SEVEN WORDS

Howdy-do y'all. QUESTION: What were the last 7 things that you have said? We speak thousands of words a day...some important...some prolific...some downright stupid. If you are like me...my mouth starts working before my brain kicks in... and I say some pretty inane comments. Art Linkletter use to have a show called KIDS SAY THE DARNEDEST THINGS. It was Art interviewing kids...and they just honestly say whats on their minds...with some pretty funny insights.

This first picture is one of the first Christian rock and roll albums that I ever purchased. I found it back int he 70's at a Christian Bookstore/Coffeehouse in Nashville called KOINONIA. It is by a guy named RANDY MATTHEWS. He is one of the pioneers of Christian rock and roll. He hails from Cincinnati and his father was one of the original Jordanairres that was the backup singers for Elvis Presley. His album called SON OF DUST...had a song on it called DIDN'T HE. To this day...the song sends chills up and down my spine...as Randy strikes his guitar with a closed fist and utter the words..."And the hammer fell (thud)...on the wooden nail (thud)...through His flesh into the tree...and they laughed at Him...as He died for them..." Throughout the song...under the radar...you can hear the softly whispered last words of Jesus. They are called the SEVEN WORDS FROM THE CROSS. They were actually more than words...more like seven statements.

You always hear of peoples LAST WORDS...thinking that as they take their dying breath...that they want to express last wishes, last regrets, last instructions. In the movie Citizen Kane...the classic Orson Wells movie...the last word was ROSEBUD...the name of a toy sled.

Jesus' last words were recorded throughout the gospel in Luke 23:34;John 19:26,27; Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; John 19:28; John 19:30; Luke 23:46

Let's listen in on this Holy Conversation...as the Saviour of the world... took on the sins of the world...to be the propitiation (substitute and satisfaction) for the debt that we owed...that we could not pay.

FIRST WORD: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) The rabble was hostile that day. They demanded the release of a criminal (Barabbas)...they demanded death for the sinless man as the beat Him, mocked Him, shamed Him, railroaded Him with trumped up charges...and they did it not knowing what they were doing. Jesus response was..."...forgive them." The Father calls on us to forgive others like Christ forgave us. Next time someone does you wrong...ask yourself it was paramount to what Jesus went through and still forgave.

SECOND WORD: "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43). As He "hung up for our hangups", He was joined on separate crosses by two thieves. One mocked Him...the other cried out for help. Can you imagine...as Jesus was getting ready to embark for Paradise...that the humble criminal...would be right there with Jesus in Paradise? Once again, Jesus in pain, suffering, agony and shame...was forgiving the unforgivable.

THIRD WORD: "Jesus said to his mother, Woman, this is your son. Then He said to the disciple, this is your mother."
(John 19:26,27) Jesus was taking care of business as He made sure His mother would not be left alone in her darkest hour. Tradition states that Jesus place the beloved disciple, John, in charge of the care of Mother Mary.

FOURTH WORD: "And about 3 o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice Eli, Eli, lema sabackthani? which means My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34) Usually we see those nice pictures painted of Jesus hanging on the cross...with cloth strategically draped to cover His private parts...a minimal amount of blood, a calm...cool...collected Saviour that took it like a man, with a stiff upper lip as he was crucified. The reality is...He was naked totally, beaten to a bloody pulp, a crown of thorns with large, sharp, pointed thrones digging into His brow. He had been in the Garden previously agonizing over his moment to the point of sweating blood droplets...but those blood droplets of prayer were minuscule compared to what he was bleeding now. Emotionally...he felt forsaken. Sometimes when I don't feel God around as my world is falling apart...I am aloud to feel a small touch of what Jesus was feeling as He died for me.

FIFTH WORD: "I thirst." (John 19:28) "A jar full of sour wine/vinegar was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and broth it up to His mouth." I don't know about you...but sour wine is really not my thirst quencher of choice. Have you ever been so thirsty...that you grab a bottle of Gatorade...and put the bottle up to your parched lips...and began to drink freely. As you drink you can feel the cooling liquid thirst quencher going over you lips, the tongue, down your throat, into your esophagus and into the stomach. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah....you can almost feel it touching every parched area of your body. Now imagine someone putting vinegar into the Gatorade and drinking freely. NOTE: Some say that the sour wine was used to numb the pain. Whatever it was...Jesus thirsted...and sour wine does not seem like much of a thirst quencher.

SIXTH WORD: "It is finished" (John 19:30) There is a song that really speaks to me..."It is finished...the battle is over, it is finished...there will be no more war...it is finished.. the end of the conflict...it is finished...and JESUS IS LORD.
Jesus has purpose when He left heaven and took on the form of man. That purpose...in obedience to the Father was to be the substitute for man. In John 13:3...we see how Jesus could become a servant of man..."Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hand, and that He had come forth from God, and was GOING BACK TO GOD...rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, girded Himself about. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to WASH THE DISCIPLES FEET, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded." This is a picture of Jesus leaving heaven, serving by dying to self and then returning to the Father. The CROSS was the last piece of the puzzle. Mission accomplished! He completed what was the original plan...and IT WAS FINISHED...COMPLETED... ACCOMPLISHED.

SEVENTH WORD: "Jesus, cried out in a loud voice...Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." (Luke 23:46) The cause and effect of Jesus' declaration..."And having said this, HE BREATHED HIS LAST." (Luke 23:46) Oh, to slip into the arms and presence of the Father. I remember so well... as I was with my Dad...as he was in the throes of death...and he was struggling with every breath to hold on to life. As I write this...the tears are welling up in my eyes with emotion of the moment...as I leaned down to my Dad...and whispered into his ears..."Dad, it's OK to let go...go to Mom...Jesus is waiting." A strange peace came over him, me, the room...and "HE BREATHED HIS LAST"...and his spirit slipped into the hands of the Father.

I know for a fact...that as Jesus was whispering his last SEVEN WORDS...He was pointing us to THE way...into the presence of the Father. The starting point of our entrance into the presence of the Father starts with forgiveness, with assurance that we will be with Him in paradise, with taking care of business in this world, with as sense of being forsaken, with a thirst for Him, and at some point we will be finished with our journey (this world is not my home...I'm just passing through)...and finally we can commend our spirits into the hands of the Father. Allstate Insurance ain't got nothing on my Father's hands.

Love and Spoken Kisses
Rod "Didn't He Die...and Doesn't He Live For You And Me" Boyd