Welcome- Christ is risen.  We can face the future with the assurance that Jesus is alive to guide us, to help us, and to give us hope for tomorrow. 

All of this is made possible because Jesus, the History maker, the One Who is even known by the enemy became a suffering servant. 

We are here today to celebrate this event of GREAT PASSION, an event that put eternity into time.

Dying words are always important.  They are usually remembered before the person speaking the words are remembered.  Everyone is interested in last statements and tonight we are going to examine the last seven statements of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Statements which reveal His Perfection, seven of them, the number of Divine Perfection. 

The 1^st three looked to others, the last four looked to Jesus

As an introduction:

On His way to die Jesus did the unpredictable and surprising.  He told the professional mourners to weep for themselves. He astounded one of the thieves on the cross as well as His Roman executioners and Simon of Cyrene was introduced to salvation through the process of carrying His Cross.  In the end, one of the Roman soldiers acknowledged that He was the Son of God.

Entry:

It is now 9 in the morning, Jesus has been nailed to the Cross and it is painful for Him to speak and even more painful for Him to breathe
Luke 23:34
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. (KJV)

Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.  This is the Perfect Prayer, it was addressed to God the Father for our forgiveness and for our salvation blessing.

This prayer was so effective that it changed one of the thieves almost immediately.  They had both mocked Jesus, but one repented and asked for grace.  One was non-repentant and the other repented.
Luke 23:39-44  39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. 44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. (KJV)

 This message was a message for eternal life and for hope for all mankind.  Jesus had been placed between the two thieves which according to the culture at that time meant that He was the worst of the criminals.

I have a question for you, Which thief are you? 

While Jesus, the suffering Servant was nailed on the Cross, He was not only acting as the High Priest interceding for the thief on the Cross and for us but He was also seeking provision for those that were His.
John 19:26-27
26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. (KJV)
 Matt 12:48-50      But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!          For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. 

It is now noon, Jesus as the Suffering Servant has been on the Cross for 3 hours and a great darkness has covered the earth.  What is interesting about this darkness is that the Passover occurs on the new moon and a full moon, so there was no reason for it to be dark.  Fear came over the land and Jesus cried, “ Eloi, Eloi, lam sabathani, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?”    Refer to Psalm 22:

Matt 27:45-46 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (KJV)
The fullness of The GodHead had been in Christ but now the time for judgment had come.  Holy God could not dwell with S I N.  All of the sin from everyone ever born or would ever be born was cast on Jesus during this time.  The sky became dark, light was removed and darkness was in control.  The Suffering Servant has now become the Passover Lamb.  Like the Passover Lamb, He had been received days earlier and examined for faults, none were found so He was qualified.  He Who knew no sin was now made sin for us so that we could receive His righteousness.

Think about the pain, most of us are uncomfortable when we leave the pleasures of our homes.  God the Son had left Heaven, a Glorious place to take on the form of dirt, but yet, He endured this for the joy that was set before Him.

In the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of His betrayal, he endured a terrible and emotional ordeal, praying and learning obedience through His suffering.  For the first time in His earthly life, He appealed to others for help. He asked them to watch for Him and pray for Him.  This ordeal was so terrible that an angel was sent to minister to Him.  And yet on the Cross, He was delivered up, and not delivered from.  He was ministered to by angels in the wilderness after the temptations by the devil and yet here during the darkest hour, He was left alone, to suffer alone while being mocked by those He was saving.  The Jews were asking why Elijah had not come to save Him, why He didn’t save Himself.  They said that if He came down from the Cross they would believe Him.  To their intent, the Jews broke their own laws, they were supposed to have been in the temple doing devotion because this was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread during the cross.  They did not understand that His purpose was to save us and not Himself.

Although greatly weakened, Jesus did not complain, (sort of reminds me of how we don’t complain, RIGHT?)

It was very dark..

The GodHead had to leave so that He could be judged as SIN and pay the penalty of DEATH.

HOWEVER, THE DARKNESS BROUGHT US INTO LIGHT!  While on the Cross, for us He accomplished:

†      Reconciliation

†      Redemption

†      Justification

†      Propitiation

†      Rendered satan powerless

†      Inaugurated the new covenant

†      Sanctification

 His death showed the magnitude of His love for us.  The beauty of Heaven can be seen by His suffering. 
John 19:28  After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. (KJV)

The debt has been paid and now Jesus is thirsty. 

His thirst magnified His suffering

 Now He is declaring His victory,
John 19:30  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (KJV)
The phrase "it is finished" comes from the Greek word "teleo".  First we should note that the promise to the malefactor on the Cross was before the darkness, so even he was included in the curse and judgment on the Cross.  Teleo comes from teleiotes, the short explanation is fulfilled, the longer version means that the works Christ left Heaven and came to earth to accomplish have been accomplished and the saving consequences will carry to eternity.

Luke 23:46-47 46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. (KJV)

Triumph is declared 

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