Three cries of Christ

Thank you very much for your welcome. You have made me feel very welcome and I appreciate that. In England we call this the graveyard slot.

Not that it's the graveyard of preachers, you understand, or at least I trust not, but preaching to the saints after they've got a good deal of food in their belly, well it's like seeking to raise the dead, you see, so we call it the graveyard slot. And I don't think these chairs help. They are remarkably comfortable.

They are the best conference chairs that I have sat in, perhaps ever, but I will do my best just to interest you this afternoon in the word of God. So chapter 19, and all I want to do is draw your attention very briefly to two statements that the Lord Jesus made from the cross. John records three of those statements, but we're only going to think about two of them.

Now verse 25 says this, Now you've got a contrast, because I take it there was a quaternion of soldiers, there were four soldiers, they parted the garments of the Lord Jesus, he had five garments, they parted four of them, one to each soldier, and the vesture that was woven from top to bottom without seam, of course, they dare not rend that, they cast lots for it. So you have four soldiers and verse 25 is then a contrast, now or but they're stood by the cross of Jesus. So four soldiers that are there out of a sense of duty, and now you've got four women, and they're at the cross out of a sense of devotion.

Now here's a statement, When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, behold thy mother, and from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home, literally into his own things, and you can learn a good deal about obedience from that statement, it was immediate and it was complete, John took her into his own things. Now Mr Newbery, I don't know about your bible, but Mr Newbery has a gap for good reason, because verse 28 then says after this, so please note that we are just now at the end of the hours of darkness.

Now John doesn't record those hours for a spiritual reason, but he may well also not have recorded those hours because he wasn't there, and he had taken Mary to his own home, but nevertheless they're not recorded. Now verse 28, after this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, finished, fulfilled, that the scripture might be fulfilled saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it upon Hissop and put it to his mouth.

Another of John's references to the Passover, there are a number in this chapter, it's only John that speaks of the Hissop. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished, and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. That's all I want to read, the Lord will bless His word.

Now let's pray. Our Father, we thank Thee again this afternoon for Thy goodness towards us, how we have enjoyed a veritable feast around Thy word this morning. Our Father, so much to encourage us, so much to edify us, so much to challenge us, and we pray that these things might not be lost from our minds, but in fact that they might continue to speak to us by the power of the Spirit of God, and just affect the way that we live, and the way that we walk.

We thank Thee for Thy dear people here, those who have taken the time, made the effort to convene these meetings, and our Father, provide food for our physical bodies. We thank Thee for all of that, and for Thy people who have taken the time to be here, some traveling a great distance even today, and we pray this afternoon, as again we turn to Thy word, that Thou will fill us afresh with blessed thoughts of the Saviour, and that this time spent around Thy word might be of great blessing to one and to all. We thank Thee for him, we thank Thee that that work is done, it is finished.

Done is the work that saves, once and forever done. So we pray that Thy word might be a blessing to each and every one of us, help us to concentrate our minds, our hearts we pray, as we ask these things in the Saviour's name. Amen.

So John will record for you, just in these few verses, three of the seven sayings of the Lord Jesus from the cross, and you might categorize them just like this. Verse 28, well that is a cry of suffering. He says, I thirst.

Verse 30, I'm going to call that a cry of service. He says, it is finished. One word as you know in the Greek, and then the reference that we're just not going to draw attention to this afternoon because of time, but verses 26 to verse 30, you have the thought of, or rather I should say verse 26 itself, that's a cry of sympathy.

When Jesus therefore saw his mother, he says, woman behold thy son. So a cry of sympathy, a cry of suffering, and a cry of service. Now look again please at verse 28, after this, after those hours of darkness, we are about the ninth hour.

Jesus knowing, what a theme of John's gospel, that all things were now finished. That's the same word that you have in verse 30, it is finished. Now knowing that all things were finished, that the scripture might be finished, completed, fulfilled, he said, I thirst.

That's not a complaint, that's not a complaint. That is a statement of fact, and it just underlines for us in the gospel of the Son of God, something of the real suffering, and something of the true humanity of the person of the Lord Jesus. And it was a fulfillment of scripture.

Psalm 69, in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Now I'm sure you do this, but I want to commend this, especially to younger believers. It is a great thing to compare the gospel records, a great thing.

See what is similar, see what is different, where are the contrasts. You see John here is drawing attention in chapter 19 to various prophecies that were fulfilled there at Calvary. Now if you turn to Matthew's gospel and you're reading Matthew's account of the crucifixion, you might say that Matthew emphasizes the power of the cross.

You see it's only Matthew who tells you that there was a great earthquake, and Matthew speaks about the veil rent from the top to the bottom, and the graves being opened. Everything about Calvary in relation to Matthew is power, and that's because where the word of the King is, there's real power. That's Matthew, and you follow that through into the resurrection, things that Matthew tells you that no other gospel tells you.

