Seven Last Sayings of Christ

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This weekend is a time for us to reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for our salvation.

Christians around the world are focusing on the gift of Salvation.  We are remembering the agony experienced by Jesus in His death on the Cross, as He was crucified by Roman soldiers.

This first of seven sayings of Jesus shows that He was thinking of others until the end of His life. Even while experiencing the horrible pain of crucifixion, He was praying for the very people who caused His suffering. He came to earth for the purpose of forgiving sinners and He loved them and forgave them up until the end. 

In the final hours of His earthly time, as Jesus hung on the Cross, He made this statement – "FATHER FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO."

Jesus of Nazareth is looking down from the cross just after he was crucified between two criminals. He sees the soldiers who have mocked, scourged, and tortured him, and who have just nailed him to the cross.

At the height of his physical suffering, his love prevails and He asks His Father to forgive! 

It has been said that people are often remembered for the last few words they say.

… So His words of forgiveness are very profound.

 Jesus asks his Father to forgive, but it is by His very Sacrifice on the Cross that we are able to  forgive also.

Praise God!!

Amen

Elder Joyce Kellam

Here, in Luke 23:43, the Bible says that one of the criminals who was hanged, blasphemed Christ by saying, “If you are the Christ save yourself and us. But the other, answering rebuked him saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?” In other words, the second criminal was saying we have sinned and deserve to be punished.  However, this man (Jesus Christ) has done nothing wrong. In verse 43, Jesus says to him, “Surely I say to you today you will be with me in paradise.” 

Understand saints of God, that the devil does not want you to get to know God or call on his Son Jesus, so he uses deception to pull you away from God. Didn’t he try that with Jesus after he came off of a 40 day fast and was hungry? In Matthews 4, verses 1-10 when Satan tried to tempt Jesus, he said, “If you are the Son of God, command these stone to be made bread. He uses the phrase “IF you are…” to cast doubt. We see this doubt cast by one of the two on the cross-saying show me IF you are the Christ, save yourself and us too. This man was spiritually blind because he was looking at his situation and not looking at the one who could deliver him from it. While the other thief realized that he needs a savior so he repented right there on the cross. 

I understand we are born into sin, but we must not continue to practice sin. Have a repentant heart even unto death. To repent means to turn and stop practicing sin. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “For do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. You must have a heart of repentance and believe in Christ. He will help you to overcome your sin nature. Don’t wait until it is too late. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent today so you too can one day be with Him in Paradise. 

Elder Sherry Matthews

Scripture: John 19:26-27 KJV

26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

The Provision

As a mother and lover and follower of Christ these 2 verses alone mean so much. It brings to mind a broken, bloody, and bruised Jesus nailed to the cross – his mother on the ground below him crying uncontrollably, grief stricken and powerless gazing helplessly up at the son whom she loved with all her heart. As Jesus looked back at his mother seeing all her heartache and sorrow he was overcome with compassion and love for her, a filial love. A filial love is the love of a child for a parent. And as he hung dying on the cross, literally giving up his life to right the wrongs of the world he took the time to tell his disciple to take care of his mother! Jesus knew that his time had come, and he told his mother in that moment, “Woman, behold thy son!” He was not referring to himself, he was referring to his disciple. In other words, meet your new earthly son because their time on this earth had come to an end. He loved his mother so much that he made a PROVISION for her on the cross! See a PROVISION is the action of providing or supplying something for use or other arrangements for future requirements. A PROVISION was made!

See it can be hard to lose something that you need or love in the physical. Loss can cause sadness, stress, fear - but let me tell you the physical won’t ever last forever. But the spiritual – GOD – will last you a lifetime! The Lord will not ever leave you nor forsake you. He has made a PROVISION for you just like he did for his mother. When one door closes, he will open another, he will provide a ram in the bush, he will allow your cup to run over! Believe! This is God the one who can get water from a rock! 

As I sit here and observe my surroundings during this current Corona Virus pandemic, I see sickness, death, loss, fear – but I declare the fact that a PROVISION has already been made for me! An arrangement has been made; a supply is at hand for whatever I need! Just like Mary I will be taken care of - - why?? Because the Lord said so! The Lord said: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matt 6:31-33, But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor 12:9, Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matt 19:26.

Brothers and sisters trust and believe in God and his word. No matter how hard the times get, no matter how empty and lost we feel – God has made a PROVISION for us! God bless you!

Elder Shante' Durden 

First look at the Scripture: (Matthew 27:46 B) “My God, My God, why have you

forsaken me?”

