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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781617954771 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Worthy |
| Publication date: | 02/17/2015 |
| Pages: | 176 |
| Sales rank: | 1,169,920 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.20(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.80(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Last Words of Jesus
First Steps to a Richer Life
By Stu Epperson Jr.
Worthy Publishing Group
Copyright © 2015 Stu Epperson, Jr.All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-61795-477-1
CHAPTER 1
FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO
A WORD OF PRAYER
A little more than two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ hung on a cross on a busy road just outside Jerusalem at a place called Golgotha. Victims of crucifixion endured horrific torture resulting in agonizing death. This punishment was reserved for the worst of criminals. With a relentless Middle Eastern sun beating down, we find Jesus mounted between two thieves.
The scene at the place known as the Place of the Skull was solemn and sorrowful as Jesus, innocent of all wrongdoing, was nailed to His cross. Dramatically contrasting with the weeping mourners were the raucous and mocking Roman soldiers, casting lots for a chance to win Jesus' garment as He hung dying. Just hours earlier Jesus had stood stained and bloodied before Pontius Pilate. A riotous mob stirred by the religious leaders had clamored for Jesus' death when given the chance to free Him.
Opening Prayer
Remarkably, the last words of Jesus start with prayer. After all the torture, flogging, abuse, and grueling journey to Calvary, Christ prays. In history's darkest moment He finds Himself in prayer's familiar light. Imagine the audacity of someone saying, "Let's begin this human sacrifice of the Son of God with a word of prayer!"
At least eight of Jesus' prayers are recorded in Scripture, but this one is unique. He will pray as the Lamb being led to the slaughter, the Mediator interceding for sinners, and the High Priest atoning for sins. Consider the profundity of this most incredible moment.
The implication of Jesus' praying during His last hours on the Cross is profound. In the words of Arthur W. Pink:
The first of the seven cross sayings of our Lord presents him in the attitude of prayer. How significant! How instructive! His public ministry had opened with prayer (Luke 3:21), and here we see it closing in prayer. Surely he is an example! No longer might those hands minister to the sick, for they are nailed to the cross; no longer may those feet carry him on errands of mercy, for they are fastened to the cruel tree; no longer may Jesus engage in instructing the Apostles, for they have forsaken him and fled—how does he occupy himself? In the ministry of prayer! What a lesson for us.
Jesus is praying for His tormentors and dying for them at the same time! The prophet Isaiah says it this way: "He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12).
Hanging on a Tree of Death in open shame
Nails pierce His hands and feet,
He quietly bears our blame.
Bleeding and battered, a covering for
the nakedness of Adam's sin
Behold the lamb dying, with no voice saying
"spare the Son"
Yet as blood flows from His wounds
Life flows from His words.
Prayer marked the beginning of Jesus' ministry (Mark 1:35) and prayer consumed His life and practice (Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 6:12). The night before Jesus uttered His famous last words, He had prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36).
And here at the Cross, Jesus prayed to His ...
"Father"
Jesus prayed to the One with whom He shared deep intimate fellowship from all eternity. The One who led Him, fed Him, walked with Him, and loved Him. The One He called Father throughout the four Gospels. The One whose business He always attended (Luke 2:49). The One who could easily step in and mightily defend His only Son.
Instead, Jesus calls upon His Father to ...
"Forgive"
Forgive them? Are you serious? Why not destroy them for killing an innocent man—and for executing the God-man!
Savor the words of forgiveness spoken by the Teacher from Galilee who now practices what He preached, as recorded in Matthew:
• Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you (5:11).
• Bless those who curse you (5:44).
• Forgive your debtors (6:12).
• If you forgive others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (6:14).
• Forgive until seventy times seven times (18:21–22).
How amazing! The only One on earth who needs no forgiveness is petitioning His Father to forgive. Hear this Word of Life from the lips of a dying Savior. See Him dying to purchase life and forgiveness for undeserving people like you and me.
The Father can be called upon to forgive because "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).
Seventeenth-century German biographer and pastor F. W. Krummacher marveled at the glory of Christ as He forgave His tormentors: "'Forgive them!' What? What does He mean? Surely not the servants of Satan who have nailed Him to the cross—the heartless brutes.... Christ was admirable in His transfiguration on Mount Tabor; but here He shines in superior light."
No others who have claimed deity offer such a magnanimous prayer on behalf of their tormentors. The only way to live is through the only God who forgives.
As blood flows from His wounds, forgiveness flows from His words.
These words of forgiveness are prayed for ...
"Them"
Jesus petitions the Father to forgive "them." But who are they?
• The Roman soldiers?
• The religious leaders?
• The deserting disciples?
• The apathetic bystanders?
• The malicious mob?
• The entire fallen race of Adam—past, present, and future?
• The three thousand who would be forgiven at Pentecost?
• Or perhaps He was praying for you!
Prayer was the last thing on the minds of those at the scene of the Cross. However, prayer was the first thing that came out of the mouth of the One they placed on the Cross.
