SEVEN
SAYINGS FROM THE CROSS
A THEOLOGY OF FORGIVENESS
"FATHER,
FORGIVE THEM…"
(LUKE
23:34)
INTRODUCTION:
1.
When someone dies, a frequent
question that people have is: “Did he or she say anything at the end?” We want to know what the last words
were. We are hopeful that there will be
a final acknowledgment that they understood how much we loved them. We look for some word of insight, a wise
truth, a word of hope.
2.
Shakespeare once wrote in his
play Richard II…The tongues of dying men--Enforce attention like deep
harmony--Where words are scarce--They are seldom spent in vain--For they
breathe truth--That breathe their words in pain.
3.
When Jesus was dying on the
cross, He gave seven important statements (commonly referred to as "The
Seven Sayings From The Cross").
These statements…the last of a dying man…enable us to see into the very
core…the very heart of Jesus. His final
words from the cross will provide us some important theological principles and
practical spiritual lessons. Over the
next few weeks, we are going to look at these last words of Jesus.
THIS MORNING,
WE WILL BEGIN STUDYING JESUS' SEVEN SAYINGS FROM THE CROSS.
I. THE
FIRST SAYING FROM THE CROSS IS FOUND IN (LUKE 23:34).
“Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
A.
TO HELP US BETTER APPRECIATE THESE WORDS
FROM JESUS, WE MUST LOOK AT SOME PRIOR EVENTS THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE.
1.
Remember,
before Jesus was nailed to the cross, we read that He experienced many terrible
things. He was flogged. This was usually done with a whip that had
bits of bone or metal embedded into it.
The effect was to tear up the back of the person.
2.
Following
the whipping, we are told that the soldiers mocked and beat Jesus. They dressed Him up as a king with a crown
of thorns on His head. Then they beat
Him and spit on Him. They hurled
insults at Him. What I want us to see
is that Jesus was physically abused by His enemy.
3.
Not
only was Jesus physically abused, He was humiliated as well.
4.
As
you may recall, the soldiers made Jesus carry His own cross to the place of
execution. This process was designed to humiliate. Jesus was being showcased to the people as a vile criminal.
5.
If
that was not enough, Jesus was executed publically. People stood around and
waited for Him to die. Every gasp, every twitch from pain, every moment of
struggle was watched by the crowd. He couldn't even talk privately with His
family and friends!
6.
But
there was yet one final insult. Even as He was hanging on the cross the guards
were gambling to see who got to keep His clothes. This was worse than a family
fighting about the will before someone has died. It's like watching all your
possessions sold before your very eyes. His dignity was gone. Jesus was humiliated.
B.
THE RESPONSE OF JESUS.
1.
After
being betrayed, falsely convicted, beaten, spat upon, and unjustly nailed to a
cross to die an agonizing death, the Son of God harbored no hatred for His
tormentors but instead we read that He offered them forgiveness…His first words
from the cross were “Father,
forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
2.
Jesus
asked His father to forgive the very ones who abused, rejected, and humiliated
Him. These words from Jesus show us the
compassionate heart of our Savior.
3.
Jesus’
words were not just spoken for the crowds that were watching Him die. They were also spoken for us to hear
today.
C.
HERE ARE SOME LESSONS THAT WE CAN LEARN
FROM JESUS' FIRST SAYING FROM THE CROSS.
(1) FIRST, WE CAN LEARN THAT FORGIVENESS REACHES
OUT TO THE UNDESERVING.
1.
The
people who had beat Jesus, mocked Him, and nailed Him to the cross did not
deserve forgiveness. But Jesus through
His kindness offered it to them. The
point is that forgiveness reaches out to the undeserving.
ILLUSTRATION:
Chris
Carrier of Coral Gables, Florida, was abducted when he was 10 years old. His
kidnapper, angry with the boy's family, burned him with cigarettes, stabbed him
numerous times with an ice pick, then shot him in the head and left him to die
in the Everglades. Remarkably, the boy survived, though he lost sight in one
eye. No one was ever arrested.
Recently, a
man confessed to the crime. Carrier, now a youth minister, went to see him.
He found
David McAllister, a 77-year-old ex-convict, frail and blind, living in a North Miami
Beach nursing home. Carrier began visiting often, reading to McAllister from
the Bible and praying with him. His ministry opened the door for McAllister to
make a profession of faith.
