Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church Podcast.
If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you.
Thank you for joining us today.
Let's pray. Father God, your Son went through
this day that we celebrate great victory over our sins. Our God, we couldn't have Sunday. We couldn't
have the resurrection without this day. And as we fathom the gravity of the sins of the world on your
Son, Lord, for all humanity in one day, Lord. And so we contemplate what you've done
for us, Lord. And maybe we never forget it, that you became our sins on the cross.
That you paid for our sins, Lord, on this day that we remember what you've done, Lord. And
thank you so much for it. And Lord, we just, in a sense, surrender again, Lord, that our old life
is dead with you on the cross. So, Lord, we ask you to speak to us today in your word,
especially with your spirit, that we would be connected, Lord, to what you've done for us
as we celebrate your word and your statements on the cross, Lord God, and look forward to
our old creation, our old past is dead and it's behind us. And so we thank you
in Jesus' name, amen. It's such an illogical thing. We know what Sunday brings,
the resurrection. Why the heavy heart? I can't explain it. It's got to be the Holy Spirit,
why we would kind of feel the heaviness of what Christ went through for us. It's just
He bore everything, all of our ugliness, all of our sin on the cross. He became our sins
on the cross. And just every good Friday, this just hits me, this wave of just,
really, it's just unfathomable that we have a Savior, a King that would come in
and who could have everything at His disposal and would choose, choose to die for His subjects.
Isn't it just amazing? Yeah, so Father God, Lord, just help me. I don't want to be at
any emotional mush up here. And I know you have some important things to say. And so, Lord,
we just ask you for decency and an order that you would project and proclaim what your word
wants to say to us today in victory. You know, no longer, you know, victimhood but victory.
Lord, so speak to us today in your word, in your Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name, amen.
Amen. We're going to be turning to Luke chapter 23 and looking at a few verses. But today's message
we're actually going to look at the seven sayings of Jesus, His last words, the seven
sayings of Christ on the cross. And you know, I look back and I know I've done this at
least two other good Fridays. And you know, maybe it's an ounce of pride or something,
but I never like duplicating or redoing things. In fact, these notes always go in the trash after
a sermon because I think the spirit should be always, you know, breathing new new application
into our lives and new life into His word. But you know, I started thinking that
studying these seven statements of Christ wouldn't be too many if we did it every year
because these statements that he says are so reconciling of every man, every woman in the
world. And so we're going to be looking at these and a couple of them, three of them are found
in Luke, but then we're going to do a detour, but everything except for Luke is up on the
PowerPoint. And so we're going to be looking at these seven statements. And you know, I'm sure
he may have said other things, but only what was recorded were these seven sayings, these seven
statements of Christ. So obviously he wanted these in the word. And he obviously wanted us to hear
his last pre-resurrected statement preaching his last speech. He wanted this to be recorded
before he would rise again to new life. And when you think about it, you know, the last words,
I was Googling a lot of things and figured, you know what, so unimportant compared to what
Christ does to say. But when you think if you knew you had some last words, you know, you would make
them important, weren't you? You would be so purposeful and intentional about what you said.
So these seven statements are so important to all of us. And then the fact that they're seven,
and you know the importance of seven, you've studied your Bible for years, seven is a picture
of wholeness, perfection, seven fold of the Holy Spirit. It just means wholeness. And so,
you know, I believe that there's seven for a purpose because he wants us to know that these
seven statements cover it all. So let's dive in into Luke 23 verse 32. But there are also two
others criminals led with him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary,
there they crucified him and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
And then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. So this is the
first statement of forgiveness. You know, he wanted us to know that we are forgiven. He wanted
everyone to know that we're literally the ones who nailed him to the cross, you are forgiven.
He's speaking to his father, Father, forgive them because they don't understand what they're
actually doing here. And that's so significant to all of us because there's only one name we
can call upon and be forgiven. And it's Jesus Christ, right? He forgives sins. And so he wants
us to realize that it all starts there. You know what I've always felt was so significant is when
Christ rose from the dead, okay? And all the apostles are in that room talking, ah, he appeared to,
you know, he appeared to this one and that one. And they're all like, you know,
kibitzan, right? And suddenly Jesus is there with them. And all the doors were locked. So he just like
passed through matter and was there in their midst. And of course they were startled. Whoa! You know,
and do you remember what he said? He said, peace I give to you and I send you just as
my father sent me. And then he gave them that first ministry of forgiveness. We see this in
John 20, 22 and 23. He says, and when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the
sins of any, they are retained. And you know what he was saying? He was saying, I have given you
the Spirit to forgive. You know, without the Holy Spirit, we can't really forgive in the name
of Jesus Christ. And so in a sense, their sins stick to us, you know. But when he gives us the power
to forgive, they're no longer part of our psyche. They're no longer part of how we view ourselves.