Fallen creatures rarely see their need for prayer, because of what Jesus says next:
"Father, forgive them ...
"For They Know Not What They Do"
Picture yourself standing at the Cross participating in this bloody spectacle. Have we any idea what our sin did to the Savior? If those at the scene didn't know, then how much more clueless are we centuries removed from the event?
Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. (Acts 3:17)
Had they known [the wisdom of God], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:8)
Remarkably, the deeper the blows of sin ravage the Innocent One, the wider His healing forgiveness flows forth. Perhaps King David knew what his sin did to Jesus. In Psalm 51:4, David writes, "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight."
For centuries, people have debated the question "Who killed Jesus?" At whose feet do we lay the blame? Was it Pilate? The Jewish leaders? The traitorous Judas? The ruthless Roman soldiers? This is the question of the ages—and a question that could change your life.
A. W. Tozer says it was all of the above, and you and me. Those on Golgotha that day were guilty, but we are too. Our anger, dishonesty, hatred, jealousy, carnality—all our fleshly sins—joined with their sins in putting Jesus on the Cross. "We may as well admit it," Tozer concludes. "Every one of us in Adam's race had a share in putting Him on the cross!"
Seventeenth-century Scottish poet Horatius Bonar captured this inescapable truth in his haunting hymn:
I see the crowd in Pilate's hall,
Their furious cries I hear;
Their shouts of "Crucify!" appall,
Their curses fill mine ear.
And of that shouting multitude
I feel that I am one;
And in the din of voices rude,
I recognize my own....
Around the Cross the throng I see,
That mock the Sufferer's groan,
Yet still my voice it seems to be,
As if I mocked alone.
'Twas I that shed the sacred Blood;
I nailed him to the tree;
I crucified the Christ of God;
I joined the mockery.
Stop for a moment and ponder your sin and guilt that nailed Jesus to the tree. Think about your own deep need for His forgiveness. Have you called out for the forgiving grace of the gospel?
Picture your worst enemy, someone who has wronged or wounded you deeply. Are you ready to take your pain to the Cross and pray with Christ, "Father, forgive them"?
Charles Spurgeon, the eighteenth-century preacher, urges us to keep "looking into those five wounds, and studying that marred face, and counting every purple drop that flowed from His hands and feet, and side.... Smite your breast because you see in Christ your sin."
Have you been forgiven?
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. (Colossians 2:13)
Have you experienced these last words of Jesus by forgiving those who have wronged you?
Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
The Supernatural Power of Forgiveness
Could you forgive someone who murdered your family?
I once opened my national radio talk show with this question, and as you can imagine, the phone lines immediately lit up. My guest that day was Laura Waters Hinson. This deeply vexing issue confronted multitudes of Rwandans in the aftermath of their country's massive, bloody, and genocidal civil war of 1994. Moms and dads, sisters and brothers, and grandmas and grandpas were brutally murdered by rival tribes—and not by the quick shot of a gun, but by the savage thrusts of axes, machetes, and farming tools.
In her riveting documentary As We Forgive, Hinson chronicles the supernatural power of forgiveness that healed the Rwandan nation. A Christ-centered forgiveness penetrated this place where there weren't enough prisons to house all the guilty.
Or consider the remarkable testimony of forgiveness as told by Steve Saint. Four decades ago, Steve's father, Nate Saint—along with four other missionaries—was speared to death while bringing the gospel to the Auca Indians in South America. Despite his father's brutal murder at the hands of this savage tribe, Steve's family chose to extend them forgiveness. "Today," Steve says, "I have a home among these people ... and some of the very men who speared my father have become substitute grandfathers to my children."
Warning: Unforgiveness Is Hazardous to Your Health
There's a growing wealth of scientific support for the popular adage, "Unforgiveness is like pouring a cup of poison for your enemy and then drinking it yourself." Modern medicine has uncovered some remarkable yet not surprising data linking unforgiveness directly to a person's physical health. Unforgiveness causes a host of stress and anxiety-related health problems, while forgiveness reduces your health risk and "can actually strengthen your immune system."
The world-renowned Mayo Clinic has correlated acts of forgiveness with positive, healthy outcomes. Their studies show that letting go of bitterness leads to lower blood pressure, fewer stress-related illnesses, healthier relationships, and reduced risk of alcohol or drug abuse.
In contrast, the Bible sends a dire warning that withholding forgiveness will absolutely destroy you:
Look carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. (Hebrews 12:15)
A Mighty Current of Forgiveness
This first Word of Life from the Tree of Death sets in motion a mighty current of forgiveness that transcends centuries and redeems thousands. Jesus' words can heal the deepest wounds—even wounds inflicted by someone who murdered your family.
Have these words healed you? Have you found in Christ the payment for your sin? As Charles Spurgeon urges, "Let us go to Calvary to learn how we may be forgiven; and then let us linger there to learn how we may forgive. There shall we see what sin is, as it murders the Lord of love."
Here at the bloody scene, these forgiving Words of Life spoken from the Tree of Death could have been Christ's prayer for His neighbor. Another man was hanging in similar form just a few feet away ... a certain thief.
