Between now and Good Friday, I will be examining the seven statements recorded in Scripture which were said by Jesus as He suffered crucifixion.
Jesus of Nazareth was a Jewish man from the tribe of Judah, who had worked until about age 30 as a carpenter. At about age 33, Jesus was ordered to be executed by the Roman prefect (governor) of Judea. That day was the Passover, considering a Hebrew calendar day starts at sundown.
The Roman government crucified many people over many years. Of what importance is the crucifixion of Jesus to humanity today?
The critical importance is revealed in the Bible, and one such verse is as follows:
“…[God] loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (I John 4:10 NIV).
First, though fully human, as He showed from the cross, Jesus was fully divine, as expressed from the cross. In being God, death went against every aspect of His nature, except one, that one aspect being His sacrificial love for all people.
Second, Jesus suffered on the cross for every sin of every person of all time. I John 2:2 records that Jesus died for the sins of the “world,” with the context of John’s statement meaning that Jesus died for all Jewish people and all Gentiles.
In step with the first point, we are going to learn that God the Son, in the midst of the ultimate suffering through six hours of agony on the cross, remained obedient to the Father. He continued to love the Father. He continued to love people.
How did Jesus remain obedient?
Jesus knew who He is. Jesus knew the Father is His Father. Jesus knew the Holy Spirit is His Spirit.
Even during that event of agony as He faced an inevitable separation in the Trinity for the only time in eternal history, Jesus still realized who He is.
And in step with the second point, we will further discover how eternal life was made possible for all people of all time, a gift which had been thwarted due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.
What Jesus said from the cross as He suffered gives us revelations about the nature of Jesus and the mission of Jesus during those pinnacle hours for all humanity.
Hunter Irvine
