By Sola Adeyegbe
This presentation is a contemplation of the Last Words of the Saviour on the Cross.
Opening
As recorded in The Bible, the following were the Last Words spoken by Jesus as He endured the gruesome hours at Golgotha:
1. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).
2. Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).
3. Woman, behold your son: behold your mother (John 19:26-27).
4. Eli Eli lama sabachthani? (“My God, My God, why have you forsaken
me?”) (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34).
5. I thirst (John 19:28).
6. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46).
7. It is finished (John 19:30)
In this presentation, the words of the Lord Jesus are presented devoid of dogma in this auspicious Easter Season which is certainly a good time to contemplate the deeper meaning of these words and their significance.
The words point to the real Mission of Christ, His suffering in the hands of ungrateful men, and the way that leads to salvation.
We now take them one after the other:
1. FATHER FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO!
Many today explain the crucifixion of Jesus as a sacrifice meant to appease God and that man is saved by the sacrificial death of Christ!
This longstanding thinking is questionable in the face of the statement made by Jesus as He was nailed to the cross: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
The words “forgive them” can only refer to a wrongful act.
After the words “Father forgive them” comes the extremely severe words: “for they know not what they do”. These words also confirm that what was being done was wrong.
Instead of holding a grudge, Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of His enemies and this is a lesson for us. However, while Jesus could forgive and pardon the wrongs done against Him, the Laws of God continue to work out the just reaction on all who rejected the Teachings of Christ.
For humanity, the rejection of Christ and His Mission has brought the results now manifesting as the current world events. Yes, the guilt of Golgotha is now being resolved in the World Judgement currently in full swing! These are reflected in the existing confusion, frequent wars, political unrest, economic difficulties, the incredible fate of individuals and the masses, and new ailments with some leading to epidemics and pandemics, natural catastrophes, and global warming.
To be saved we need to abide by the true teachings of Christ!
2. THIS DAY SHALT THOU BE IN PARADISE.
Two thieves were crucified along with Jesus. One of them said, are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us! The second rebuked the first saying: Do you not fear God? …we are receiving the due reward of our deeds, but Jesus has done nothing wrong. This penitent thief then pleaded: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Let us label them the wise and the foolish thieves.
We can liken the two thieves to the two types of believers on earth today. All are thieves in that all have sinned. We are all in need of salvation and redemption.
Just like the foolish thief, a part of present-day believers does not have true faith. Such believers hold that Jesus can do the unnatural for example – suddenly coming down physically and unaided from the cross. What these people desire or better said, what they demand from their Saviour are arbitrary acts they call “miracles”. They expect to be delivered suddenly from all kinds of earthly difficulties that they themselves have brought about through their stubbornness and reckless behaviour. These types of believers always approach the Lord with a shopping list whenever they pray to Him. Some have even stepped over all boundaries by attempting to “command” their Creator, asking Him to prove Himself by doing this or that for them! This attitude reminds one of the insults of the foolish thief who said “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us”.
The wise thief on the other hand (epitomising the attitude of a true believer) declared openly that he was in the wrong and was paying for his wrongful behaviour. He did not demand any quick fix to his problem nor seek a temporary earthly advantage: e.g., possible release from his pains on the cross just like the expectation of the foolish thief. Instead, he longed for the Heavenly Kingdom reminding us of one of the admonitions of Jesus that we should seek first the Kingdom of Heaven. Similarly, true believers take the responsibility for their thoughts, words, and deeds and continually strive to give purity to their thoughts. They bear within them the firm volition for what is good.
In the end, the foolish thief got no visible advantage while the wise thief got a firm promise of a place in paradise!
Let us note that the correct rendering of the Lord’s statement is: THIS DAY SHALT THOU BE IN PARADISE and not: today you will be with me in paradise. Paradise is the home of the matured human spirits whereas the Son of God belongs to Divinity Unsubstantiate!
One can decide the path to follow. There is a path of making self-serving earthly demands from the Lord, expecting arbitrary actions from the Creator, and passing responsibility to others. There is also a path of repentance and reformation that pleads humbly for God’s forgiveness and strength for spiritual ascent.
May we have the strength to choose the path of reformation which is the living road to forgiveness!
3. BEHOLD THIS IS THY SON, AND THIS IS THY MOTHER, JOHN!
Before the birth of Christ, Mary experienced the Annunciation which prepared her for her mission of being the earthly mother of Jesus. Therefore, she was among the few who recognised the Star that shone over the stable in Bethlehem as the fulfilment of the prophecies!
