As our Savior hung on the cross two thousand plus years ago, He was recorded as saying seven things. When broken down, each one is profound and provocative. I want to look deeper at the very last words of Christ, and perhaps you may never have heard them quite like this before.
I did a message a week ago in church and the final triumphant ride into Jerusalem on a donkey to the resurrection of Christ was discussed and what it all meant. This was God's final masterpiece and all of it was foretold thousands of years ahead of time. This Resurrection story was the final stroke on God's canvas of the true meaning of life, for all of us.
As I mentioned, this event was not the fault of any one in particular. The Jews did not kill Jesus, the Romans did not kill Jesus. In fact, you and I didn't kill Jesus either. If you remember the conversation that our Lord had with the pompous Pontius Pilate when he told Jesus he had the power and authority to take His life. Jesus simply told him, "I'm sorry you think you are that powerful, but only My Father in heaven can do this." I'm sure it was an ego deflating moment for ol' Pontius, but it was truth.
We still stumble with this today. It's time we realize that no one took Christ's life except God Himself! God came as flesh to earth in order to give His life so that we may gain ours! We are the reason that Christ died, but we don't have that kind of power and authority to say we took it! We need to be humble and look at the whole bigger picture here.
As I ponder deeper into the seventh and final words that Christ spoke while hanging on that cross, I recognize the Master's final stroke on His canvas of life, God's masterpiece in the making.
"And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit.' And having said this, He breathed His last." Lk. 23:46
These very words were penned by David thousands of years before Christ. In Psalm 31:5 David was crying out to God the Father. Just as Jesus felt in the flesh, David felt weak and vulnerable to God's response. Psalm 31, speaks of the "Hasah" kind of faith. It's the kind that we run to our Father for protection, like chicks to a mother hen. This is where David and Jesus both ran when they cried out these words. God may not be answering at that moment, but they both trusted in His protection. As this psalm ends, it goes from crying out for help to a definite assurance of His divine protection.
"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord." Ps. 31:24
So, Jesus' seventh and final statement is very meaningful for us today as His followers. First of all, numbers are very important to God. I'm not talking about numerology, but God's meaning. The number seven means completion. He completed and rested His work on the seventh day. Jesus' last and seventh statement was God's complete stroke of genius.
As Christ commited His spirit unto His heavenly Father, the final event of His life on earth was completed for our salvation, which was God's plan from the Garden of Eden until the Garden of Gesthemene.
If you read in Mark the account of this, right after Jesus spoke these words, the curtain to the Holy of Holies was torn from the top to the bottom. Wow! The masterpiece is now complete!
Up until now, people sacrificed blood offerings to God to atone for their sins. But, Christ Who was the sacrificial Lamb came to save us all because His was the only blood that God would accept. It was pure, and clean, without spot, blemish or wrinkle. God's Son Who had no sin, became sin for all of us. Only His blood would give God the pleasure of the sweet aroma of sacrifice. This was the beginning of the New Covenant that God made with His people. We all can go into the Holy of Holies. We no longer need a priest to make atonement for us. Christ is the great High Priest who intercedes for us today. The curtain was torn from the top down to the bottom, which means God's grace comes down to us and we are now given admission into His kingdom through His Son.
When Jesus cried out these last words, it was just the beautiful beginning of a love relationship with us. This Friday as you recognize it as Good Friday, remember that it's more than just good, it's wonderful! God loves you so much that He had you in mind when He put that last stroke on His canvas and calls it His masterpiece!
I am in awe of the wisdom of God and the power of His love for those He calls His children. If you're not gathered to Him as a baby chick to it's mother, then cry to Him today and ask for His forgiveness of all your sins, past-present-and future. Confess to Him now that you recognize His Son as your Lord, the One you want to live for, and your Savior because He saved you from death and sin and hell. If you truly believe that He died and rose again to give you life, then thank God for His grace and mercy. It's a free unmerited gift of love.
Jesus took our place so that we might have His peace.
Vivian Gordon is led by the Holy Spirit to reach out and give the Christian and non Christian alike something to think about in their own lives. These articles are meant to edify the reader and bring them deeper. They are based on spirituality, inspiration, and today's morals and how we need to get back to basics.