Last Words Part 3

Well, I want to welcome everyone here this morning. And as you see on the screen if you find a John chapter 19, if you'd like to be and you by Will I hope everyone had a good week this week. I hope you had a chance to get out and enjoy the nice spring like weather. I believe spring is on the way. It's just going to take a little while to completely get here, but it will get here. We far from blizzard to Sun in about half an hour here. So we're heading the right direction. So last week if you were here, you know, we had the privilege of having the Kings with us the associate director of the Northeast fellowship and they really enjoyed their time here. They calls West Smyrna A Little Piece of Heaven. And it is in the summer.

Continue to pray for them as they minister to and in church is all across New York & Beyond as the Northeast Fellowship expands into Pennsylvania in Ohio and two other places. I also want to encourage all of you this weekend coming up to pray for the teens. If they go to the you seminars is 11 of our teams from here going over to new Woodstock for those and it's just a great time of teaching learning on their part and fellowshipping with other Christian teens. Cherry, pick up at this week. Pray for them. I believe that God is going to touch Hearts this weekend and pray that they will come back with their lives impacted in their life change for the better from the seminars. What are Sunday morning messages where the series on the last seven statements of Jesus on the cross and we know the last words are often memorable and important in Jesus's last words were hanging out across give us some great insights great encouragement to give us some insight into his heart in the first week of a series. We looked at his prayer for forgiveness for the most responsible for putting him on the cross when he prayed father forgive them for they know not what they do not two weeks ago. We saw his promise to the criminal it was crucified next to him. And when he said truly I say to you today, you'll be with me in Paradise today. I want to move ahead and look at the third saying Jesus on the cross when he talks to his mother and to his disciple John each one of these 7 statements are very profound with meaning and purpose. Jesus knew very well the power of His words as a Son of God as the Eternal King of Kings as the Living Word of God. He knew the importance of his words on the cross so that I mentioned earlier. We shoot us third statement from Jesus and John chapter 19. We're going to read the second half of her 16 verse 27 never going to look a little closer verses 23 through 27 so far along will listen as I read these verses Should I take Jesus and he went out very his own cross to the place called the place of a skull witch in Aramaic is called Golgotha There They Crucified him the way them two others one on either side in Jesus between them. All right. I also wrote inscription and put it on the cross Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews many of the Jews read this inscription for the place where Jesus was crucified with near the city and it was written in Aramaic and Latin and Greek. So the chief Priests of the Jews set the pirate do not write the king of the Jews or rather. This man said, I am the king of the Jews are they answered what I written I have written. When the soldiers that crucified Jesus they took his garments and divided them into four parts one part for each Soldier. Also, there's tuna for the tuna was seamless woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said to one another let us not tear up the cast lots for it to see who's in Shelby. This was to fulfill the scripture which says they divided my garments among them in for my clothing. They cast lots super soldiers did these things but standing by the cross of Jesus with his mother and his mother Sister Mary the wife of clopas and Mary Magdalene when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom you love standing nearby. He said to his mother woman behold your son that he said to disciple you told your mother and from that our the disciple took her own home. Let's pray. Where is me? Come before you this morning and look at your word. I pray that. You will give me the words that you would have me to say but I pay you open each heart here to what you have for them this morning Lord. Let me decrease increase through your word in Jesus name. Amen. How many of you here are the oldest in your family among your siblings? Quite a few of you is a lot of good things about being the oldest child in a family. You're welcome. You get time with your mom and dad before any other brothers and sisters come along. You're the first to be able to do everything. You don't have to wear hand-me-downs usually.

If you have older cousin, just not necessarily too.

There's some good things about being the oldest and that was especially true in Jesus time even more. So if you're the oldest son because the sun got the inheritance. There's just something special about being the oldest in the family. Sometimes use a special bond with y'all. This will have with their mom and dad. Oldest children sometimes seem to think that their favorite just the way it is about being the oldest. Not always true and my family is the youngest it feels favorite. That's not me.

