WILL YOU BE AS GRACIOUS IN DEATH?

The seven last "words" of the dying Son of Man:

*   "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Lk. 23:34).

*   "Verily I say unto thee, 'Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise'" (Lk. 23:43).

*   "Woman, behold thy son!" (Jn. 19:26).

*   "Behold thy mother!" (Jn. 19:27).

*   "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?"  "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"                    (Mt. 27:46).

*   "I thirst" (Jn. 19:28).

*   "It is finished" (Jn. 19:30).

Even in death, the Lord Jesus Christ was more concerned about others than He was about Himself.  He prayed for those who had scourged Him (Mt. 27:26), spat upon Him (Mk. 15:19), driven a crown of thorns into His head (Mt. 27:29); mocked Him (Mt. 27:29), and nailed Him to a cross (Jn. 20:25)!

He had compassion on man next to Him, reassuring him that he would be with Him in Paradise, the place of those whose faith in Him had resulted in their being declared righteous (Lk. 16:23; Rom. 4:3; 2 Cor. 5:8).

He wanted to ensure that His young disciple, the one who held a special place in His heart, and His mother were going to take care of each other after He was gone (Jn. 19:26-27).

In my opinion, it wasn't until after our sin was placed upon Him, from noon on, when the sky turned black, that He experienced being separated from His holy Father (Mt. 27:45-46)!  It was then that He cried out in agony!  I do not believe it was because of the pain of the torturous death, but I believe it was because He was no longer holy!  For the only time in all of eternity, He was unclean became of our sin (2 Cor. 5:21).  It was then that He thirsted; not for water, but for righteousness (Mt. 5:6)!

 

Finally, praise God, He could say, "It is finished!"

"In the mean while His disciples prayed Him, saying, Master, eat.  But He said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.  Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought Him ought to eat?  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work" (Jn. 4:31-34).

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost" (Jn. 19:30).