When it is that you come to Mark, well Mark has in view the perfect servant, and so he will emphasize when it comes to Calvary the precision of the cross. Not so much power, precision, because the perfect servant does everything according to the timetable of deity, and so it's only Mark that tells you it was about the third hour, and they crucified him. And Mark will tell you about the sixth hour, and Mark will tell you about the ninth hour.

He's telling you that everything here at Calvary is under the power and authority of the Son of God. Make no mistake about it. It was the third hour they crucified.

What about Luke? Not so much power, not so much precision. When you come to Luke's gospel it seems to me it is the pity that is associated with Calvary. You see there were some women, they were weeping as he carried the cross in strength to the place called Golgotha.

He said weep not for me, weep for yourselves and for your children. It's only Luke's gospel that records that statement of the Lord Jesus. Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Here's the perfect man, and such perfect pity and compassion that characterized him. You say what about John? When you come to the cross in John's record, well I've already told you, it's prophecy and the cross. Now John by the way is also emphasizing glory.

There's no doubt about that. It's glory all the way through. But I just want to draw your attention to prophecy and the cross.

So look back for example at verse 24. They parted my raiment among them and for my vesture they cast lots. Psalm 22.

Verse 28, that's where we are now. That the scripture might be fulfilled saith I thirst. Psalm 69.

Have a look at verse 36. These things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled. A bone of him shall not be broken.

Exodus 12. And again verse 27, another scripture was fulfilled. No, no.

Another scripture saith they shall look on him whom they pierced. Zechariah 12. Do you see what John's doing? He's taking a statement from the Pentateuch.

And he's taking statements from the Psalms. And he's taking a statement from the prophets. 1500 years before Christ.

A thousand years before Christ. 500 years before Christ. And he says listen, it's all being accomplished.

It's all being fulfilled according to the word of God. And says John, this scripture was fulfilled. You say what about the last scripture? Another scripture saith.

Why is that? Because that scripture is yet to be fulfilled in its entirety. You see there's a day coming when a nation, when a remnant, shall look upon him whom they have pierced. But John's just seen a little hint.

He's seen a little foregleam and foreshadow of such a scripture. And so verse 28, this cry of suffering, I thirst. It's a fulfillment of scripture.

Now my brother, my sister, what do you think about this statement? Do you know I marvel at it. The fact that the one who made the statement is the fountain of living He says, I thirst. Two million people are coming perhaps out of Egypt.

Not only do they need to be fed, but they need to be watered. And Moses in striking the rock and causing the water to flow, what a picture it is of Calvary. There was, listen, not a trickle.

There was a fountain. There was a waterfall that flowed forth from that rock. And Paul says in first Corinthians 10, he says, well, those who got there first, they drank, not a bit of it.

They all drank of that rock that accompanies them there in the wilderness. And says Paul, that rock was Christ. Now that's his character.

And here he is on the cross. He says, I thirst. This is in a gospel that is full of water.

You type the word water into a concord... I've just given away my age, haven't I? You type the word water into a concordance. Must be electronic. You can get concordances, you know, that are just paper books.

It's amazing. You find the word water in John's gospel. You'll find it occurring somewhere in the region of 24 times, and especially in those earliest chapters.

You find water in every single chapter. Let me give you some of the obvious ones. What about John chapter 2, the wedding at Cana of Galilee? Fill the water pots with water.

John chapter 3, except a man be born of water and the spirit. And John was baptizing in Enon because there was much water there. John chapter 4, he's sitting on a well.

And he says, whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, it shall be in him. A well of water bursting up unto eternal life. John chapter 7, on that last day, that great day of the feast, he cried with a loud voice, if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink, and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

John 13, he's pouring out water into a basin, and he's going to wash. Now I'm going back to my brother Larry's ministry. He is going to wash the feet of one who would deny him.

He's going to wash the feet of one who would betray him. Let this mind be in you. It's remarkable.

And not only that, but John 19, when the soldier pierced the side of the saint, blood and water flowed forth. So can you understand it? In a gospel that is full of water, the saviour says on the cross, I thirst. Now why and what does it mean? My mind just can't help.

I'm speaking now about the spiritual. My mind just can't help but go back to Luke's gospel, chapter 60. In some of the most harrowing terms we have in our Bibles, there's a rich man that finds himself in hell, and this is what he says, under the judgment of God for his sins, he says, send Lazarus, that he might just dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue.

What's the point? That man's suffering for his sins in a place called hell. He's thirsty. He's crying that one might just send him somebody.

And now my brother, my sister, the saviour is upon the cross. He's bearing our sins in his own body upon the tree. It's the effect of divine judgment, the divine judgment of a holy and righteous God, being poured out upon the one who is bearing sin.