But there is a lot of good things about being the oldest but there's also a certain responsibility that goes with being the oldest child. Sometimes you have to watch over your younger brothers and sisters. Sometimes it's other responsibilities that the younger ones may not have is exactly the same thing with Jesus. He was the oldest son of Mary and his Earthly Father Joseph. At this point when he's crucified, it appears as though Joseph is no longer Around Jesus went to the Cross. He had a responsibility to make sure that his mother was taking care of it while he was hanging on the cross he made provision for her care. He simply said as we riding John 19 26 and 27 woman behold your son into his disciple. He said behold Your Mother 3 in awhile died on the cross. He was taking care of his mother Mary. Samuel Johnson was up a British and I'm going to butcher this way but lexicographer who that someone who makes dictionaries. He said depend on it sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight. It concentrates his mind on himself. Wonderfully. Was there ever a moment when we would expect a man to concentrate and focus his mind had him self to think only of himself. It's surely at the hour of his death, especially if the death that he's experiencing is painful Fortress. You would expect them to focus on himself and his immediate needs. Every respect someone was being crucified to be self-absorbed. We talked about that how people weather on the cross. He tended to blaspheme everyone including their mother and their father. Yeah. Jesus was in excruciating pain pain and none of us can even think about coming close to imagining while hanging out across starting out of himself what he thought of others including his mother is that all three of the statements that we've looked at so far is Jesus thinking of and caring about others above himself. He first prayed for forgiveness of those responsible for.

What province the criminal that his spiritual needs that you would be with Jesus in paradise and here in a passage that he takes care of his mother and she departs this Earthly life. William Barclay describes the scene in this way. He says there's something infinitely moving the fact of Jesus in the agony of the cross in the moment when the salvation of the world hung in the balance by The Rolling until his mother in the days when he was taken away. You provided for his mother not only her loneliness but as well see also her spiritual needs as well in this time don't want to divide this passage of scripture up into three sections and then have three takeaways for us from the passage this morning to the first thing I want to see is an important garment in verses 23 and 24 of those versus again.

What episode is a crucified Jesus they took his garments and divided into four parts one part for each Soldier. Also, there's tuna for the tuna was seamless woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said to one another let us not Tara cast lots for it. She who said she'll be supposed to fulfill the scripture which says they divided my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots. So the soldiers did these things.

Traditionally a person being crucified will be escorted to where the crucifixion was going to take place by 4 soldierz. And once they got their clothes in the executed would be at the disposal of those soldiers. It was one of the perks of the job. Born a whole lot of good things to associate with being an executioner. But this was where I'm getting the clothes of the person being executed was one of them. Most of the time they would take them and they would sell them to make extra cash on the side. Usually that extra money to use for beer or wine or something Self Indulgence. Well, normally a Jew and Palestine would wear 5 garments they have a robe they have a belt that are sandals head covering in a tunic or an undergarment the first 23 here we see that the soldiers divided up Jesus's garments the problem is that we have five garments and Four soldiers, so there's one extra 320 got one garment and the tunic was left and a tunic as I mentioned his undergarment the King James uses to work coat if you're looking at a vsxu says undergarment in the ESV here says So it would have been the inner layer of your foot other clothing of course different than our undergarments today, but there's a full layer clothing over which one would have won the role. It was 23 also tells us that this time it was seamless it was woven one piece from top to bottom. It would have had a fairly good monetary value. So the soldiers decided to gamble for it might be asking. What's the big deal about Jesus's to knit? What a tune-up was a very unique and special garment and that day was Jewish custom that a mother would make a tunic for her son's to commemorate their coming-of-age who's very likely that Mary. Probably had done Justice for Jesus. Possibly presenting this very garment to him when he left home to begin his public Ministry.

