He Spoke from the Cross

"And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other one on the left. Then Jesus said..." (Luke 23:22-34a). What did Jesus say? From the cross at Calvary seven times Jesus spoke. These seven expressions grant us the privilege of peering into the mind and soul of Jesus at the very time He is accomplishing God's will as the Lamb, who was slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). In each spoken word, there is a message and a lesson. In each spoken word we glimpse the humanity of Jesus or the heart of Jesus, or the mission of Jesus, or the compassion that Jesus still had for others even while He was suffering and dying on the cross. From the cross at Calvary seven times Jesus open His mouth fulfilling prophecy and revealing, through His words, who He really was and what He came to earth to do. The Gospel writings in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John affords us the opportunity of being at the cross and hearing Jesus speak seven astonishing statements: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:33), Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43), "Woman, behold your son" (John 19:26), "Behold your mother" (John 19:27), "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me" (Matthew 27:46), "I Thirst" (John 19:28), "It is finished" (John 19:30), and "Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit" (Luke 23:46). May what be written in the pages of this book enlighten you as to why Jesus said what He said and what relevance His words are intended to have to us today.