The cup which my father has given, shall I not drink it? He drank it all. He was made sin for us. Who knew no sin? And suffering the judgment of God against my sin, he says, I thirst.

Now you know, but I say this for younger folks, the Lord Jesus never became a sinner. The Lord Jesus never became sinful, but he was so associated with your sins and mine on the cross, that in prophetic language, Psalm 69 says this, my sins are not hid from thee. What a statement.

Most of the commentators say, well, this is not messianic, this bit. The rest is, but not that bit. So associated he was with our sins.

He says, my sins. Isn't that remarkable? Yet, through the eternal spirit, he offers himself without spot unto God. This is an offering and a sacrifice for sins.

That is a sweet smelling safe that ascends to God. So I want to move on and speak about the cry of service, but think of this. He thirsted on the cross that we might drink the water of life and therefore never experienced the thirst that we rightly deserve.

It's a cry of suffering. Now, what about verse 30, a cry of service? When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, one word in the Greek, it is finished. And he bowed his head.

Well, the foxes have their holes, the birds of the air, they have their nests, but the son of man has not where to bow his head. That's the only place in the rest of scripture you'll find that word. The son of man has nowhere to lay his head.

Nowhere to lay his head in rest in this world below until the work of Calvary is finished. He bows his head and he gave up the ghost. A cry of service.

Thank God, the Lord Jesus is greater than Elijah and he's greater than Moses. Now look at what he says. He says, it is finished.

He did not say, I am finished. That's what Elijah said. Do you remember? On the greatest victory that God had ever gave him, thereon come and girding up his loins and running before the chariot of Ahab, strong in the mighty victory.

And he finds that Jezebel is after his life and he's running away into the wilderness. And what does he say? He says, it is enough now. Oh my God.

Essentially, he says, I'm finished. He says, I'm no better than my fathers. I'm done.

The Saviour never said anything like that. He never said, I am finished. He never said, it is enough.

But he remained under the cross. He bore the judgment to the bitter end. He says, it is finished.

And if Elijah said, it is enough, Moses, another great servant of God, he once said, it is too heavy. Did you notice that? When speaking about the burden of the people that had been laid upon Moses, Moses said, it's too heavy for me. This burden is too much.

I cannot withstand the weight. Thank God that Christ never said, it is too heavy. He never said that.

The weight of our sins upon him. Not it is too heavy. Not, I cannot bear it.

He says, it is finished. What a statement. Now, some of you may well recognize this, but I want to restate it.

This language, Tetelestai, finished. It was used by four different kinds of individuals. I've called this a cry of service because Tetelestai was a word that was used by a servant.

Now, if I was a master and I gave my servant a particular work to accomplish, I would send him away. He would accomplish that work to the best of his ability. And on returning back to the master, this is what he would say.

He would say, Tetelestai, what he's saying is the work that you've assigned me, I have successfully completed. So it's the language of a servant. It's the cry of service.

And listen, doesn't the Lord Jesus say in John's gospel, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish. His work is finished. I have glorified thee on the earth.

I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do. It's the language of the servant. But I love this.

Tetelestai was also the language of the priest. You say the language of the priest. Well, as I understand it, whenever a sacrifice was brought to the temple to be offered before the Lord on the brazen altar, that sacrifice first had to be examined.

The priest was looking for perfection. And when he found that the sacrifice was fit for the altar, what would he say? He would say, Tetelestai, this animal's perfect. This animal is complete.

And thank God, the saviour upon the cross, not just the language of the servant, but the language of the priest. This is indeed the perfect sacrifice. The lamb of God, offering himself without spot unto God.

So it was the language of the servant, the language of the priest. Now, this doesn't appeal to me too much, except in the spiritual sense. As I understand it, it was also the language of the artist.

Now, I say that because I am not an artist. I can't draw and I can't paint. I can barely take photographs.

But anyway, the language of the artist. You see, some artists, as I understand them, they don't just take days on the masterpiece. They take months and they take years.

And the language of the artist, after having just put the final brush strokes to the absolute masterpiece, he would step back from that painting and he would say this, Tetelestai, he would say it's finished. The masterpiece is absolutely complete. I tell you that was Calvary.

Every type, every prophecy that pointed forward to Calvary, every type and every prophecy that pointed forward to the first advent of the Lord Jesus, totally and absolutely and completely fulfilled at the cross. And what did Paul say in Acts 13? When they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and they laid him in the sepulchre. The masterpiece is complete.

But finally, and I haven't quite finished yet, the language of the servant, the priest, the artist, the merchant man. If I owed a debt to a merchant man, if there was a price to be paid that I owed, and that price and that debt was paid in full, then the merchant man, he would take the invoice. He would take the promissory note, and this is what he'd do.

He'd stamp it with a word and that word is Tetelestai. The debt that you owed has been paid in full. You can render it like that.

It is finished. It is complete. It is paid in full.

