The Lord's last words

… Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother and his mother's sister Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was sent a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled the sponge with vinegar, and put it upon his head, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. Matthew 27 verse 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama, say back the night. That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The 23rd chapter of Luke, verse 33 And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others, let him save himself, if he be Christ the Chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, saying, If I be the King of the Jews, save thyself. And the superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew, This is the King of the Jews. And one of the malefactors which were hanged, railed on him, saying, If I be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, skiing out in the same condemnation? We indeed justly, for we receive the duly reward of our deeds. But this man hath done nothing of this. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. 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. Such a well-known story to so many of us, isn't it? But I want to speak for a little while, and hope that we shall meditate while I speak. I myself also. Upon the words from the cross. The words spoken by the Lord Jesus under such tremendous circumstances. You know, it was over 1900 years ago that the Lord Jesus died in terrible agony. A suffering which no human has ever had to bear, mental as well as physical and spiritual. A suffering which was precious to God, but was nevertheless terrible to him. You know how it is that we treasure the last words of people who are dear to us? I came across a book not very long ago containing a whole list of famous last words. Spoken by various people. A person of the Battle of Trafalgar. A famous millionaire who died offering the whole of his millions for another ten years of life which were denied to him. What a terrible way to die. Or there are other last words we treasure, especially those we rely on. I remember not very long ago, my dear father-in-law's last words. I believe they were his last words when he said, I've seen him. And his wife, knowing who he was talking about, said, no dear, you're going to see him soon. He said, no, I've seen him. And I believe he had. He wouldn't have been the first to have been vouchsafed a glimpse of the glory just as he was about to go. Daisy Watton said, the glory shines before me. Well, we treasure those last words. We believe he had a glimpse of the blessed Lord himself before being carried up into glory to the one he loved and the one he served so long and so faithfully. Well, these are last words we treasure. But above all we treasure the last wishes, don't we, of someone we really love. How many a one has been reconciled to someone he'd been estranged from. Because maybe at mother's dying bedside, mother has said, dear, I do wish you would get together again and make it up. It was her last wish and they'd moved everything to make that last wish come true. And it's been a means of their reconciliation. How often that sort of thing has happened. And we say, I couldn't do that. It was father's last wish that I shouldn't. And so on. What about the Lord Jesus? If we treasure those quite ordinary words by people we've never met. If we treasure the words of those we love who've gone from us. Their last words. What about the last words of the Lord Jesus himself? Very nearly his last words before he took that last long journey up the hill to Calvary. Spoken in the upper room. Were very simple. It was a dying wish. From one who loved us more than anyone has loved us. This dew, he said, as he broke the bread and poured out the cup of wine and passed it to his loved ones. This dew in remembrance of me. It's my dying wish. Do this. Another time he said, if you love me, you'll keep my commandments. I wonder, as we give our consideration of those words from the cross, I wonder. Does someone here, to whom those dying words of the blessed Savior whom they love. Come home with a new power. With new meaning. A dying wish. This dew in remembrance of me. If I haven't done it. If I don't do it regularly. Must I not question my own heart as to whether I really love him? If you love me, he said, keep my commandments. Well, it wasn't that of which I came especially to speak. I couldn't help saying that as I thought of these last words. There were seven words from the cross. There were seven things that the blessed Lord Jesus said in his agony there nailed to a cross of wood. Three of them were concerning other people. Three of them were concerning himself. The last was a universal one. So often people in the world put themselves first in every consideration. How does it affect me first? And then they'll think about other people if there's time. Last of all, if ever, they think about God and his things. It shouldn't be so with the Christian. It should be God first. Others second and self last, if anywhere. I wonder if there's a tendency with any of us. I look into my own heart to put myself first. Or even to put others before God. Well, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, nailed