SCRIPTURAL REFLECTIONS ON THE LAST WORDS OF JESUS
Father, Forgive Them; for They Know Not What They Do
1. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered" (Psalm 32:1).
2. "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—that You might be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge" (Psalm 51:4).
3. "In return for my love they are my accusers, but I give myself to prayer" (Psalm 109:4).
4. "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared" (Psalm 130:3–4).
5. "'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD, 'though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool'" (Isaiah 1:18).
6. "He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities" (Isaiah 53:11).
7. "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him" (Daniel 9:9).
8. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7).
9. "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you" (Luke 6:27–28).
10. "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" (Acts 7:60).
11. "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse" (Romans 12:14).
12. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).
13. "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).
14. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14 KJV).
15. "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Colossians 2:13).
16. "For to this you were called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 'Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth'; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Peter 2:21–23).
17. "Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing" (1 Peter 3:9).
18. "And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Revelation 1:5).
LAST WORDS, FIRST STEPS
Chapter 1 Discussion Questions
1. Why does Jesus begin His last recorded words from the Cross with a word of prayer?
2. What does it mean to truly forgive and be forgiven?
3. Who was Jesus praying for?
4. What role did your sin play in the crucifixion of Jesus?
5. Is it more difficult to forgive or to seek forgiveness? Why?
6. What are some of the consequences of unforgiveness—both present and eternal?
7. What are the first steps to being eternally forgiven?
Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Luke 23:43 KJV
CHAPTER 2TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE
WORD OF PARDON
The man who baptized Jeffrey Dahmer was one of the more fascinating guests on my syndicated radio talk show, Truth Talk Live. Dahmer was a sadistic serial killer who infamously ate his victims. Found guilty and sentenced to death, he turned to God before his death.
What was supposed to be a cordial, inspirational exchange instead turned into a spirited debate. At the heart of the discussion were such issues as: Was it baptism or believing in Jesus that saved Dahmer? How legitimate are death-row conversions? Can someone as evil as Jeffrey Dahmer be redeemed by Christ's grace?
The answers to these hard questions can be found as you and I approach Calvary. Life and death and heaven and hell are directly encountered in this famous narrative of the thief on the Cross—the second of Jesus Christ's Words of Life from the Tree of Death.
Two Thieves, Two Prayers
Have you ever wondered why so many churches display three wooden crosses on their grounds instead of just one? The redemptive power of Jesus Christ is traced back to His Cross, and His alone. So why are three crosses often showcased? Is there a message here?
Perhaps three crosses represent the state of all men: the unredeemed, the redeemed, and the Redeemer. Perhaps we're all guilty as thieves and find our place on one side of the Cross or the other. Just as there are two sides to every story, in this story there are two eternally different results.
How many people called out for salvation at the scene of the Cross? The answer may surprise you: two (not counting the centurion's remarkable confession in Luke 23:47). Two sinners' prayers were offered that day from the two crosses on either side of the Savior.
In this account we have two robbers, two requests, two responses, and two results. The first demanded, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us" (Luke 23:39). The second implored, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42).
Bible commentator Warren Wiersbe notes, "It was providential that Jesus was crucified between the two thieves, for this gave them both equal access to the Savior. Both could read Pilate's superscription, 'This Is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,' and both could watch Him as He graciously gave His life for the sins of the world."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Last Words of Jesus by Stu Epperson Jr.. Copyright © 2015 Stu Epperson, Jr.. Excerpted by permission of Worthy Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Foreword David Jeremiah xi
Introduction: Seven Words of Life from the Tree of Death 1
1 Father, Forgive Them; for They Know Not What They Do: Word of Prayer 7
2 Today Shalt Thou Be with Me in Paradise: Word of Pardon 25
3 Woman, Behold Thy Son!… Disciple, Behold Thy Mother!: Word of Paternity 47
4 My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?: Word of Pain 67
5 I Thirst: Word of Passion 87
6 It Is Finished: Word of Perfection 107
7 Father, into Thy Hands I Commend My Spirit: Word of Peace 127
Acknowledgments 147
Notes 151
For Further Study on Christ's Last Words 157
What People are Saying About This
This is probably the most powerful sermon Jesus ever gave, but it's the one we often overlook. Don't miss it!
—Dave Ramsey, New York Times best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio show host
Stu Epperson has given us a well-researched, in-depth account of the Last Words of Jesus. If taken seriously, these words will change your life. I highly recommend this book.
—Gary Chapman, Ph.D., author of The Five Love Languages
With thoughtful sensitivity and depth of insight, Stu helps the reader connect the dots between Creation, the Cross, and the Crown as he draws back the veil on the personal meaning and powerful implication behind the words.
—Anne Graham Lotz
This wonderfully insightful book is about the greatest of all preachers, as He preached the greatest of all sermons. It was a proclamation of love for guilty sinners, heralded from the greatest of all pulpits—the Cross upon which our redemption was purchased.
—Ray Comfort, best-selling author, co-host of The Way of the Master