It would have been a special gift of love and endearment from mother to son. So think about Mary In This Moment. She's at the cross where Jesus is being crucified. One could argue very easily hardest moments as Jesus's mother it was she standing there. She has to watch his shamefully stripped of everything and he has yet to watch is the soldiers divided up his clothes in first tunic Yeah, this is a natural part of the crucifixion process. But these were the clothes that possibly married given to Jesus. possibly her last physical reminders of her son now that you gamble for Why do soldiers? And what Jesus is in physical Agony and marries an emotional Agony watching all this happen. We see amazingly if these soldiers do I have to call it because clothes are gamily for student totally indifferent. What's happening on the cross? You at least a religious leaders? I demonstrate outright hostility towards Jesus. They're playing dice try to win a piece of clothing for the purpose of the ages God's plan for the Redemption of mankind has been consummated on the cross nearly feet from them. And they don't seem to care. How many people today are like that? People that know what Jesus did on the cross. They may even know what he died for the sins of the world, but they're completely different. They just go about doing what they do in difference of the life-changing work of Christ on the cross. When this was happening with the soldiers were talking about how they would settle the matter of Jesus's clothing in the student completely oblivious to Jesus in his work on the cross. Jesus natural turns his mother's reaction. If we look at the flow of the narrative verses 24 through 26, you realize the job may be telling us about this tunic to show Jesus turning his attention to his mother. Toufexis agonizing Gaze on her because he had a special relationship with his mother. That's the second thing. I want to see his two important relationships from verse 25. 425 says was standing by the cross of Jesus where his mother his mother Sister Mary the wife of clopas and Mary Magdalene? Nothing verse 27. We see John is also their total of 5 people. They were close to Jesus that are standing near the cross that day. We have Mary Jesus's mother with Mary sister. Another text name was quite possibly solo me. With Mary wife of clopas. We're Mary Magdalene. We have John only those five. I want to take a closer. Look at the chimney. Cheese's addresses directly In this passage. The first one is Mary the mother of Jesus. At all all throughout this horrendous crucifixion of her son. Mary was there. What Jesus's disciples had deserted him his friends had forsaken him the nation despised him a moment. What does mother stood there hour after hour silently watching? And we all know how mothers feel about their children. Every mother has hopes and dreams for the child and Mary was no different. She had hopes and dreams for her son. Just like you have for your children. Mary knew that her firstborn son was the son of God, but certainly the cross could not have figured into her hopes and dreams for him. I can imagine as she stood there watching him. Hang on the cross everybody Halloween actually drifted back to his birth gerasenos associated with that. But look at her son on the cross. He had having sense of helplessness every mother cares for her child when they fall and hurt themselves. They kiss the pain away. They wipe away the blood cord that child has pain dissipates. No parenting never stops. You ever have adult children know that American do anything about she couldn't hold you so she can help pain go away. We are having Steven Tyler's early this weekend and shuffles riding around and I'm pretty sure he hit his head three or four times while we were there. And he would run to either his mother as father and they comforted him until he felt better. It's what a parent does. As Mary sees Jesus on the cross her heart went out to him, but she's unable to do anything to stop at Auntie. She can do anything to alleviate the pain. Mary was a remarkable woman. She was blessed among women. She was chosen by God to carry and raise his son when Jesus was 8 days old Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple prophecy directly to Mary and Luke 2:35. Simeon says in a sword will pierce through your own soul also. As she stood near The Cross seen her first born son on that cross those words were fulfilled in their ass or was piercing straight through her soul. Ameri been the first to place a kiss on his forehead without a forehead was crowned with thorns. She was the first to hang on to those little hands and feet as a child, but not his hands and feet were nailed to the cross. It really the fact that she was there at all was amazing. Should have to be there but she was there and she heard the crowd. They were mocking her son. She heard the criminals talking her son. At least at first I was both of them and then it was when she heard the religious leaders jeering at her son. Mary's first born son was bleeding. He was dying. He was strung up like a piece of dead meat and Mary stood there soaking it all in. It's amazing. She didn't faint or collapse language of a broken heart.