They're no longer part. Now that's sometimes it takes years to really cleanse and shred those
old things off of us. But he says he provides forgiveness. And not only that,
but we are ambassadors of that forgiveness to others, aren't we? We carry that, that ministry
of forgiveness. He gave them that instruction, forgive. What's amazing? Do you remember when
in Acts chapter seven, when Stephen was the first martyr for Christ and they had brought him out
and he gave this long speech. And, and they were like, you know, clenching their ears when
he started to rebuke them for killing the redeemer, the savior. And they got so angry and they just
started throwing stones at him. And he's just, can you, you know, and we picture this like pebbles,
these things are boulders. And he, and then we read this in Acts chapter seven, verse 60.
And then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not charge them with this
sin. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. That's the Christian version of dying, falling asleep.
But Stephen knew, you know, this is the perfect opportunity to forgive. Like, what better time
right now to forgive in the name of Jesus Christ? Because this is exactly when he forgave
his persecutors. And so this was something that the Lord wanted all of us to know that,
you know, without forgiveness, we can't be forgiven. Forgiveness is essential
to know that we are forgiven, to believe that we are forgiven. If we don't believe that, then we
carry those sins into every relationship, don't we? We just carry the baggage to the next
environment we're in because we think we're stuck with them. But he says, no, leave that behind.
You are forgiven. That's awesome, isn't it? And then let's read on.
And they divided his garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the
rulers with them sneered saying, he saved others. Let him save himself if he is the
Christ, the chosen of God. Now this casting of lots, of course, so many of these things are
fulfillment of the scriptures of prophecy. And if you read, I'm sure you've read Psalm 22
from David. And so many aspects of that Psalm portray the crucifixion. And here it was spoken
about years and years earlier, over a thousand years before, right, that this would be happening
at the foot of the cross. Here is the Savior on the cross and they're casting lots to see who gets
his clothing. And David wrote, they divided my garments among them. And for my clothing,
they cast lots. David, I can't imagine what he was thinking when he was writing that.
He probably knew something was outside of himself that was causing him to write these words.
We're going to see actually later two other verses in Psalm 22 that really portray this whole picture.
And so here scripture is being fulfilled.
And then verse 36, the soldiers also mocked him, coming and offering him sour wine,
and saying, if you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. And an inscription also was written
over him in letters of Greek, Latin and Hebrew. This is the king of the Jews. And then one of the
criminals who were hanged, blasphemed him, saying, if you are the Christ, save yourself and us.
You know, what's interesting is the other gospels actually say that both of the criminals
were mocking Christ. One on the left, one on the right, they're both mocking Christ.
And yet here we learn that one, one repented, just observing Christ saying, forgive them. I mean,
who would do that? Most criminals were probably hurling all kinds of curses and everything at
everybody who was there. And yet he heard this forgiveness and he looked upon him and he saw
something is different. Something is different about him. He doesn't deserve this. And he repented.
And so we read on verse 40. But the other answered, rebuked him saying, do you not even fear God
seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly for we receive the due
reward of our deeds. But this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said to Jesus, Lord,
remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said his second recorded statement.
He said, surely I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise. And so we see
this second statement is really a promise, a promise of eternal life with Jesus Christ.
He said to him, today you will be with me in paradise. When I think of this word, remember me.
He didn't know this criminal before this incident, right? And yet he said, remember me
when you go into your kingdom, he realized this man has another kingdom and it's not of this world,
right? And he says, remember me. You know, the word remember me, meneami,
to remain abide. And that's the first part. And the second part of the word, it comes from
massamai, which is to chew, consume, eat, and devour. So what's the significance of that?