If taken literally, this scripture can equate to pain, sorrow, agony, and abandonment. If

we look at the state of the world through our fleshly eyes right now, it would appear GOD has

forsaken us. No one should fear, this is all in an effort to gain our attention. Believers should take

a moment to repent and acknowledge GOD first in our lives. In the scripture, My GOD, My

GOD, why have You forsaken me? This is not a cry of defeat or weakness, because GOD had the

power to save JESUS at any moment. This cry was because Jesus would have to be separated

from the Father and because Jesus understands the magnitude of what must happen to save the

believers. Not many understand the significance of this cry.

From the scripture, “forsaken” is defined as; to renounce, or turn away from entirely, or

to abandon. If taken spiritually, 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin

for us, that we might become the righteousness of GOD in him. At the moment, when JESUS

took upon himself the sins of humanity, the Father had to turn away from the Son because the

father is pure and cannot be connected to sin. Just as it appears that Jesus was forsaken, we often

feel forsaken at times, but in the scripture, Jesus cried out to the Father just as we should cry out

to the Father. The added benefit is that since Jesus gave his life, now believers can become the

righteousness of GOD.

Minister Nathaniel Wiggins

 “I Thirst” 

Scripture:  John 19:28- (KJV) After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

In this chapter Jesus is being sentenced to death (the crucifixion). He had endured being mocked, had to carry a cross alone,  had a crown of thorns placed on his head, had to wear a purple robe, which was taken and divided up, was hit with a lead-tipped whip, and never complained.

This verse is very profound and necessary. This verse records the second three hours on the cross from noon to 3 pm. Notice that the only words Jesus spoke indicating pain and discomfort were I thirst. Thirst meaning Jesus had a desire, a longing, and a craving to fulfill the prophecy that God had ordained for him in Psalms 69:21. In comparison, like David felt in Psalms 22:1, where he felt forsaken by God in the midst of his enemies. David felt abandoned and forsaken. Jesus uses the same words that David spoke. Jesus took on the sins of the world and for the first time we can see in this scripture that He is separated from the Father and now He thirsts. Thirst to be reunited with God. Thirst to be reunited with His Father.

In conclusion, let’s remember what Jesus endured for us. Let’s thirst for the word of God, let’s pray more, let’s pattern our lives in a Godly way so we won’t be separated from Him. LET’S THIRST!

Ministers Julius and Dorchelle Dixon

Jesus knew his mission was complete. That which God sent him to do was a mission accomplished. Full atonement and satisfaction for it was given and peace was made. Enemies were conquered, all prophecies were fulfilled, and this was His and our entrance to Heaven. When Jesus bowed his head, it wasn't in defeat. It was submitting to God's will through the stroke of death. When he gave up the ghost, His soul was in the hands of God. Just know this, in John 15:13 Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends." He also says in John 15:15 to make it short, "I call you not servants for the servant knows not what his Lord does, but I have called you friends." So in other words, He is basically letting them know that I'm doing this for you. This is evidenced by what He said previously in John 14:2. "I go to prepare a place for you." So be encouraged and know that Jesus dying on that cross defeated every situation you can ever face. Anyone and anything that comes against you has been defeated, and you are covered in the blood of Jesus. Look at your situation from this day forward and say it with all authority. IT IS FINISHED IN JESUS NAME. Whether it's a bill, your job, your broke down car, your kids acting up, your spouse, your health, or your bank account, IT IS FINISHED. Don't worry, no more fear of not being good enough, not being accepted, or being lonely. IT IS FINISHED. The only time your head should hang down for now on is because you're praying. EVERYTHING IS FINISHED! 

Minister Deborah Womack

As the only begotten son of God paid the ultimate price for the sins of the world he

uttered these words of surrender, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.” The

number seven means perfection or completeness. The number seven also

represents rest in a finished work. God created the heavens and earth in six days

and He rested on the seventh day. This seventh saying from Jesus indicated that He

rested in His finished works on the cross. The task the Father had given Him was

now complete. So, as the temple curtains tore, the opening of the way between

people and the very presence of God, He rested and put His spirit in the Father’s

hand. WHAT A MIGHTY REUNION THIS WAS!!

My prayer:

Lord, I come to you humbly. I just want to thank you for loving your people so

dearly that you would send your only son to die for ours in advance. I pray when it

comes time for us to let go of this life, help us do it with the same kind of faith,

humility, confidence, and assurance that Jesus displayed…in the name of Jesus I

pray, Amen…

Minister Octavia Durden