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Seven words of Jesus on the cross |
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Understanding beyond mere words |
8th
April 2022
Easter
In this season everyone is preparing for the Easter celebration but the big question should be;”Do we really understand what led to the big celebration of his resurrection?” I should say that we are celebrating the fulfilment of God’s word which took place on Friday which we call “Good Friday”.
THE GOOD FRIDAY
The good Friday is characterised by the seven words pronounced by christ around the ninth hour, we should know that all the words have their own meaning which might have been linked to a past statement made in the scripture.
1. “Father ,forgive them,for they do not know what they are doing~Luke 23:34~
This shows us that even in the time of most pain Jesus still prayed for those who put him in that state, this prayer would have been a confirmation of his identity to those that put him in that state
2.
“I tell you the truth,
today you will be with me in paradise”~Luke 23:43~
This statement was made to one of the robbers who was crucified with him,as he showed true repentance of his sin ,the response of Jesus was that he too would enter heaven to live in paradise that day. Unlike the other who said “aren’t you the christ save yourself and us!” this was enough to tell that he had no repentance in him.
3.
“woman, behold your son,
son behold your mother”
This is what he told John in this way he made a new relationship between his beloved mother and beloved disciple.
4.
“Eli,Eli lama sabachthani” he
called with a loud voice which means “My God,my God, why have you deserted me!”
One thing we should point
out here is that this is the only time where Jesus addresses his father as
“God” as he was in pain, he calls on him as any other believer would have
called upon God,the statement “why have you deserted me “ goes against ~Hebrews
13:5~TLB which says “I will never, never fail you or desert you” But
Jesus could not sense his father’s presence which led to his loud cry.
5.
“I thirst”~John 19:28~
He made this statement in fulfilment of the Scripture, in Psalm 69:21 which says they give me poison for food;they offer me sour wine for my thirst. Now when Jesus made that statement he already knew their next action and was ready for it.
6.
It is finished ~John
19:30~
Until this time, a system of sacrifices had atoned for sins. Only through a sacrifice of an animal could people be forgiven and come clean before God. But by this act of Jesus he became the final and ultimate sacrifice for sin . The saying it is finished could also mean paid in full. And now those who believe in him can live eternal with God and escape the penalty that comes from sin.
7.
Father, into your hands I
commit my spirit ~luke 23:46~
To commit means to pledge alliance,it also means to promise, Jesus used this words as he breathed his last to show he had full dependence in God.