Remember me, you know, to remain abide and the chewing and consuming. Now, here's a guy
who probably had a very horrific life, probably raised in a lousy family, probably, you know,
abused, whatever. And he was a criminal and he was captured. Maybe he was one of the
zealots trying to take over Jerusalem. But whatever it was, he had a lot of baggage, right?
And he's saying, remember me, you know, the Lord looks past the things we've done in this world
when we give our lives to him. And he sees who he always knew because we are foreknown, right?
We are predestined. Those who come to Christ, he's always known us. He saw our potential before we
started committing those sins. And in a sense, this criminal was saying, don't remember the stuff,
don't remember the sin, don't remember the deeds, but remember me, the one you really know.
Deep down, the one that you craft wonderfully and fearfully made in my mother's womb,
that one, will you remember that one? Will you take me with you, you know?
And that's what the Lord, he doesn't see our things. He's able to release those things
because he knows who you are to him. You're not your sins. You're his beloved.
And as this criminal is saying, remember me, we can see this picture. And,
you know, I mentioned this verse on Sunday and the connection to the criminal, but it was
sort of by accident. And then all of a sudden I'm really starting to think, wow, this actually has
to do with Joel. Because do you remember in Joel, he was writing and he said, you know what?
I will restore the days that the locus have eaten. And we see this to chew, consume, eat, devour.
This is actually in Joel chapter two, verses 25, 26. So I will restore to you the years that the
swarming locus has eaten, the crawling locus, the consuming locus, and the chewing locus,
by my great army in which I sent among you, you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and
praise the name of the Lord your God who has dealt wondrously with you and my people shall never be
put to shame. And I just think, you know, all of us can consider ourselves like the sin that we've
committed. Instead, the Lord looks right through that says, no, no, I see you who I made you to be.
This criminal saying, remember me, not my things, because I can't go with you with those things,
but remember who I am to you. He was dying for that criminal on the cross. He was actually
dying for the other criminal too. But he never received that gift, right? And so this is really,
this is really impactful. You know, when Peter was there watching Christ in the courtyard
being, you know, accused, prosecuted, and all the people just like spitting on them and hitting them.
And then the rooster crowed the second time and Peter remembered. He remembered what Jesus said
in Matthew 26, all four gospels. How would you like to be Peter? All of them wrote. A lot of
times they don't all write about the same thing. They all wrote about that, how Peter suddenly
remembered. I said I was going to, he said I was going to deny him three times. You know,
so here it is. He remembered, but isn't it awesome because the Lord didn't remember,
he remembers, but he chooses not to remember. He redeemed him. He came on the beach,
as you know, in the Sea of Galilee, and he asked him three times, do you love me,
and feed my sheep? In other words, I'm wiping out every one of those denials with an affirmation.
And that's what he does with us, right? And so he chooses to remember our sins no more. I love Hebrews
8, 12, and 10, 17, but this says, for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins,
and their lawless deeds, I will remember no more. You know, why should we keep remembering them
if he's choosing to remember them no more, right? And yet so much self-shame and guilt can continue
in light of what we've done, and we see ourselves that way. That's why James says, don't look at the
mirror. Look at the Jesus, right? The perfect liberty of law. Look at him. He's freedom. If you
look at you, you'll be re-enslaved, right? We don't look at ourselves, we look at him. That's
who we're becoming, right? And so he assures him, you will be with me. And this is beautiful because
he's telling all of us, you will be with me. Now, we won't get into where paradise is. That's a
rabbit trail. So the next thing he says, which isn't captured in Luke, but as he's there, and he
says that to the man he's looking, he sees the only male disciple near the foot of the cross,
which is John. And there's so much significance to that because John, he was the disciple whom
Jesus loved. He knew he was loved. That's what propelled him to stay right with Christ to the
bitter end, right? Because he knew he was loved. Love casts out fear. The rest were trying to
prove themselves to God, and they weren't over here to be found, right? But perfect love casts
out fear. And so he wasn't afraid of what could happen, even though the high priest even knew John.
He wasn't afraid in being identified with Christ, right? And so he was there and he looks down
and he said, who better to take care of mama is my beloved John, the one whom I love. And
when Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by,
he said to his mother, woman, behold your son. And he said to the disciple, behold your mother.
And from that day, from that hour, that disciple took her into his own home. And you know, Jesus
did say, remember when his mother and his brothers came to get him? And they thought he was out of
his mind because he's saying and doing things, and he's really endangering himself, right?