that to a cross. So what about others? And the first word I want to speak about is that one which he spoke about, not merely others, but those that hated him. Those that had nailed him there to the cross. His enemies, his unconverted enemies. What did he say about them? Did he blast them with the breath of his mouth? No. He said, In all love, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. He sings of them, don't we? No man of greater love can boast than for his friends to die. Thou for thy enemies wast slain, what love with thine can buy? Father, he said, forgive them, for they know not what they do. I know when I was a bit younger, I felt like saying, No, not what they do. Of course they knew what they were doing. They did it deliberately. They didn't, you know. At least not if we're to believe the blessed words of the Lord himself. Is that what comes up into your heart? It came up into mine. It's a natural thought, isn't it? In defense of our blessed Lord that we love. Of course they knew what they were doing. He said they didn't. I wonder in our love to our people around us is like that. We tend to get annoyed with somebody who annoys us, or tries to annoy us. How easy it is, isn't it, to hit back and retaliate. And they say, Well, he started it. He can't stand me, and I'm not going to bother about him. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. People who slam the Christians, people who run us down, people who pour scorn upon us. They don't know what they're doing. I don't believe they're worthy to be blamed. They don't know what they're doing. They can't know what they're doing, or they wouldn't do it. Well, let's adopt the same attitude of love as the Lord did. However we may feel inside, our natural self may react to what happens to us. Let's take the Lord's line of things. He's always the safest to you. What a contrast to the world. I remember reading a story some time ago about a battlefield during a war. And an officer was walking around with a little posse of his bodyguard around the battlefield. He came to an enemy soldier who was lying there dying. And the officer walked up to him pulling out his water bottle to give him a last drink of water before his enemy died. There was love. And as he approached the enemy soldier, no doubt mistaking his intention, raised himself up on his elbow and drew his revolver and shot him through the heart. That's love. Yes, but he himself fell back a moment or two later dead. Riddled with bullets on the officer's bodyguard. You say, serve him right. Perhaps that wasn't what the Lord said. But that's the way people behave. He asked for it, he got it. Yes, he asked for it. And these asked for it, but they didn't get it. The Lord said, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Which is a very high standard to take. The Lord could do it. He was perfect. He was divine. He can do it. It's not so easy for me. I know it's not so easy. It depends how near the Lord we live. Doesn't it? Stephen did it. The first martyr. He died calling upon the Lord Jesus and saying, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. I can't but believe that he heard the Lord say those words on the cross and thought that's the pattern for me. Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. Or you say that was Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost. I couldn't live up to that. You could if you came to it. You would have the same power in you. A martyr dying at the stake many years ago, condemned there by the King of England and the wicked laws that he introduced because he wouldn't recant his faith. What did he say? He prayed as he has the flames lit up around him, Lord, open the King of England's eyes. He prayed for the one who brought him to that state of affairs. It is possible with the power of the Lord Jesus in us. But the Lord Jesus. Isaiah tells us, chapter 53, he bared the sin of many and made intercession. Intercession for the transgressors. He prayed for those who were transgressing. He prayed for the sinners who nailed him to the cross. I don't know whether there's a transgressor here. Oh, I know that we are all sinners because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But, thank God, most of us are saved sinners. Saved by grace. Our sin is gone. It went to Calvary and we've taken advantage of it. And I wonder if there's someone here who hasn't, before I pass on, who is still a transgressor. Could you resist love like that? The love of one who prayed for you while he died upon the cross, nailed there by people like you and me. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. What will happen if you turn from your sin and turn to him? What has happened to so many of us who turn from our sin and turn to him? Why, we've got the example here of the thief upon the cross. We find out what happened. What did the Lord Jesus say to him? Thief, robber, murderer, we are told in one of the Gospels, murderer. The Lord said to him, verily I say unto you, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Today, there are people who don't believe in deathbed conversions. That's not so bad, as the people who say, oh well, I'll wait until I'm on my deathbed. There'll be plenty of time then to turn to God. You know, to people like that I feel like saying, lovingly, that'll be all right if God is gracious enough to you to allow you to be crucified. Gracious enough. To allow you hours and hours of agony and nothing else to do but think about your past life and the future. He may in his grace allow that. But you can't think of that. This thief had hours to think, hours of agony, mind you. Hours to look back at his past life with regret and remorse. Hours to look back at his past life with regret and remorse. Hours to look at the blessed Saviour by his side to hear his loving gracious words. Praying for those who nailed him there. Plenty of time if you like to think. And he used it. And he thought. And he emptied it. Well, today the scripture says, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Now is the day of salvation. Now when you are face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ. Well. There are people who, damn Christians, who have been used by the Lord to win others for him. Lovely thing it is to be a sole winner for the Lord Jesus. To win others for him who has won us to himself. Won us to himself. What a wonderful thing it is. When they get to a certain age, they think, well now, there are plenty of young ones coming along. I can sit back, I can retire. The real sole winner never retires, you know. I know, I knew a grand old man who has recently gone home to be with the Lord. He was a, he didn't know he came if I mentioned it. I was at the house where he had an accident and died the following week. Seventy-five, I think he was. Seventy-five and still going strong. He was there serving the Lord, winning others, winning boys, young people to himself. What a lovely winning way he had. He never retired. And nor did the Lord Jesus. There he was, nailed to the cross. Dying, but still sole winner. Still time for that poor wretched man at his side. Still time to think about his future. In all his agony and suffering. And all the knowledge of what God was about to place upon him. There upon the cross. He had time to win another son before he died. Today shall thou be with me in paradise. He had also time for those who loved him. He prayed for his enemies. He prayed for a lost sinner at his side. And he also thought of those who loved him. What a lovely little gesture was this. That he should turn to his mother standing there, no doubt weeping. Maybe thinking of the future. Probably not, I don't know. She probably had no thought for anything but her beloved son there on the cross. But he thought of the future. He wasn't lacking. And he turned and said, Woman, behold thy son. Son, behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. He thought about her future. Dying there in agony. With a load of sin about to be placed upon his blessed head by God. He thought of her future. He made provision for her future. He had time to think of others. Even in those circumstances. And notice. He wasn't merely occupied with his success in soul winning. How easy it is, isn't it? If the Lord is gracious enough to use us. In blessing to others and to his glory. In the winning of someone for him. How easy it is to sort of live on that for a few months. And think how wonderful that experience was. And all the time we forget. We've got to go on. Let's not be occupied with what the Lord does to us. Wonderful though it is. We can praise him for it. We should praise him for it. But let's go on. Turn from the dying thief. To think about his mother. Woman, behold thy son. Son, behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. Woman, behold thy son. For all that the Lord would give us. Large hearts. To encompass all these things. To bear all these things in mind. He loves. He thinks. He thinks of you. Up there in the glory today. That's what he's there for. Interceding for you. He cares for you. You mother who may be sorrowing about somebody or something. You who have been through some trial that you think nobody really understands. He understands. He knows. He cares. He knows all about it. He's time for his mother. He's time for the Apostle John. He's time for you. That's what he's up there for. Interceding for you. He can do it now. He does. But the lovely thing about it is. That at a time like that. At a time like that. He remembered her. He thought of her. Back in the Old Testament. We have Joseph in the prison. And the butler coming free. Joseph's last words to him. When this happens. Remember me. Won't you? We are told that we forgot him. I wonder what came over that man. A long time afterwards. When Pharaoh had his dream. And he suddenly remembered Joseph in the prison. He suddenly remembered his broken promise. Oh the remorse. Oh the regret. Oh the death. As he thought of all that time. He'd broken his promise to Joseph. Then he remembered him at last. So the Lord Jesus remembered him. Have you remembered? Have you remembered him? He said at the beginning. His dying request. Won't you remember me? In this way. Have we forgotten him? Then there were those dead for three hours of darkness. Oh day of deepest sorrow. Day of unheavenly grief. When thou didst taste the horror of wrath without relief. No one knows. No one but he. Knows what wrath without relief is. Yet. There will come a time when those who finally refuse the Saviour. Will know the horror of wrath without relief. The horror that he bore