3/28/2020 Alfred Station NY Seventh Day BAPTIST Pastor Ken “Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross”

Posted : 28 Mar, 2020 10:25 AM

3/28/2020 Alfred Station NY Seventh Day BAPTIST Pastor Ken “Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross” Luke 23:33-34

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Jesus told us that we should pray for those who use us. He also said for us to love our enemies. Jesus said He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. He came to save those that are lost. In our text, Jesus was at Calvary-the place of the Skull. Jesus was crucified on a wooden Cross with nails through His hands and feet. The Romans had perfected the art of crucifixion. Crucifixion was used by the Romans for Jewish criminals and Jewish people who had gone against Rome. Roman citizens were never crucified. Jesus was put in between two criminals. This is the same Jesus who had said to pray for and love your enemies. Jesus endured the Cross so He could draw all men unto Him.



At this point, Jesus asks the Father to forgive the men who crucified Him because they didn’t know what they were doing. Jesus is talking to the Father, not to himself. By Jesus talking to the Father while He is on the Cross, this shows that the Father did not abandon Jesus. The Father was still with Him. God the Father who is in Heaven was with Jesus.



Jesus said these people don’t know what they are doing. He is saying everything done out of ignorance, deserves forgiveness. Who is Jesus praying for? Forgive who?



1) Pilate: At first Pilate didn’t want to kill Jesus. But he eventually listened to the crowd. He then washed his hands of the blood of Jesus and then sent Jesus to die.



2) Jewish Leaders: They had a secret trial at night in a rigged court room with fake witnesses. When they couldn’t get the lying witnesses to agree, the High Priest asked Jesus was He the Christ. Jesus told the truth and said He was the Messiah.



3) Jewish Community: This is the crowd that Pilate offered Barabbas to be crucified to. Instead they chose Jesus to be crucified. This is the same crowd that said Jesus’s blood be on their heads and on their children’s head.



4) Roman Soldiers: The soldiers beat and mocked Jesus before they nailed Him to the Cross. These same soldiers took Jesus’ clothes and cast lots/shot dice for them.



5) You and I: We are the ones Jesus asks God to forgive. In Hebrews it says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Jesus was on the cross for your sins and my sins. Jesus dying in our stead was the atonement. Atonement mean the reconciliation of God and mankind through Jesus Christ. So we get born again by believing that Jesus died for us. We are saved!! We are born anew, born from above and the guilt of Adam’s sin is taken away from us!



We now get Grace from God, which is an answer to Jesus’s prayer. As Isaiah said, our righteousness is as filthy rags. God now sees us through the blood of Jesus. He sees our imparted righteousness. All of this comes from Jesus’s prayer: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. Anyone who is not saved should turn to Jesus for forgiveness and remission of their sins.



AMEN

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