And so they thought we got to go get him. Can you imagine that? We got to go get the Savior
to stop him from doing what he's meant to do, what he came to do. We got to stop. That's like,
it didn't work out well for Peter. When Peter starts saying, you can't go there,
you can't do this, get behind me Satan, right? Because you have the things of man in your
mind. But I have the things of God. So they were trying to pull him out of that house. And he says,
who's my mother? Who's my brothers? The one whom does the will of my father is my family.
So he was realizing that Mary is going, she's a believer, and she's an eternal family member.
And so is John. So they were eternal family members. But he also loved his mom. I mean,
who doesn't love their mom, right? In fact, Mother's Day, John Kratz is going to share a good Mother's
Day message with us. And just that idea that he does care about her. And yet, but at the same
time he realizes there's an eternal family. You know, when we surrender our lives to Jesus,
we may be the only one in our home. Some of you may be that, the only believer in your whole
household. You know, your siblings, I know many people that no one else is a believer. And you
say, well, I wish I could just save them. Well, you can't save them, right? But when you come
to Christ, you receive a whole new family, an eternal family. Isn't that amazing? And so, you
know, we are brothers and sisters here, perhaps more from eternity standpoint than the very same
family members that you grew up with in the same home. And so he's taken care of his mother.
And this was significant to be recorded for us realizing that we do care about our earthly
family members, but we also have an eternal family in Christ. Then the next statement
was when Jesus cries out, okay, in Mark 1534, we see this captured, my God, my God,
why have you forsaken me? Luke doesn't record that, but he felt the separation. He felt
the separation that all will feel in their sins if they don't come to Christ. And he felt that for
everyone because he became everyone's sin on the cross, right? Even those who will never receive
him. And this again is from Psalm 22. In fact, it starts with that verse, my God, my God, why
have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me and from the words of my groaning?
So Jesus had to fulfill David's prophecy. There's so many things. When you think about Jesus,
he probably was like, you know, this is so inconvenient, but it's written about me,
so I have to do it. I'm just like really using human thoughts into that. But at times he just
did things because you could see because it fulfilled prophecy, it was written about him.
So he was going to fulfill all of it. Now I know this could be sometimes a little controversial
about, did the Father literally look away from Jesus and forsake him? Now this isn't worth
debating and so forth, but just a couple of things I wanted to throw out because I think it was more
Jesus needed to experience what it will or could have been the separation from the Father because
remember, he is God. He and the Father are one. How could you like ignore yourself, right? I mean,
they're the same, right? And Jesus even said, you're all going to scatter. We read about this
in John 16.32. He says, indeed the hour is coming. Yes. And as now come that you will all be scattered
to each his own and will leave me alone. And yet what? I am not alone because why? Because the
Father is with me. The Father is with me. He was talking to the Father at the beginning of the
crucifixion and he was talking to the Father at the end of the crucifixion. Remember, Father forgive
them, Father receive my spirit. You know, I believe the Father was there and he knew it,
but there was something in the core of Jesus that he had to experience that separation because
that's what sin does, doesn't it? It separates us from God. We separate ourselves. Nothing can
separate us from the love of the Father, right? From his end, but from our end a lot can separate us,
right? Because we run just like the prodigal son. We run away. He's not leaving. We are, right?
And so this is the idea. But also I found this other verse in Psalm 22 again. Read it when you
get home just to really connect with this. But David wrote, for he has not despised nor
abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, nor has he hidden his face from him. Who's he talking about?
The Father and the Son. But when he cried to him, he heard. So, you know, so it's just
food for thought. Did the Father forsake the Son on the cross? Or did Jesus need to
experience what it would be to have separation from the Father? Because if you can recall,
all of David, most of David's Psalms, he starts off, why are you so far away? Why don't you ever hear
me? Why don't you? And by the end of the Psalm, he's like, thank you for always hearing me.
Thank you for always being there. He's like, it's like you could see the repentance right
through the Psalm. He starts off a frantic mess. And by the end of it, he's solid and
confident with God. You're the best God, you know, because that's just the way emotions are sometimes,
aren't they? Like sometimes we could just feel like we have been forsaken. Where are you, God?