Because the point at which the Lord Jesus said that word was when every single part of the work of Calvary that was Godward in its had already been accomplished and finished. He had already shed his precious blood. Propitiation had been made.

A righteous and a holy God satisfied. In relation to the question of sin, it's paid in full. And remember, please, that when we're speaking about propitiation, we're speaking about something that is unlimited in its scope.

We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And thank God that he has made propitiation, not for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world. Now, you know that that's one aspect of the truth.

The other aspect is substitution. But I've already covered that during the week gone by. Here, the price is paid in full.

Listen, I've got a question. I suppose that I might just throw this one in. The spear that pierced the Saviour's side drew forth the blood to say, we sing that, but I don't agree with it.

The spear has not yet been placed in the side. The blood and water that will flow forth is a demonstration and an evidence of the fact that this one has entered into death. But at the point that he says, finished, every aspect of that work God is done, his precious blood has been shed.

Now, so far, it's been devotional. Here comes some doctrine. Now, please grasp this.

That was an aside. Here's my question. If the work is done and the work is finished, then just come down from the cross.

Just come down from the cross. It's all done. Why is there the necessity, as the word goes on to say, why is there the necessity to bow his head? Why is there the necessity to give up the ghost, to dismiss his spirit? Why is there the necessity to enter into death? Why? The work is finished.

Now, can you answer the question? If you can't answer the question, you need to get to grips with Romans. And if you can't answer the question, you're maybe not living the fullness of Christian life that you should be, because this is the point. After having shed his own precious blood, he has dealt with my sins.

He has dealt with what I have done. But there's a far bigger problem. The bigger problem is what I am.

The bigger problem is sin. The bigger problem is my nature. Thank God.

He's not only shed his own precious blood, but he's going to enter into death and through faith in him and by identification, he's taking me down into death so that God might finish not just what I've done. God might finish what I am. And thank God I'm not dead.

I died with Christ, but I live with him. And he took me not just down into death and into the grave. He brought me up from the grave with him that I might walk in newness of life.

I tell you, this is a full salvation, isn't it? What a salvation God has given us. It's the difference between the truth of Romans 1 to 5 and 6 to 8. Now, you'll mark it well. That's not my subject.

He bows his head. For once, I say it reverently, for once he finds a place of rest here on earth. He bows his head and in total authority, he dismisses his spirit.

I want to close by saying that I've enjoyed this thought. I trust you will too. When you're reading through your Bible, you will find that there are a number of works in scripture that were finished.

I want to draw your attention to two other works, apart from Calvary, two other great works that were finished. Think, for example, of the work of creation. Genesis chapter 2, thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them.

That was a great work that God finished. When you're reading in 1 Kings chapter 6, this seems to be mentioned a few times, there was another great work that was finished. It was the temple.

We call it Solomon's temple. So Solomon built the house. Well, not really Solomon, but the other 180,000 workers, but you understand.

So Solomon built the house and says 1 Kings 6 and finished it. Now, why am I talking about this? Why am I wasting your good time? Listen, who finished those works? When it comes to creation, the whole of the Godhead was involved. Ephesians 3, God created all things by Jesus Christ and the spirit of God was moving on the face of the water.

Who finished the temple? 183,850 men. That was Solomon's work for. Tell me now, please, about the work of Calvary.

One man. It's an infinitely greater work than even creation in the temple. Who, his own self, bear our sins.

By himself, he purged our sins. What a contrast. You say, how long? How long did these works take? Well, I believe in a six day creation.

Six literal days of 24 hours. Now, I know that God could have done it in an instant. But nevertheless, six days.

You say, what about the temple? Well, that took seven years to complete. What about Calvary? Six hours from nine in the morning till three in the afternoon. I say it again, an infinitely greater work.

Six hours he's upon the cross. Now, think of this. What is the duration of those finished works? Do you know the temple lasted for about 370 years and then it was destroyed? You say, how long did creation last? Well, 6,000 years and counting.

And of course, there's going to be a thousand year millennial reign of the Lord Jesus and then the present earth and heavens will be folded up as a vesture. The temple, 370 years. Creation, 7,000 years or thereabouts.

What is the duration of the finished work of Christ at Calvary? Thank God it's eternal. Now, that's your eternal security in mind. The value of that work, the effect of that work is absolutely eternal in its character.

Finally, what did they cost? Creation, I say it reverently. It merely cost God his word. God was never impoverished, of course, in the outworking of power in creation and all of that.

It merely cost him his word. Add up all the gold and silver of the temple, let alone the cedar wood and everything else, and you're somewhere in the region of 200 billion US dollars. 200 billion.

What was the cost of Calvary? Infinitely more. It cost God his son. The father sent the son.

It cost Christ himself. He loved me. He gave himself for me.

Thank God for the cry of Tetelestai. It is finished. God will bless his word to us.

Amen.