April 2006 chaplain's corner
The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.
Chaplain’s Corner – April 24, 2006
Rev. Rich Hines
Christ’s First Three Statements From The Cross
This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as
their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain in a jail, prison
or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.
All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the
Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a
text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs ().
These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages,
or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s
culture. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize a text, or to make
a comment about a biblical text.
With Resurrection Day (Easter) past and in the wake of all the talk generated
by the unbelieving world and its' presentation of “The Da
Vinci Code,” I want to look briefly at some truth and at Christ’s seven final
statements from His cross. This month we’ll consider the first three and in
May, the final four.
In order, the seven statements were:
“Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” - Luke 23:34
“Assuredly (amen), I say to you, today you will be with Me
in
“Woman, behold your son...Behold your mother” - John 19:26,27
“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” –
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” - Matthew
27:46, Mark 15:34
“I thirst!” - John 19:28
“It is finished!” - John 19:30
“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” - Luke
23:46b
We know from Scripture that Jesus was crucified at 9
AM. He was on the cross for six hours before He died at around 3 PM. The first
three statements were made between 9AM and noon. Then, as it turned dark, for
three hours from noon to 3 PM, Jesus said nothing. Then the final four
statements then came in close succession, at around 3 PM.
The First Statement:
“Father forgive them, ...” - Luke 23:34 (for the sake of time in this message I
will not deal with the second part of this statement, “they do not know what
they do”). Suffice it to say most sinners don’t even realize they offend God
when they sin, and certainly most people don’t really know who Jesus is.
I want you to focus on “Forgive them.” This statement expressed His love for
wicked sinners. Compare Acts 2:22,23 KJV - “Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved
of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the
midst of you, as ye yourselves also know; Him, being delivered by the
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have TAKEN AND BY WICKED HANDS
HAVE CRUCIFIED AND SLAIN;”
When you present the gospel tell your hearers it was for their wicked sins that
Jesus, with full knowledge of those sins, willingly endured the crucifixion and
death! He did it so that they could be forgiven! He died in their place.
Matthew 26:67,68 gives a glimpse of the Jewish temple
guards’ sadistic wicked mistreatment of prisoners. “Then, they spat in His face
and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying,
‘Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?’
”
The Roman soldiers were even more sadistic. After Jesus had been scourged,
leaving very deep open wounds on His back, we read in Matthew 27:27-31:
“Then the soldiers of the (Roman) governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. AND
THEY STRIPPED HIM AND PUT A SCARLET ROBE ON HIM. When they
had twisted A CROWN OF THRONS, THEY PUT IT ON HIS HEAD, AND A REED IN HIS RIGHT
HAND. And they bowed the knee before Him and MOCKED HIM, saying, ‘Hail,
King of the Jews!’ Then, they spat on Him, AND TOOK THE REED AND STRUCK HIM ON
THE HEAD (on the crown of thorns!). And when they had mocked Him, THEY TOOK THE
ROBE OFF HIM (this action would rip open some of the wounds, as blood had
coagulated between the cloth and the raw flesh of His back), put His own
clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.”
But Jesus said of them all, “Father forgive them!” He
loved the wicked Jewish leaders and their police, the Roman authorities and
EVEN THE WICKED callous soldiers that tortured Him and eventually drove the
spikes through His human flesh!
Here’s a point to make with your resident inmates. He loves the most wicked inmate in any prison. HE ALSO LOVES THOSE IN
AUTHORITY, LIKE POLICE AND CORRECTIONS OFFICERS – even the ones who may
sometimes act like Jesus’ torturers. He died to make even their forgiveness
possible.
INMATES NEED TO SEE THEY CAN BE FORGIVEN, AND THEY NEED TO FORGIVE OTHERS –
even those they consider corrupt corrections officials.
A perfect and yet further example of this truth is in the SECOND STATEMENT He
made from the cross:
“Assuredly (amen, truly), I say to you, today you will be with Me in
This expressed His love to an individual wicked sinner
that REPENTED, before he died. Scripture records Jesus was crucified between
two criminals. One of them repented and said both he and the other criminal
were receiving “the due reward of our deeds.” (Luke 23:41).
Considering the scene, isn't it amazing that from the side of Jesus Christ, one
man eventually wound up in heaven and the other in hell. All that
were in “paradise” on the day Jesus died ended up in heaven. And, they
are there with Him today (see Ephesians 4:8-10).
Another important thing to consider is, being “close” to the kingdom is not
good enough. To be saved one must repent and truly commit their self to Jesus
as Lord and Savior like this one repentant thief did. As I said, from Jesus’
side one went to heaven and the other to hell.
