must grasp the Lamb with our hands of faith and confess our sins. We then must acknowledge that He was slain for our sins as surely as if we had  plunged the knife into His heart. At that moment , the Lamb becomes our High Priest and offers His own blood on the altar of the Cross on our behalf. And, wonder of wonders, God accepts the sacrifice and we are forgiven! Our guilt is atoned for! We are made right in God's sight! Jesus, the Lamb of God, makes sin forgivable for everyone.

(Note: Just Give Me Jesus by Anne Graham Lotz)

Several Ways to Make Yourself Miserable

1. Count your troubles, name them one by one.
2. Worry every day about something.
3. Pity yourself.
4. Devise clever but decent ways to serve God and mammon. After all, a man's gotta live.
5. Make it your business to find out what your neighbors or friends are buying this year and where they're going. Try to do them at one better even if you have to take out another loan to do it.
6. Stay away from absolutes. It's what right for you that matters. Be your own person and don't allow yourself to get hung up on what others expect of you.
7. Make sure you get your rights. Never mind other people. You have your life to live, they have theirs.
8. Don't fall into compassion traps - the sort of situation where people can walk all over you. If you get involved in other people's troubles, you may neglect your own.
9. Don't let Bible reading and prayer get in the way of what's really relevant - things like TV and newspaper. Invisible things are eternal. You want to stick with the visible ones - they're where it's at now.