After some years, the memory of the Radiant Star slowly faded and Mary had to struggle with her grave concerns about how Jesus was exposing the false teachings of the religious leaders of His time. With motherly anxiety, she expressed the fear that Jesus would only make strong enemies for Himself. Mary feared for Jesus, she had no peace.
However, Jesus could not but fulfil His Mission to carry the Word of His Father among mankind on earth. He, therefore, went forth to bring Light to those who longed for His Message.
Christ regarded as His family the ones who hear His Holy Word and make use of It. So, in the scripture (Luke 8:19-21), we read “19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
However, prior to His departure from the flesh, Jesus entrusted the care of Mary to John, one of His Disciples. Despite the agonizing pain of the crucifixion, and as physical death approached, Jesus still managed to reiterate His earlier instructions to John when on seeing Mary with John mourning Him under the cross He said gently: “Behold, this is thy son, and this is thy mother John!”
John embraced Mary. At this solemn hour, Mary’s doubts melted away and she became convinced of Christ’s Holy Mission. Another person who came to recognition on that day was the centurion of whom we read in the scripture (Mark 15:39) — “And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Subsequently, Mary moved to the House of John and kept pace with the disciples of Christ and their activities.
May we also be endowed with the courage to cast off all the old and concern ourselves solely with the Truth no matter the obstacles and opposition that may confront us!
4. FATHER, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?
In Isaiah 53:3 we read: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Let us consider that this prophecy relates to the Word of God Who became flesh. He is a Living Part of the Father Who came on a Mission of Love to point out the way back to Paradise to erring humanity.
He came into a world of human beings whose level of spiritual maturity was so low that He sorrowfully told His disciples: “I would say many things unto you, but you would not understand!” Even His disciples misconstrued Him in many things!
Then we must remember the relentless opposition from the Scribes, Pharisees, and Priests. All the good that Christ did was not appreciated by men. It all seemed hopeless. Jesus was hated and even pursued with evil plots. It got to a point when Jesus began to have a strong longing to return Home and ascend back to the Father. He was homesick! Tragically, the prophecy of Isaiah was being fulfilled.
At Lucifer’s prompting, men inflicted deep sorrow on Jesus, brought Him grief, and derided He Who brought them help in their greatest need. Every night, He could hear the vibrations of the Darkness sounding a menacing and dreadful note. It seemed as though He was alone… “Father! Hast Thou forsaken me? How much longer? When can I return to Thee?”
Eventually, human beings in their hatred brought Jesus to the cross of suffering. And as if he had not done his worst, Lucifer stood before Him right there on the cross hence the urgent call: “Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?” Then the evil one disappeared, and Jesus saw countless hosts of luminous helpers. He saw ethereally all those who had escorted Him to this earth and was filled with blissful happiness. His lips breathed a soft: “IT IS FINISHED!”
Despite this statement, (our topic) Jesus remained one with the Father. We can see that in the first instance, the words expressed a longing to return to His Father, and on the cross, the words were uttered as a direct call for help at a crucial point during the crucifixion when the evil one rudely appeared. It is not an expression of doubt or fear of being abandoned by His Father as this is simply out of the question! He and the Father are One!
Our own takeaway ought to include the recognition that when the need is greatest God’s help is nearest to us!
5. I THIRST!
Biblical accounts tell us that preceding the crucifixion, Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:44 speaks of His praying in agony and that His sweat was like drops of blood. Medical science identifies that hematidrosis (excretion of bloody sweat) occurs when a person is undergoing extreme levels of stress, for example when facing death. The blood vessels under the skin rupture, and blood mixes with sweat to come on the skin’s surface.
The agony experienced in Gethsemane was soon followed by unspeakable tortures. The Son of God collapsed under the weight of the cross He had to carry. Now put together the loss of blood from the whipping, the crown of thorns, and the crucifixion that followed. All these culminated in total dehydration for Jesus. Therefore, while undergoing the excruciating pain of the crucifixion and in utter exhaustion, He whispered the words “I thirst!”.
Crucifixion is a method of execution that provides a slow and painful death. The term excruciating literally came from the word “crucifying”. One can describe crucifixion as gruesome, humiliating, and wicked.
I, therefore, urge you to think again if you still attribute the hate-filled actions against Jesus of Nazareth to a plan endorsed by His Almighty Father. Remember that one of the Almighty’s Commandments is: Thou shall not kill!
