On “Good Friday” in 1968, I had a blessed experience
with the Lord. I was working in downtown
Los Angeles while I was at Biola. My
boss, at the Ace Print Shop, permitted me to go around the corner to the Church
of the Open Door (the original location of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, and
where J. Vernon McGee was pastor during my Biola years) and attend part of their
Good Friday services. They had 7 half
hour segments, each with a congregational song, special music and one of their
pastors speaking on one of the “seven last words of Christ” from the cross. Growing up in my church, I don’t remember an
emphasis on the seven last words. Perhaps
that was why it meant so much to me in 1968, and why I have preached on them in
my own ministry. For two posts I would
like to present these words of Jesus, along with brief notes from one of the
occasions when I have led a congregation in the study of these words. May the Lord encourage you in your faith in Christ
as you meditate on what our Lord considered important during those hours at
Calvary.
|
WORDS |
SCRIP. |
TRUTH |
|
Father, forgive them… |
Lk. 23:34 |
1)
Jesus prayed (1st, 4th, 7th
sayings). 2)
Did not pray for Himself. a)
Prayed for those around Him. b)
Thus He condemned himself. 3) This saying reminds us WHY He was there & WHO put Him there. |
|
Amen. With me. |
Lk 23:43 |
1)
Classic illus. of a)
“faith alone”. b) The inability of man to please God by works. 2) No clearer picture that “God justifies the ungodly.” |
|
Woman, behold thy son… |
Jn. 19:26-27 |
Mt. 1:20-23 1) This speaks loudly of the uniqueness of Christ as
Savior! 2) The point is NOT the importance of family. a) Though He was fulfilling a family responsibility. b) Mary had been there at the start, Jn 2. c) Mary had been with others who thought He was crazy. 3) The point is that Mary too needed salvation! a) After the cross Jesus & Mary were not family. b) Rather they are Savior/ Believer (Ac 1). |
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