Three Mighty Sayings

The Suffering Savior, Part 7
John 19:28-37; Luke 23:46

Jesus Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Gal.2:20 says the Son of God loved me, and gave himself for me.

There are seven statements that Jesus made from the cross. These seven statements have some very strong doctrine.

Father Forgive them, for they know not what they do, Luke 23:34 * The doctrine of forgiveness all of grace through the shed blood of Jesus. Our forgiveness is mediated by Jesus, provided by Jesus. It is all of His grace.

Today thou shalt be with me in paradise, Luke 23:43 * The doctrine of our entrance into heaven as soon as we die. Away with purgatory, soul-sleep! Salvation is through Jesus our Savior.

Woman, behold thy Son, behold thy mother, John 19:26 *The doctrine of Jesus’ humanity. He is the perfect man, the Son of Man as well as the Son of God.

My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matt.27:45,46 ** The doctrine of substitutionary atonement. He is the LAMB of God. (Mark 15:33-36)

I thirst, John 19:28 * He is the Water of life.

It is finished, John 19:30 *

Father into thy hands I commend my spirit, Luke 23:46 *

Jesus died a physical death and also a spiritual death on the cross. He died physically and really, but His death was also a spiritual death in that He died for our sins and took the equivalent of hell for all the sinners of the world.

As we come to the last message on the sufferings of Jesus, I have tried to see what Jesus went through. I preached on Weep not for me. I preached on his first word from the cross, Father, forgive them… Then we looked at those who cried, come down from the cross. We then saw the deliverance of the thief. Last week we looked at the cry associated with the three hours of darkness. Today we will bunch together the final three words of Christ from the cross. They come in succession and probably were not far away from one another.

1. A Cry of COMPLETION: I THIRST! “Dipso”

Jesus FULFILLS Scripture and completes all things that were written of the Messiah as He cries out, I thirst. This was the last thing that he must do in his perfect earthly life.

This cry of thirst, just one word in the original Greek, dipso, comes just after his cry out of the darkness. When you have darkness, forsakenness, and thirst, you have hell! When he cried, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, they thought he cried for Elijah. Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. As they sat and waited to see if Elijah would come, Jesus cried I THIRST. And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a hyssop reed, and gave him to drink. What do they give him to drink? A sponge dipped in vinegar, on a reed of hyssop, and put it into his mouth. Why hyssop. Is this a coincidence? No, for every word of God is inspired and there for a reason.

A. Completed the Picture of the Passover Lamb:

It is amazing that a hyssop branch was used to provide this vinegar drink to Jesus. Hyssop was used in the Jewish sacrificial system as a means of applying the blood of cleansing to the door of every Israelite family.

Hyssop is mentioned just 12 times in the Bible.

In Exodus 12:22, A bunch of Hyssop was used to dip into the blood to apply it to the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that was at the threshold. What a picture of the cross! Hyssop applied the blood to the door of the Jewish home, and it was hyssop that was extended years later to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world! Perhaps when they reached that hyssop branch to Jesus with the sponge, His blood spilled onto the sponge. What a picture! What a fulfillment of Jesus, our Passover Lamb, sacrificed for us!

1 Corinthians 5:7,8 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, now with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Leviticus 14: Hyssop along with cedar and scarlet was used to dip into blood and sprinkled upon the leper who was cleansed and also the house (Leviticus 14:4-7; Leviticus 14:49-52) was cleansed with the hyssop branch.

Psalm 51:7, Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

David realizes that he has the leprosy of sin that needs to be cleansed.

The sufferings Jesus endured were physical but they were also spiritual. That is what suffering the wrath of God is: physical and spiritual suffering.

B. Completed the Prophecies of His Suffering

This cry of I THIRST is a cry of FULFILLMENT. It fulfills Psalm 69:21. This whole Psalm bears reading! What a wonderful word from God.

Psalm 69:4: Quoted in John 15:25 (Hated without cause)

Psalm 69:8: Connected with John 7:3-5

Psalm 69:9: Quoted in John 2:17 (Cleansing the temple)

Psalm 69:20: Quoted in Matthew 26:37 (Garden of Gethsemane)

Psalm 69:21: Quoted in John 19:29

Psalm 69:22,23: Quoted in Romans 11:9,10 (Blindness of National Israel)

Psalm 69:25: Quoted in Acts 1:20

Thank God that His words have been preserved for us, so we can know that His Word will be preserved. Not a jot or tittle will pass from the word of God: everything will be fulfilled!

Do you love the Bible? If you are alive in Christ, one of the testimonies of your life is you love the Word of God. It is our food that we delight in! It is through the Bible that our faith grows. It provides strength for our soul, it provides high thoughts for our mind. The Bible will challenge your WILL, it your energizes your EMOTIONS, it your invigorates your INTELLECT.

2. A Cry of CONQUEST: It is FINISHED! “Tetelestai”

These last two statements come in JESUS’ LAST, FINAL BREATH. Jesus COMPLETES Scripture. The actual word is given just once, in John, but all three Gospels record that just before Jesus died, he cried with a loud voice. This is the TETELESTAI cry. This is the cry of a conqueror.

This was the cry with a loud voice that Matthew 27:50, Mark 15:37 and Luke 23:46

Matthew 27:50: Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Krazo: To cry out very loudly. To yield is to send away or to let go of his human spirit.