Through the crucifixion, mankind committed a grievous sin. However, Christ remained free, pure, and untouched by the sin of men and cannot carry such dirt on Himself personally. The Laws of God forbid it! Only a person who sows shall reap and no one can reap the harvest of seeds sown by another.
The repercussion of sin is spiritual death and for anyone to pay for the sins of another, then such a person will have to die spiritually.
Christ however had no beginning and lives forever! On earth, He only laid aside His physical body and His Divine Core ascended back to His Divine Realm! The Law remains that wicked souls risk spiritual death which is an exclusion in perpetuity from the Light! Christ however returned to the Light which is His origin! So, He did not pay for the sins of mankind!
It is doing the Will of God explained to us by Jesus that saves us from spiritual death. May we have the strength to cast away all false interpretations and thirst only to do the Will of God Which Jesus explained to us at such a high price!
6. FATHER! INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT.
In Luke 23:45-46 we read: “The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed His last.” Similar words are found in Psalm 31:5- “Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.”
We need to recognise that Jesus, being a Part of the Almighty Father had a Core, Which was not spirit! His Core is DIVINE! It is man that bears spirit within. This important point reveals to us that there is a huge difference between an Envoy of God and the creatures.
The words “Father, unto Thy Hands I commend My Spirit!” can be understood in the knowledge that the word “Spirit” here refers to the Divine Ray or the Divine Core of Jesus on its Return into the Light! The word “Spirit” is also applied in respect of the Part of the Trinity of God Who is known as the Holy Spirit. Spirit in this context refers to a Part of God and not to spirit which is the inner core of man.
With this new perception, we also realise that although Christ was obliged to wear a physical cloak like the ones worn by men, He was not man because His Core is DIVINE and not spirit, which is the core of man.
Jesus left His physical body, but He arose with His Divine Part Which was in Him. This Divine Essence did not leave the earth immediately but manifested to His disciples and close helpers on earth for another forty days before being borne on the Waves of Light back into the Realm of His Father.
Let us remember the admonition of the Son of God: “Watch and pray!” and the admonition of the Son of Man that we should have a strong volition towards that which is good and sublime. If we prepare ourselves in this way, we can joyfully ascend spiritually at the point of being called away, which can happen at any time.
Our next topic will be the very last of the last words of the Saviour on the Cross!
May we live our lives on earth such that when we eventually discard the flesh, we shall awaken in the beyond to joyful activity! Amen!
7. IT IS FINISHED!
This was the last sigh of Jesus as His earth life and His suffering through mankind ended. The popular interpretation of these words is that they marked the completion of a sacrifice ordained by God to save humanity.
However, let us reflect on the following: –
1. In Matthew 27:19 we read that the wife of Pilate sent him a warning: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” Why was Pilate being warned?
2. On His way to the crucifixion place, we are told in Luke 23:28- “Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children…” Clearly, this shows that the unfolding events would have unpalatable consequences from that very moment and into the future.
3. At the death of Jesus, the veil that separated humanity from the Holy of Holies was torn into two! The interpretation of this is that with man’s rejection of Christ, mankind separated themselves more from Divinity, thus making the Holy of Holies unnecessary! With the blood of Jesus dripping from the hands of men, the Holy of Holies was simultaneously exposed to such audacious impunity that caused It to lose all sanctity! This was an immediate repercussion for the atrocity just perpetrated.
“It is finished!” was the cry of relief that now, the adversities, hostilities, loneliness, and all the suffering that had been endured by the Son of God were coming to an end. Indeed, thoughts like these words were already expressed by Jesus in the face of the sustained animosity against him throughout the period of His Ministration on earth.
Only a while before this occurrence, Christ had learned that John the Baptist had been killed on the orders of Herod and wondered that if they could do this to John who incurred less indignation from the scribes, what would they do to him, Jesus? Despite his sorrow at this, He said almost joyfully: “Let them do what they think they must. Then will my task be finished, and I shall be permitted to go Home to my Father.”
In His Love, the Almighty sent His Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life! Whoever believes! And believing in Him simply means accepting His Word of Truth and living by It. It is living by the Word of Truth brought by Jesus that leads to having everlasting life.
God is Love but His Justice will not permit anyone to bear the guilt of another.
In closing, let us contemplate how we can be forgiven.
Ezekiel 18:21 helps us: “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.”
The new spiritual teaching on earth today reveals that reformation alone is the living road to forgiveness!
May we remain open to receive the strength to turn away from our wrongdoings and walk the path that leads to salvation and redemption.
Amen.