What are texture John draws attention to Mary because Mary had enjoyed a special relationship with Jesus for somewhere around 33 years. A mother-son relationship is worth noting our Jesus addresses his mother in this text. In verse 26 when Jesus speaks to her. He doesn't call her mother. He calls her woman. Model we would expect a son to call his mother. If I ever called my mother woman lets you say at one end well for me. But there's no archness in his language from Jesus. It was the term of endearment to be a quitter. I'm using Madam or lady today. It's really a title of consideration of honor and respect. The term of endearment but it's still not a terminally looks like a dying sun to use for his mother. In fact, it's not required anywhere in the gospels where Jesus public Falls Mary Mother. He was always restrained in his choice of words when speaking to her and we see that at the cross here as well. He's giving Comfort to Mary he's making provision for her future care. But he's doing much more than that in this moment. The truth was that from here forward Mary like any other father of Jesus would have to have a new relationship with him. A relationship that wouldn't be based on physical or family ties with a spiritual relationship with Jesus as her Lord in her savior. We said may have been blessed among women, but she was chosen to carry and give birth to godson nurtured and she raised him. She has special unique relationship with him, but even all that would not and could not save her spiritually. She had to have a different relationship from this moment forward and recognized him as her board for savior. the second person that Jesus address in Paris John we said there's only five of Jesus's friends and followers mentioned as being at the cross. The question is where where are the others? Where was Peter who it said he would die with Jesus Paid It All Fred and they were hiding and John is Fred and ran away. Just like the rest of them. There's no mention of the artist Coming Back to Me Near The Cross but John came back and he stood by the cross and he identified himself with Jesus and it's a shame. It was a very dangerous thing to do. To the Romans. Jesus was a man who deserve to die to the religious leaders who is a heretic the lunatic? It's a be a disciple and a friend of such a man could very easily bring the same punishment upon you as well. But we see John standing near The Cross watching his friend his savior being crucified. It was about to hear thirdly important instructions like a vs. 2627.

When Jesus saw his mother ended disciple whom he loved standing nearby. He said to his mother woman behold your son may sent two sets of the disciple behold your mother confirm that our disciple Tucker. It was our home. So as we know it already while Jesus was suffering this unimaginable physical and mental Agony of crucifixion. You remain mindful of his mother and make sure that she was taken care of. The question I think up here is why did Jesus use this specific moment to make these Arrangements? Otherwise across thinks that this is the end for Jesus because we know it's not we know he's going to rise from the dead 3 days after this and 40 days after that. He's going to ascend back to heaven. So why not take some time in those 40 days and sort this all out or why isn't it already taken care of just a tourist disciple several times. He was going to die. Why not sorted out before he went to the Cross why this moment while he was on the cross where I believe in honor of Mary and John and to point to the fact that they'd have to have a new relationship with him. As a mother son. Not as a disciple and teacher but his followers and savior. Another question might be wise you need to bother at all. Why did you just need to sort out where Jesus wears mother's going to live? All indications are they his Earthly Father Joseph. It died out lyrics Jesus was a teenager. But we also know that Jesus was not an only child Matthew. 13:55 says is this not The Carpenter's son is not his mother called Mary or not. His brothers James and Joseph Simon and Judas just very state of Genesis family who can look after Mary why turn to a disciple y think that answer wise John 7 chapter 5

that verse just for not even his brothers believed in him. So that probably explains why none of his other family members were there at the cross? Better believe that he was who he said he was they had no real connection with Jesus so they weren't there. He comes from an unbelieving family. So if you come from an unbelieving family you feel alone in that don't feel alone. Jesus knows the pain of being from an unbelieving family.

So no cost family nearby Jesus turns to the disciple whom he loved John and Essence Jesus inaugurates a new relationship between his mother and his close friend. Marywood an Essence now be John's mother job would be married son. So I read a verse 27 that Mary went to live with John from this time forward. If you look only one page 2 chapter 20 of John. You see the three days later after Mary Magdalene and come to the tomb she went and she told Peter and John about it. And I run to the Tomb of Jesus on that morning to Peter goes into the gray first and I John enters we reading John 28 speaking of himself John, right? He saw I believe so John he knows at that point that Jesus has been raised from the dead. We're meeting John 2010, but they return to their home. So think about that verse for a minute. TriWest was home. He shared the news with Mary. We're not living in his home that her son had been raised from the dead.