Like, you see what's happening to me. You hear what people are saying about me. You see the
affliction I'm going through. You see the sickness. You see all of this that is happening in my
life. Where are you? But he's there. He's there. I believe so was the Father there,
even though it may have felt like he wasn't. But again, not to get into a doctrinal dispute,
it's just, it's just, I think there's enough scripture there to, you know, make us question
as to that the Father really forsook his son on the cross. But anyway, so the next statement
he said was when that sour wine was put to his lips, it was put to his lips because he said,
I thirst. That's a short verse. I thirst. We read in John 19 verses 28 and 29 after this Jesus
knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled,
said I thirst. And now if that's all full of sour wine was sitting there and they filled
a sponge with sour wine and put it on his hip and put it to his mouth. And you know,
there's a lot of symbolism. I mean, that's the amazing thing about scripture is the more
you look at it, it's like an onion. It just keeps peeling open. There's more and more and
sometimes what's exciting to us, it's so complicated, you can't even repeat it to someone else because
it's like, well, that would mean I have to start at the top, right? But if there's so much symbolism,
even in this, right? Because this sour wine is a real picture.
There was a saying in Israel that said, Oh, you know, the father, the father, you know,
he's a sinner. So isn't it natural? Okay, that this is happening to his family, you know, because
he's the father, he passed that sinful seed onto his son and daughter. So their family's a mess.
Now, it's an observation. Now, unfortunately, in society, you tend to see that. Why? Because
it's learned, it's experienced, neglect, disappointment, worse things. Okay. And so people,
a lot of times do pass on that sinful trait of their forefathers. But it's not God doing that. It was
Israel actually thought, Oh, yeah, well, those sins, God's gonna label the next generation
with these sins, because that's what happens. The fathers pass it on. And yet the Lord said,
no, I'm going to visit every single generation and visit them. And remember, we looked at that last
week, and I will be their overseer. I will call them to myself. I will call them away from the sins
of their forefathers. And we see in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, God addressing this, and he said,
don't keep blaming the kids for their father's sins. It's their fathers and mothers problem,
not the kids problem. And he says, in those days, they shall no more say, the fathers have eaten
sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge, but everyone shall die for his own inequity.
Every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. Now, that's a weird
phrase for us these days, set teeth, set on edge, sour grapes. I mean, you've probably heard,
I don't know, sour grapes. Is that something we ever say anymore? Well, maybe. Maybe you do. I don't
usually. But anyway, but it's like, oh, you're just having, you just, you're just eating sour,
in other words, you're just miserable, you know, sour grapes, right? But sour wine is even worse,
right? Because sour wine, perhaps was good, but it became old and vinaigarized. And it's just,
it's good for nothing. It's not a celebration thing. It's old. And yet sometimes Roman soldiers
would even still drink that, that vinegar, okay, to maybe get some kind of buzz out of it or something,
right? But it was something that was seen as, is bad. It's bad wine. It's not new wine. It's bad
wine. And yet that's what was there in that bowl, when they stuck the hyssop into the bowl and
lifted it up in this with a sponge to Jesus's mouth to drink. You know, there's a lot of
symbolism there because sour wine is the forefathers. It's, it's the sour grapes of the past.
You know, all the previous generations of sin, Jesus was saying, here, bring it here.
And I will drink it on their behalf, right? He didn't drink the gall. Remember those wine
with narcotics in it? Here, give them this. He won't feel the pain so much. He didn't want
to touch any drugs. But the sour wine, he said, bring it here. I mean, say that, but the sour wine,
he knew what they would reach to his mouth because it's a picture, really, of the old wine of the
past generations. We could see it with the sour grapes. It's the sins of the forefathers being
passed on from one generation to one generation. But Jesus steps into every generation and says
enough, enough. If they give their lives to me, they have a new lineage. They have a new destiny.
