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Gleanings From The Word

Category: The cross, crucifixion, passion

  • Seven Sayings of Christ on the Cross

    Part 1 of a devotional series

    Crucifixion by Rembrant - classic Chrsitian art

    Today’s classic Christian art piece is Rembrandt’s depiction of the crucifixion. Today, we begin looking at the so-called “Seven Sayings on the Cross,” or, as it is sometimes called, the “Seven Words of Jesus on the Cross.”

    Seven words, or sayings, were recorded as being said by Jesus while on the cross. Each of them is profound, although we typically skip over them. They have occupied the minds of many theologians and pastors, and numerous books have been written on them.

    There have been more deaths than could be counted since the fall from grace in the Garden of Eden, but there has only been one like this. Jesus’ death is unique. Hundreds of thousands (or more) of people died by crucifixion, but Jesus’ death stands alone. Untold people have been innocent of the crimes they were killed for, but only Jesus was sinless and totally innocent.

    Mankind and the powers of darkness did their worst to keep the light from shining because they love the dark. The very act they used for the vilest of purposes was orchestrated by God to work the opposite. They chose to silence Jesus. His death glorifies God and proclaims the saving truth of the gospel for all who seek the light.

    In their mocking, Jew and Gentile alike called him “King of the Jews,” all the while missing that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was in their presence.

    Jesus was raised from the dead, but the Scriptures also record that truth for others. The difference is that Jesus did not stay dead.

    Indeed, humankind’s wisdom and ways are not God’s wisdom and ways. A peasant boy, born in a subjugated country not much more than a tiny Roman colony, was killed horrifically… not the way the world would script the origins of the Savior of the world.

    Every word spoken by Jesus, as recorded by the gospel writers, is packed full of meaning. A mere handful of phrases spoken in a time of unbelievable agony, with each and every word spoken for a purpose and with power.

    Jesus had the power to lay down His life or pick it up; the full power of the Godhead was available to Him. He could have spoken nonstop or not spoken at all. The fact that He is sovereign over all things, including his pain-filled utterances, should cause us to pay close attention to the words He chose to speak. 

    Church history has typically named the sayings (albeit with some variance) as follows…

    The Word of Forgiveness 

    And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Luke 23:34a ESV

    The Word of Salvation 

    … he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:42-43 ESV

    The Word of Affection

    … standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” John 19:25-26 ESV

    The Word of Anguish  

    And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 ESV

    The Word of Suffering

    After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” John 19:28 ESV

    The Word of Victory 

    When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.  John 19:30 ESV

    The Word of Contentment

    Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Luke 23:46 ESV

    These sayings are a few short sentences, not many words at all, even less in the original Greek manuscripts. Still, they are profound and worth meditating on. Each one tells us something about the very heart of God.

    Tomorrow, we will begin with the words of forgiveness.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    We are walking through the setting for the Seven Sayings, seven brief but weighty statements Jesus spoke from the cross. Though only a handful of words, each one reveals something of the heart of God and deserves our full attention.

    TAKEAWAY

    Jesus’ death is utterly unique in history, He was the only truly innocent, sinless man to die this way

    What men and the powers of darkness meant for evil, God orchestrated for good, using the cross to glorify Himself and reveal the gospel

    Jesus was sovereign over His own suffering, so the words He chose to speak while dying carry deliberate weight and purpose

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  • Seven Sayings of Christ on the Cross

    Introduction to a devotional series

    "Crucifixion" by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Italian painter (1696–1770)

    A devotional series

    There is a topic I was introduced to early in my Christian walk that I have returned to meditating on again and again … I think I even did a series on it back in the early days of Gleanings, although it has long since disappeared after the backup hard drive was lost. That topic is “The Seven Sayings of Christ on the Cross”.

    There are seven words, or sayings, that were recorded as being said by Jesus while on the cross. Each of them is profound, although we typically skip over them. They have occupied the mind of many a theologian and pastor, and numerous books have been written on them.

    I don’t think we will reach book length, but we will take the time to examine them in some detail.  Each part will be illustrated by a classic art piece on the crucifixion. Today we have “Crucifixion” by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Italian painter (1696–1770)

    Some things to consider about Jesus’ death before we dig in. 

    Jesus was a man, and His death was fully natural.  He died a physical human death, albeit a painful one. He was whipped, beaten, tortured and nailed to a cross. He most likely died of suffocation.

    And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8 ESV

    Jesus’ death was totally unnatural. He was holy and sinless. Death had no hold on Him.

    He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 1 Peter 2:22 ESV

    His death was prophesied. While God knows the hour and means of the death of everyone, Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection were made known long before He ever took on flesh.

    …they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Isaiah 53:9 ESV

    His death was completely supernatural. It was different from any other death, just as His birth was different from any other birth. No one could have taken His life; He chose to lay it down.

    For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.  John 10:17-18 ESV

    His death was accompanied by supernatural phenomena. Darkness covered the land for hours, and an earthquake rocked Jerusalem. The dead were seen risen from their graves. The temple veil was torn in two from the top. As we will see, some of his final words were spoken in specific fulfillment of prophecy.

    The Romans crucified many people, not just Jesus and the two beside Him. No one knows the exact number, but it certainly easily runs into the hundreds of thousands or perhaps even more than a million. In 71 BC, the Romans crucified more than 11,000 slaves after a single rebellion.  

    After the fall of Jerusalem, there is no record of the numbers, but estimates put the number of dead between 600,000 and 1,000,000. Not all were killed by crucifixion, of course, but the roadway was lined with crosses for miles. Josephus, the historian, records 500 people a day being captured and crucified, so many that they ran out of wood for the crosses and places to put them.

    However, many died by crucifixion (and it was practiced by many people groups, not just the Romans); none were accompanied by the supernatural signs that followed Jesus’ death. Certainly, none were followed by the resurrection of the victim

    Our Lord endured the shame of the cross to set us free. In one way, His death was just one amongst perhaps millions on the cross over the ages. Yet it was unique in that the spotless, sin free lamb of God willingly endured it to pay for my sin and yours. He knew it was coming, and the world had been prepared in advance.

    Tomorrow we will begin to look at what He said.

    Until then, rejoice in the Lamb who was slain, the one the grave could not hold.

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    I introduce a new series on the Seven Sayings of Christ on the Cross, but before we dig into the words themselves, I pause to consider what made His death unlike any other. Though crucifixion claimed countless lives throughout history, only His death was accompanied by prophecy, supernatural signs, and resurrection.

    TAKEAWAY

    Jesus’ death was fully human and physically brutal, yet also fully unique — sinless, prophesied, and given up rather than taken from Him.

    Supernatural signs accompanied His crucifixion (darkness, an earthquake, the torn veil, and the dead rising) that never accompanied any other death by crucifixion, however many there were

    .

    This post sets up a coming series examining each of the seven sayings Jesus spoke from the cross.

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