on the cross of Calvary. Of which they could have enjoyed a benefit. Had they but wished. But no one so far. But he has known the horror of wrath without relief. No wonder he cried again on the cross. No wonder there came. Those dreadful words. Never. As God or man. Had he experienced. Before. What he experienced that day. Thank God never again would he experience it. For he had to be made sin. The one who knew no sin. To be made sin. For us the horror. Of the wrath of God. Without relief. No wonder he cried. As he turned at last from the. His beautiful thoughts of others around him. When it came crowding in upon him. And at last. He said my God. My God why hast thou forsaken me. His thoughts at last. Turned inevitably to himself. For the first time. For the first time he had no thoughts of others. If we may say so. For the first time he was completely overwhelmed. I don't think we can ever really fully enter into that. How overwhelmed. He must have been. The holy spotless Lamb of God. Made sin. For you and for me. Forsaken of God. I used to think. Why forsaken? Why did God forsake him? The prophet tells us. Makes it quite clear. Thou art holy. O thou that inhabitest the creation of Israel. Thou art holy. The prophet tells us. Thou art of purer eyes. Than to behold iniquity. God had to turn his face. Because our iniquity was laid upon him. The chastisement of our peace. Was upon him. And with his stripes. We are healed. And yet. We have no time for Jesus. You know. I believe that. Three hours of darkness. Was. As the hymn expresses it. The center of two eternities. Which look with rapt. Adoring eyes. Onward and back. To thee. The center of all God's plans for the universe. All God's plans for humanity. The center. Three hours of darkness. There upon Calvary. The three hours to which the whole of eternity. Looked forward and planned. In the mind of God. And the three hours to which we. Throughout eternity to come. We shall constantly look back. With adoring and worshipful hearts. Because he there. Bore our sins. The most important thing. Of the whole eternity. When the Lord Jesus Christ. Was born. He was forsaken. In order that we might never be forsaken. By God. And now we can claim that promise. I am with thee. I will never leave thee. Nor forsake thee. He had to be forsaken. But we have a wonderful promise. That he will never forsake us. Because he was forsaken there. And then. Came that. Cry. I thirst. I thirst. They gave him. Vinegar to drink. Mingled with gall. When he tasted thereof. He would not drink. Why? Why wouldn't he drink? Apparently he drank later. When there was nothing but vinegar. Because gall was a. A drug. It was given him. By some. Kindly heart. A man who was not quite so rough. As one or two of the others. Thought to dead in his pain. When he had tasted thereof. And realized the intention. He would not drink. Why? There was to be no gall for him. There was to be no escape. From one atom. Of the dreadful pain. There was to be no escape of one. One little bit of the dreadful suffering. That God had marked out for him. And that he had come to take. Willingly. From the hand of God. I come he said to do thy will. Oh my God. I don't want to escape any of it. I want to do it fully. I want to do it perfectly. When he had tasted thereof. He would not drink. He wouldn't escape any. Of the suffering. Until. The question of sin. Had been dealt with. Until. So to speak. God. Had headed out. With his beloved son. Not for his sin. But for ours. But I wonder sometimes. If the words. I thirst. Coming in the midst of an agony. Hadn't a further meaning. Than his. Physical suffering. The atonement. Of the suffering. Of the cross. In the case of crucifixion. Is one of dreadful thirst. Parched lips. Parched mouth. But I wonder if there's something beyond that. He had in mind when he said. I thirst. Was he thirsting for the. Precious souls that were around him. For the hearts. And the love of those. For whom he was dying at that moment. I wonder if you and I. Thirst sufficiently for souls. Have got such a. A longing to win others for him. The blessed one who died for us. That we could say and mean it. I thirst. That others might have the water of life. I'm longing to be used. To their blessing. Are you a thirst for souls? Am I a real thirst for souls? Or are we content to go on with our own salvation? Quite happy. Quite happy. Quite joyful. Quite peaceful in the Lord. Yes. Blessed be he made. But with no thirst for others. Well God give us that thirst for souls. Which I believe. Was in the heart. Quite sure. Was in the heart of the blessed Lord himself. Even in his dying agony there. Then. Father. Into thy hands. I commend my spirit. What a lovely last word that was. Wasn't it? No longer. Notice. My God. My God. When he was bearing your sin and mine. He could only address. God as God. God had. Turned his face. For Satan. The one who was sitting down. It was my God. My God. The one who hates sin. The one who must judge sin. The one who was judging sin. But now. Now as the moment approaches. Once again he can say. Father. Into thy hands. I commend my spirit. Father. The one. With whom he was. One. In the whole. Plan established. One. In the work that he was carrying up there. At Calvary. One in his planning. Back in eternity. When he said Lord. …