They have a new family. They have a new genetics. They have a divine nature. They no longer have
the old DNA. They have a new DNA. And that's as a new creation in Jesus Christ. So he was
receiving that sour wine. And I believe it's all pointing to the fact that he's reconciling
the sins of all of our forefathers. That's sour wine. And it was reached to his mouth with
hyssop. Now, isn't that interesting? Because hyssop was used when we read about it in Exodus,
chapter 1222 in the Passover, which was just celebrated, where they dipped hyssop into the
blood of the sacrificial lamb or goat and spread it over the doorpost so that the angel, the destroyer,
would pass over the houses and not kill the firstborn of the Israelites, right? And so that's
all a picture, as you know, of Christ. We won't dig all into that. But the fact that there was
hyssop brought to Jesus' mouth and the blood, Christ's bloodied face bleeding on that
hyssop, we could just picture it, was really a sign of the Passover, you know? Because now,
he not only atones for sins, John Crats gave a great message on Wednesday night
about atonement as opposed to atonement and taking away of sins, you know? And Christ's blood
takes away sins. So he says, bring me the wine so I can remove the curse of the previous
generations, right? And then the next statement, which is not in Luke, Jesus said, it is finished.
It is finished, John 1930. So when he had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished,
and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. And you know, that it is finished, like when he
said that the earthquake, right? The earth is trembling and the veil of the temple was torn open.
I'm sure you've heard all this picture of now everyone can come in before the high priest,
because not just the high priest of Israel, everyone can come, boldly come to the throne
of grace, where we receive mercy and fine grace in our time of need. That's all the time,
right? Anyone can pass through that holy of holies to see Jesus Christ. I love in Hebrews it says
that we are anchored behind the veil where Jesus Christ our forerunner is. It's beautiful.
We have access all the time. Why? Because it is finished. You know, those high priests of
Israel had to cleanse themselves and cleanse themselves, because they had to cleanse themselves
of their own sins, and then they went in there to cleanse the sins of the people. Well, Jesus
cleanses our sins so we can boldly approach, not in arrogance or pride, but humble adoration,
but confidence, right? That we will receive mercy and fine grace. So Jesus said these words to say,
it is finished. You know, I came across in Revelation 21.6, and he said to me, this is John
writing this, it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. You know, when
you hear it is finished and it is done, it kind of sounds the same, does it? Finished, done.
But the words in Greek are different, because in Greek it is finished is teleo. And it means
just what you would think of it. It means it's finished. It's over. It's done. Well,
it's a thing of the past. When Jesus died for your sins, it was a thing of the past. Your sins
died with Christ on the cross. It is finished. It is teleo. They don't have to have control
of you any longer. You know, we just read in Romans in chapter 6, we are no longer slaves
to sin because he paid for them, right? It is finished. We are no longer under bondage
of sins, right? That's what finished means. But it is done as something else. It is done
means more of I am, I have, I have complete, I have, I'm done. I'm done preparing. Okay.
So here's like an example, right? Like when Jill is making dinner and I say, is dinner done? Sounds
stupid, but is dinner ready? That would be done. In other words, she prepared dinner to eat,
right? We're not finished eating. She prepared it so that we can eat, right? It's kind of like
she's done the beginning part so we can enjoy what it's really all for, right? It is done. That's
a picture of being done. That word is genomai, right? It means like it's like it has been prepared
and we can begin, right? So in other words, you're done preparing to begin. Does that make
sense? And yet finish would be when Jill says, did you do the dishes? Okay. Now those dishes are
being scraped into the trash can never to come back, right? We don't have a garbage disposal
because of the septic. But anyway, so, but you know, if you have a garbage disposal,
are you scraping it in the garbage disposal, right? And washing, put it, that dirt is gone.
Okay. It's never to come back. That's finished. That's like the difference. It's like, you know,
like if I were to say, are you done packing? Well, you're packing, but you're packing to go somewhere.
Okay. So it's like the beginning of something. I'm done packing, but because I'm packed to go
somewhere, right? Does that make sense? So when Jesus is saying it is done, in other words,
I have taken care of everything for them to now live the empowered life because it's,
it's finished on the cross. It's done at the resurrection, right? And it's more done at the
Pentecost if you can have that, right? When he sends his Holy Spirit upon us, it is really done.
It is Gnomai. We could just live in that power of life, you know, I just love that idea.
But Jesus here is saying it is finished. You have to die to live, right? I mean, that's the
scriptures. It says, you have to die. Paul said, for I've been crucified with Christ,
I no longer live. It's the done me, in a sense. I threw that in there, but it's, it's the new
me because the old me was crucified with Christ. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
That's the done life, right? Because it was finished at the cross, we can live the done life. Does
that make sense? I think I've talked about it before, but I never really do well with that
message for some reason. It's not you, it's me. I can tell you that much. But anyway,
let's finish up. We're going to have communion and verse 44. And now it was about the sixth
hour and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And then
the sun was darkened and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out
with a loud voice, he said, Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit. And having said this,
he breathed his last. And so when the Centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God saying,
certainly this was a righteous man. And the whole crowd who came together to that site, seeing
what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. But all his acquaintances and the women who
followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. And so he breathed his last.