This is a great story of love and compassion between Jesus and his mother. But what can we take away from it or first thing is to to care for your family. It was really should go without saying but Family Matters family is important that mean something. Jesus Christ on the cross Seas Mary standing there, no doubt with a broken heart and he cares for her. He can take away your pain but he can't provide for her and even moments before his death. He lives out the fifth of the Ten Commandments. Are we seeing Exodus 20 verse 12 Potter your father and your mother here on the cross. Jesus basically gives his last will and testament in ancient Israel word for binding today. We have to go to a lawyer and make our will Jesus just had to speak it. He said the mayor is going to go on live with John and it was binding. Who binds Mary and John in a new relationship?

When we care for our family we please God. He's the one who gave us our family. And we need to nurture and care for our family. And I understand sometimes we questioned why he gave it the family that he did but it's one thing that we have no control over. So we have to thank God for the family that he's given us and we need to take care of that family and I can be hard sometimes. What family does matter Jesus model that for us, but he was on the cross. Secondly we need to care for your our spiritual family. Are indications that Jesus and John may very well have been first cousins, but even more significant than that, they were spiritually related. Jesus was a teacher. The rabbi John was his student in his follower. John uses the word disciple of Jesus refer to himself. First and foremost John was Jesus's disciple his follower don't care for this woman as your own mother John doesn't seem to break and I he takes her in from that day forward. What job called his disciples to follow him. He also called them to be a part of a group at first. It was a small nucleus of 12. But those 12 and later expanded 120 in another room and it is 3000 into 5000. It just kept growing and growing. Every single one of them had a connection to the Lord Jesus Christ and also to each other. When you become a Believer, you don't just join yourself to Christ. You also join your life to Christ Family. If you're a child of God that you're connected to every other person in this world who calls Upon Jesus as their lord and savior. I hope I don't have to say this, but I'm going to anyways, the church is so much more than a building or an hour service and you come to a week Trish is a family the spiritual family and I will say that Brian King told me last week that this church here does a lot better job of acting like a family than most of them and he's in Have you ever felt like in wonder why many times that we feel closer to our Brothers and Sisters in Christ in your own blood relatives? Because we share a spiritual journey. It was just something really powerful when people connect on a spiritual level. I would love for each other in our community within the body of Christ because of witness that Jesus is Alive working or Miss. If you haven't figured it out over the last year, that's what I'd life groups are all about. Hell, yes, we like getting together. And we like to spend time with each other. We like to eat together, but it's also mostly about strengthening our spiritual bond with each other. It's imperative that we support each other in our spiritual family. If you're part of the family of God know that you are never alone, even if you might feel like it but coarse God is always there with you but there's also a fellow believer nearby when you need them most gracious 6:10. So so then as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone and especially to those who are of the household of faith. we're family and sometimes our spiritual Roots deeper than our biological wants to so care for your family care of your spiritual family and thirdly value others above yourself. We know that Jesus is the ultimate servant. He told his disciples on numerous occasions. He came to serve and not be served. We read about that Philippians chapter 2. He humbled himself even to the point of death on the cross a true servant focuses. Are the needs of others? And we repeatedly see Jesus doing that. Consider his first three statements on the cross. We've already talked about it, but I forgive them for they know not what they do not thinking of himself for thinking of the what you're playing on the cross that needed forgiveness check out late. It was today. You'll be with me in Paradise not thinking about himself on the cross with the spiritual needs of the criminal that was being crucified next to him. And today we seen Jesus focus on his mother picking up his attorneys for zone is very simply value others above yourself that it doesn't mean to self care is not important. If you want to care for others, you have to protect the time to recharge your own battery and beside yourself. I can't come up here and preach God's word and hopefully feed you a little bit spiritually if I'm not being fed by at first. I have to take time to read and to pray to meditate on scripture. I have other preachers that I listen to on a weekly basis to help feed me. You take care of yourself first, but then once you take care of yourself think of others and their needs before your own. As we think about the scene of the Cross and instructions to Mary and John as Jesus is dying. I want to see a picture to scene for a minute Jesus on the cross in his eye ice skating. Across the car looking at the faces looking for those who he hoped would be their name of his disciples his followers. It looks over the car. He doesn't see that he just see these five there vegetarian three three women they marry. Salome a John men love Jesus so much that they dare to be there near The Cross in spite of the Roman soldiers and the religious leaders. I believe that gives him a message of speech to those of us who would dare to draw near to Christ even at Great cost and I also believe it speaks to those who are not willing to do that babe. What are your the following trace and seeking now or you're not Or we could talk about the cross we can sing about the cross, but the really experience the truth in the power of the Cross. You must go to the cross and stand in his presence. It's only in the presence of across and you can hear the ringing Herring of the nails is a nail Jesus to that cross only nine. Can you hear the thud of the cops when they drop into a deep hole only the cross. Can you hear the final member with powerful words of Jesus? The truly experience across you have to go to the cross and you have to determine for yourself for the man is it's dying on the Southern Cross. And that brings us to this life-changing question. Just how close are you willing to get to the Cross of Christ? Seriously, think about that. How close are you willing to go? Yeah, we sing songs about the cross all the time. We did it this morning. We sing The Old Rugged Cross you sing the wonderful cross there sounds like near The Cross at Calvary When I Survey the Wondrous Cross and and and I could go on and on we sing songs that have rides in about the safe. Thank you for the cross Lord. And we can talk about the cross we have for three weeks in a row. We're going to continue to do that. But let me ask you this morning. What is it need to stay in the presence of the cross? How is that even possible the Workhorse speaking of a spiritual relationship with the one who died on that cross Jesus Christ, so I asked you once again, how close are you willing to get the cross? Are you willing to risk your life to stand So Close To The Cross by his blood spills on you. Are you ready to face the ridicule and Scorn of the world that you can stand close to the cross. Do you choose to be close to Christ? If you said fall off Rock from safe distance? The choice is yours and only you can decide how close.