No arrest is
forthcoming; after twenty-two years, the statute of limitations on the crime is
long past. In Christian Reader (Jan/Feb 98), Carrier says, "While many
people can't understand how I could forgive David McAllister, from my point of
view I couldn't not forgive him. If I'd chosen to hate him all these years, or
spent my life looking for revenge, then I wouldn't be the man I am today, the
man my wife and children love, the man God has helped me to be."
2.
David
McAllister didn’t deserve forgiveness.
He beat and tortured a little, precious child. However, Chris Carrier had the Christ like heart to forgive him.
3.
Brethren,
we must likewise forgive people who don’t deserve it.
4.
We
are to forgive others just as God forgives us.
(Mark
11:25) "And when you stand
praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father
in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
(Ephesians
4:31-32) “Get rid of all bitterness,
rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving
each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
5.
Right
now in your life, are you harboring any bitterness and anger against someone
who did you wrong? Do you wake up in
the morning with hatred in your heart towards someone? If you do, this morning is the perfect time
to let go of your bitterness & anger and forgive the person who has treated
you badly.
6.
But
you may want to say, “But Keith, they don’t deserve to be forgiven.” But I say, “Did the people who put Jesus to
death deserve to be forgiven? No. “Do we deserve to be forgiven by God when we
sin against Him? No. But yet God still forgives us. We must forgive because God forgives us.
ILLUSTRATION:
Leonardo da
Vinci painted the fresco "The Last Supper" in a church in Milan. Two
very interesting stories are associated with this painting.
At the time
that Leonardo da Vinci painted "The Last Supper," he had an enemy who
was a fellow painter. da Vinci had had a bitter argument with this man and
despised him. When da Vinci painted the face of Judas Iscariot at the table
with Jesus, he used the face of his enemy so that it would be present for ages
as the man who betrayed Jesus. He took delight while painting this picture in
knowing that others would actually notice the face of his enemy on Judas.
As he worked
on the faces of the other disciples, he often tried to paint the face of Jesus,
but couldn't make any progress. da Vinci felt frustrated and confused. In time
he realized what was wrong. His hatred for the other painter was holding him back
from finishing the face of Jesus. Only after making peace with his fellow
painter and repainting the face of Judas was he able to paint the face of Jesus
and complete his masterpiece.
One of the
reasons we may have a hard time accepting the forgiveness of God is that we
find it hard to forgive others. That's why Jesus said, "If you forgive men when they sin
against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you" (Matt. 6:14,15). If you want your relationship with
Jesus to be all that it should be, forgive your enemies and do all you can to
demonstrate Christ's love to them.
7.
Brethren,
I realize that at times, it is hard to forgive…but we must. We must forgive so that we can get on with
our lives. At this moment, if you need to
forgive someone, do what Jesus did, pray…"Father, forgive them…"
(2) SECOND, WE CAN LEARN THAT FORGIVENESS
ULTIMATELY COMES FROM GOD THE FATHER.
1.
Although
Jesus could have easily forgiven these men Himself, why did He ask His Heavenly
Father to forgive them?
2.
The
answer is…Jesus wants us to understand that forgiveness ultimately comes from
the Father. An offense against the Son
was an offense against the Father. A
sin against any other person was – and is – a sin against God; like the
prodigal son said to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son”
(Luke 15:21).
3.
When
we sin against others, we are also sinning against God. When we sin against another person, not only
should we ask that person for forgiveness, but we should also ask God for His
forgiveness. Why? Forgiveness ultimately comes from God the
Father.
CONCLUSION:
1.
This morning, we have looked at the first
saying from the cross… “Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
2.
These
words are inspiring and they teach us several wonderful lessons.
a.
Forgiveness
reaches out to the undeserving.
b.
Forgiveness
ultimately comes from the Father.
3.
I hope and pray that the words of the Lord
have touched your heart. At this time,
if you would like to respond to the Lord’s invitation…receive God’s wonderful
forgiveness…please come now as we stand and sing.
Primary Resources Used To
Develop This Lesson:
Seven
Sayings One Friday By Kenn Filkins
The Compelling Power Of The Cross By Dr. John Hobbs
Sermon By Dr. James McCullen