Again, Stephen, as he was being stoned to death, it captures Acts 7.59, knowing that this was it.
He looked up, imagine this, looking up into heaven and seeing Jesus standing
at the right hand of the Father, not sitting, standing. It's like, I'm here. I'm with you.
I'm not forsaking you. I'm right here. And guess where you're going to be in only minutes
from now with me. I mean, he saw that. And then, and as they stoned Stephen, he was calling on God
saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Isn't that just so reflective of what Christ said on the cross?
Into your hands, I commit my spirit. It's exactly what Stephen said only in his own words.
He's saying, here I am, Lord. I'm ready. Receive me. As the dynamic duo come forward,
Jake and Bray, don't you love seeing family serving together? It's so beautiful.
And especially a husband and a wife up here doing wonderful worship.
We're going to start giving out the communion. But as we think about these things,
what Jesus said on the cross,
just kind of recapping, based on what Jesus first said, you are forgiven.
You know, we have to learn to forgive ourselves and learn to forgive others.
And perhaps right now would be a great day.
If there's someone we're harboring unforgiveness towards right now,
maybe right now would be a good time to just release it.
You know, it's weird, you know, unforgiveness. We do it. Let me take it back. We do it.
And we take it back. It's in waves sometimes. I mean, eventually, as long as we keep
releasing it, it will eventually be a distant memory that we can remember no more, you know.
But yet sometimes when we take it back, it's like the Lord say, come on. I don't take yours back.
You know, I have forgiven your sins from the East to the West. I will remember your sins no more.
They're gone. And maybe right now on Good Friday, in light of what Christ did for us,
we can just say, Lord, I want to die here again today to those old sins, those old offenses against
me because I died with you on the cross. Like you literally died for my sins and for their sins.
You already paid the price. What am I waiting to do or get for what they've done against me?
Lord, I just want to die to that once and for all. Just die. Maybe that's you today.
You can just say, Lord, I want to die to that. I know I'm saved, but why do I keep
recalling, remembering the things of the past? Because just as we read, when we remember them,
they chew, they eat, they swarm, they devour, they devour the life we're meant to live now.
Unforgiveness brings just death into our lives.
Lord God, I just want to die
to this thing that I have not forgiven because, Lord, if you counted all my sins against me,
I would never see you.
Lord, help me forgive right now. I believe. Help my unbelief. I forgive. Help my unforgiveness.
I just want to let them go
and move on to this new life, Lord. Those sins are finished, Lord. I want to live the done life.
Amen. Just as Jesus said to the criminal on the cross that today we have reservations in heaven,
isn't that awesome? We can't lose that invite, that gift card, because it's imprinted in us.
We have a new family in Christ, just like John and Mary. He will never forsake us.
We are not cursed of the sour wine of our forefathers or the family that we grew up with or
any of the environments we experienced. We no longer have to drink that sour wine of curse.
Our sins are finished, and we now have a new Holy Spirit living in us.
I take communion now.
When Paul wrote to the church
of Corinth, he told them, keep this going, this institution of the Lord's Supper.
And he wrote in 11, verse 23, chapter 11, verse 23,
for I have received from the Lord, that which I also deliver to you,
that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, take, eat. This is my body,
which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Father, God, we thank you for this bread,
which is a picture of your body on the cross. In Jesus' name, amen.
And in the same manner, he also took the cup after supper,
saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord's death, the finished part, till he comes.
Lord, we thank you that we have indeed died with you on the cross.
Without death, we couldn't have truly lived in the spirit. Thank you, Lord,
for this great day that you paid for humanity's sin. Thank you for paying for my sins on the cross.
In Jesus' name, amen. Let's drink.
And let's all stand. We're going to close with some singing.
Lord, thank you for our dear family here. Thank you that we have reservations in heaven.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church as we praise God and discuss his word.
Don't forget to join us for worship live Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube.
Be blessed and have a great day.