If you desire to be close to Jesus in his class if you have purpose and meaning for filming, then you must become Jesus's disciple and you must be a disciple of Jesus above anything and anyone that this world has to offer. For that to happen. You must go to the Cross. You must see the Cross of Christ believe with all your heart that he is the Son of God that he is the savior of the world who died for your sins. Let's choose to live for him with all your heart and all your soul. That my friends is a great call of God in your life. People want to know all the time. What is God's will for my life? Well, that's it right there trust in Jesus. As your savior and I live for him in short be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Do anyone can hide in the back of the crown in the far distance away from the cross he call themselves so I can put a real disciple will stand close to the cross. Can you imagine the soldiers who were there that day stepping into eternity and realizing what they missed?

Is a lot of people in the world just like that. I know. Who was on that cross they know what happened on that cross yet. Somehow they miss what's happening. Because it takes more than just being there because there were many there that day. Just like those soldiers they stood in the present in the shadow of the Cross there completely clueless and I moved by what was happening. and by what they saw

we mention the soldiers were there and they missed it. The religious leaders were there. And I missed it. The thought was crowd was there they saw was happening and they missed it. I don't want any of you to miss it. That's exactly the reason why I have taken 7 weeks and speaking on the cross. So maybe someone by the grace of God will hear these messages or perhaps believe for the very first time in the Cross of Christ. Because you can miss it. You can sit in church entire life, but still miss it. And I don't want that to happen to any of you. It's a choice that everyone has to make. You have to choose for yourself what you're going to believe about the cross and believe about the man who died on the cross.

But you never believed in him and his work on that cross you need to do that today. If you have believed you called Upon Jesus to save you from your sins, but you slowly drifted away on the cross if you're no longer standing near that cross. You need to take measures to move back closer to the Cross because there's room at the cross for every single one of you let spray.

Lord we thank you once again for the cross. We thank you for your provision.

4 not only your mother's physical needs but her spiritual needs and in turn every single one of our spiritual needs more than you thought of others. You thought of everyone on Earth before you thought of yourself. Can we thank you. Or if there's anyone here who needs to come to the cross and believe and what you did there for the very first time I pray that they will do that before they leave here today. I pray that you will work in their heart. She won't let them rest until they take care. But if there's anyone here, maybe they have taken that step but they've slowly drifted further and further away from the cross further away from you Lord as we mentioned a few weeks ago to drift away from you. All you have to do is nothing. Life is someone here the structure the way I pray that you grab ahold of that you pull them back to you this morning Jesus name. amen