The repentant believer said in Luke 23:42: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
With these words, we see this man COMMITTED HIMSELF TO THREE THINGS as he made
his request.
1. He believed Jesus was his Lord.
2. He believed Jesus was the only One who could save him from the eternal
consequence of his sins.
3. He believed Jesus would rise from the dead and come back in glory in His
kingdom.
And Jesus, through His pain, in love responded to the man with the guarantee of
eternal life and heaven. Love reaches out to others to give them what they
need. The dying criminal needed assurance, and Jesus in love, gave it to him.
INMATES, LIKE THIS ONE CRIMINAL UNDERGOING EXECUTION, NEED TO REPENT AND TRUST
CHRIST. They need to commit themselves to Jesus as their Lord and Master. They
need to believe He is the only One who can save them from their sins and they
need to believe He rose from the dead FOR THEM. If they do, He will likewise
give them the assurance of one day eternally being WITH HIM.
Consider this old hymn – written by John Newton, 1725-1807, from OLNEY HYMNS,
1779. Certainly, part of these words reflect the new
attitude of the one repentant criminal, who placed his faith in Christ before
he died. Show them all to your inmates.
“IN EVIL LONG I TOOK DELIGHT”
In evil long I took delight, Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight, And stopped my wild career.
I SAW ONE HANGING ON A TREE, IN AGONY AND BLOOD,
WHO FIXED HIS LANGUID EYES ON ME, As near His cross I stood.
Sure, never to my latest breath, Can I forget that look;
It seemed to charge me with His death, Though not a word He spoke.
MY CONSCIENCE FELT AND OWNED THE GUILT, And plunged me in despair,
I saw my sins His blood had spilt, And helped to nail Him there.
Alas! I knew not what I did! But now my tears are vain:
Where shall my trembling soul be hid? For I the Lord have slain!
A SECOND LOOK HE GAVE, WHICH SAID, "I FREELY ALL FORGIVE;
THIS BLOOD IS FOR THY RANSOM PAID; I DIE THAT THOU MAYST LIVE."
THUS, WHILE HIS DEATH MY SIN DISPLAYS IN ALL ITS BLACKEST
SUCH IS THE MYSTERY OF GRACE, IT SEALS MY PARDON TOO.
WITH PLEASING GRIEF, AND MOURNFUL JOY, MY SPIRIT NOW IS FILLED,
THAT I SHOULD SUCH A LIFE DESTROY, YET LIVE BY HIM I KILLED!
Inmates and all those who hear the gospel should respond to Christ and His
death for them like the words of this song wonderfully exhibit. They need to
repent and receive God’s pardon and forgiveness through faith.
Finally, look at the THIRD STATEMENT of Jesus from the cross:
“Woman, behold your son...Behold your mother” - John 19:26,27
This statement demonstrated His love for His human mother. It also TEACHES US
AN IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE.
By this time in Jesus’ human life, His stepfather Joseph had more than likely
died. In cases like that it was usually the eldest son’s responsibility to take
care of their widowed mother. If the eldest son died, then the next oldest
brother normally assumed that role.
But in Jesus’ case He did not commit the human care of His mother into the
hands of a half-brother (according to Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3, He had at
least four) but rather to the Apostle John, the son of Zebedee. Why? This is
important. Because AT THAT TIME none of Mary’s other sons were believers
(compare John 7:3-5).
Here’s the point. A very important aspect of our love for family and friends is
not to encourage them to be influenced or have their future in some ways
determined by unbelievers. INMATES NEED TO HAVE SOLID OUTSIDE BELIEVERS CARE
FOR AND GIVE DIRECTION TO THEIR FAMILY AND LOVED ONES IN THEIR DAY TO DAY
ABSENCE.
In closing, consider the fact that most inmates, even those that have truly
been saved, struggle with self-centeredness. This is a real problem with their
thought life as it relates to their “time” and “case.” Challenge believing
inmates to be more like Christ. By His Spirit who lives within them, they can
mirror His heart of love as we see it displayed from the cross.
Even though He was suffering incredibly, in these first three statements the
Man Jesus made from the cross, He was still more others-centered than
self-centered.
If anybody could ever rightly say of their sentence, “This isn’t fair!” it
would have been Jesus. But, not being focused on self He said, “Forgive THEM!”
He then assured a FELLOW CONVICT of a better future, and He cared more for His
human family than He did for His OWN LIFE.
As you teach these things to your inmates and residents and they eventually
live them out – it will help them. Even more importantly, it will glorify God
as they face life and even death, loving others like Jesus did.
Until May, when we will go over the final four statements of Christ from the
cross – may God bless the teaching of His word through you – my brethren!
Rich Hines - Minister To Chaplains -