Woman's Info Articles

As our Savior hung on the cross two thousand plus years
ago, He was recorded as saying seven things. When
broken down, each one is profound and provocative. I want
to look deeper at the very last words of Christ, and perhaps
you may never have heard them quite like this before.

I did a message a week ago in church and the final
triumphant ride into Jerusalem on a donkey to the
resurrection of Christ was discussed and what it all meant.
This was God's final masterpiece and all of it was foretold
thousands of years ahead of time. This Resurrection story
was the final stroke on God's canvas of the true meaning of
life, for all of us.

As I mentioned, this event was not the fault of any one in
particular. The Jews did not kill Jesus, the Romans did not
kill Jesus. In fact, you and I didn't kill Jesus either. If you
remember the conversation that our Lord had with the
pompous Pontius Pilate when he told Jesus he had the
power and authority to take His life. Jesus simply told him,
"I'm sorry you think you are that powerful, but only My Father
in heaven can do this." I'm sure it was an ego deflating
moment for ol' Pontius, but it was truth.

We still stumble with this today. It's time we realize that no
one took Christ's life except God Himself! God came as
flesh to earth in order to give His life so that we may gain
ours! We are the reason that Christ died, but we don't have
that kind of power and authority to say we took it! We need to
be humble and look at the whole bigger picture here.

As I ponder deeper into the seventh and final words that
Christ spoke while hanging on that cross, I recognize the
Master's final stroke on His canvas of life, God's
masterpiece in the making.

"And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into
Thy hands I commit My spirit.' And having said this, He
breathed His last." Lk. 23:46

These very words were penned by David thousands of years
before Christ. In Psalm 31:5 David was crying out to God the
Father. Just as Jesus felt in the flesh, David felt weak and
vulnerable to God's response. Psalm 31, speaks of the
"Hasah" kind of faith. It's the kind that we run to our Father
for protection, like chicks to a mother hen. This is where
David and Jesus both ran when they cried out these words.
God may not be answering at that moment, but they both
trusted in His protection. As this psalm ends, it goes from
crying out for help to a definite assurance of His divine
protection.

"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who
hope in the Lord." Ps. 31:24

So, Jesus' seventh and final statement is very meaningful
for us today as His followers. First of all, numbers are very
important to God. I'm not talking about numerology, but
God's meaning. The number seven means completion. He
completed and rested His work on the seventh day. Jesus'
last and seventh statement was God's complete stroke of
genius.

As Christ commited His spirit unto His heavenly Father, the
final event of His life on earth was completed for our
salvation, which was God's plan from the Garden of Eden
until the Garden of Gesthemene.

If you read in Mark the account of this, right after Jesus
spoke these words, the curtain to the Holy of Holies was
torn from the top to the bottom. Wow! The masterpiece is
now complete!

Up until now, people sacrificed blood offerings to God to
atone for their sins. But, Christ Who was the sacrificial
Lamb came to save us all because His was the only blood
that God would accept. It was pure, and clean, without spot,
blemish or wrinkle. God's Son Who had no sin, became sin
for all of us. Only His blood would give God the pleasure of
the sweet aroma of sacrifice. This was the beginning of the
New Covenant that God made with His people. We all can
go into the Holy of Holies. We no longer need a priest to
make atonement for us. Christ is the great High Priest who
intercedes for us today. The curtain was torn from the top
down to the bottom, which means God's grace comes down
to us and we are now given admission into His kingdom
through His Son.

When Jesus cried out these last words, it was just the
beautiful beginning of a love relationship with us. This
Friday as you recognize it as Good Friday, remember that it's
more than just good, it's wonderful! God loves you so much
that He had you in mind when He put that last stroke on His
canvas and calls it His masterpiece!

I am in awe of the wisdom of God and the power of His love
for those He calls His children. If you're not gathered to Him
as a baby chick to it's mother, then cry to Him today and ask
for His forgiveness of all your sins, past-present-and future.
Confess to Him now that you recognize His Son as your
Lord, the One you want to live for, and your Savior because
He saved you from death and sin and hell. If you truly believe
that He died and rose again to give you life, then thank God
for His grace and mercy. It's a free unmerited gift of love.

Jesus took our place so that we might have His peace.