Mark 15:37, And Jesus cried (sent away) with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. Having sent off a great sound, He gave up the ghost. The word "cried" is aphiemi { af-ee’-ay-mee}. It is translated to send away, or forgive in our Bibles. It means:

“To go away leaving something behind”

This verb appears three times in the crucifixion account. The first time was when he said Father forgive them.

Jesus Christ went away with a loud voice, he gave up the ghost.

In Mark 15:37, there are two verbs ("cried" and "gave up"), and both are AORIST, that is past tense, and ACTIVE, that is, Jesus is doing the ACTION. He is not being acted upon. He is giving up the ghost. He is laying down his life for us.

Here is an ocean of meaning in one word. He is active in the moment of His death.

Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice… (And having sounded with a loud sound…)

A. He conquered all SIN finishing a PERFECT Pre-Written LIFE:

Every work Jesus was to do, He did. Every word he was to speak, He spoke. Jesus first recorded words in the NT are “I must be about my Father’s business.” (Luke 2:49) Now he says, IT IS FINISHED. What is finished? His Father’s business! Every person He was to meet, to heal, to raise from the dead, He healed. His perfect life of obedience to the Father is complete. He lived in absolute perfect obedience to the entire law of God. Every Scripture that related to His first coming, pertinent to His life, ministry, and suffering has been accomplished. Oh, what a life. What a perfect life. What a pre-written life! His miraculous virgin birth, His miracles of healing the deaf and the blind was pre-written. His ministry in Galilee was pre-written. His obedience was pre-written. He fulfilled everything the Messiah was to accomplish during his earthly life!

John 4:34 My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

John 5:36 I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same words that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

John 8:29, I do always those things that please Him!

John 9:4, I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

John 17:4, I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. His life was like a beautiful quilt, made up of individual deeds of love, and what a perfect life He lived! People have made a few quilts for us through the years, and each patch is sewn with thoughtful care.

B. He conquered Suffering finishing the PAINFUL Pre-written Passion:

It was pre-written that he would be rejected by the rulers and forsaken by his disciples (Psalm 118:22, Zechariah 13:7, Matthew 26:54-56). It was written that he would be beaten in his back and face, Isaiah 50:6.

Matthew 26:56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.

Luke 22:22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined.

Luke 22:37, For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, and was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

IT was written that he would be betrayed by 30 pieces of silver and that he would be numbered with the transgressors (Zechariah 11:13; Matthew 27:3,7; Isaiah 53:12, Mark 15:28). It was pre-written that those at the cross would cast lots for his garments and that he would die a cursed death on the cross, and that he would cry My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me? It was pre-written; All the anguish of separation Jesus endured was on the cross. He finished His suffering on the cross! Jesus did not suffer any torment in hell.

Perhaps this one word is the answer to the question, Why hast thou forsaken me? The answer is: telestai!  In order to finish his perfect, sinless life and substitutionary death on the cross! We are saved when we rest in the perfect finished life and death of Jesus Christ, and His righteousness is imputed to us freely on the basis of grace through faith!

Thank God we have a Savior who finished what he began. He finished his course perfectly and precisely. With His Spirit in us, we also ought to be finishers. What a great word: FINISHED. To start something and finish is a joy and blessing. There is satisfaction in starting something and then finishing it.

(Acts 20:24, 2 Tim.4:8, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith)

3. A Cry of CONTENTMENT: FATHER, Into Thy hands I commend my Spirit.

 Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Having sounded a great sound, Jesus said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.

This final word comes immediately after he says It is finished. It seems the last breath he took was to speak these last two sayings: It is finished, and Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, taken from Psalm 31:5.

In ONE breath he made TWO STATEMENTS!

Death is now come, and Jesus lays down his life. No man is taking his life from him. See how strong He is, as he cries with a loud voice. He only died because all has been fulfilled. What confidence in Jesus! He knew where He was going. Whereas he fulfilled Psalm 69:21 in his fourth cry, now he quotes Psalm 31:5 as his dying words. His last words before His death was a quotation from the Bible! There are many things Jesus could have said, for His name is the WORD OF GOD, and He is the Word Incarnate.

Psalm 31:5, Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. Notice Jesus did not quote the whole verse! Jesus was not redeemed, for He is the Redeemer!

A. Jesus’ Last Breath on Earth was SCRIPTURE

Is the Word of God precious to you? Is it your meditation? Is it your food? Is it your delight?

In Jesus’ last moments on earth, he both fulfilled Scripture, He completed Scripture and now He quotes Scripture. Oh, blessed Word of God. Holy Bible, book divine, precious treasure, thou art mine! If the Bible was such a book to Jesus, should it not also be to us?

B. Jesus’ Last Words on earth was a PRAYER: “Commend” means to place in.

Jesus is placing His spirit into the loving and eternal hands of His Father. If Jesus committed His soul to the Father, you can, too. You can do it today!

I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able, to keep that which I have committed, unto him against that day! You can deposit your soul into the hands of God and He will keep you safe and secure!

Have you committed your spirit to the Lord? This is the most valuable possession you have, for your spirit is eternal.

Are you confident and at rest that at death your spirit will be with the Father? YOU MAY! Are you sure that the God of heaven and earth is your Father? YOU MAY! These were the death words of John Huss, and Polycarp, and Luther, and others.

Stephen said, as stones were heaped upon him, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit, Acts 7:59

Luke 23:47, Certainly this was a righteous man.

Matthew 27:54, Truly this was the Son of God. The veil of the temple was torn in two; the earth did quake; the rocks split open; and the graves were opened.