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Sayings of Jesus on the Cross
| Bro Joseph Mulawo (Pemba, Zambia)
T
he first saying of Jesus while on the cross
was for those who crucified him, “Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they
do.” (Luke 23:34). Here we find that Jesus in
His final sufferings often mentions the Father-
hood of God – that God is our Father and He is
a comforter in our times of trial.
Here we see that the pain and difficulty of
speech during crucifixion was such that it was
apparent that the Lord meant us to hear and
meditate upon the words that He (Jesus)
uttered from the cross. It would have been
easier for Him to have prayed those words to
himself, within his own thoughts, but instead
he made the effort to speak them out loud, in
order to inspire a similar effort in us to
communicate with others when we feel like
retreating into ourselves – to comfort them
with our forgiveness, and to pray for our
enemies.
They divided his clothes by casting lots: to
divide his garments among themselves was
such petty materialism in the presence of the
cross of Jesus Christ that it was, and is,
pathetic.
The second saying of Jesus on the cross was
“Truly, I say to you today, (right now) – that
you will indeed be with me in Paradise.”
Jesus said these words after he had heard
from the thief on his cross who asked, “Jesus,
remember me when you come in your
Kingdom.” (Luke 23:42).
The thief asked Jesus to remember him for
good when Jesus returned to establish his
Kingdom, because the thief was not ignorant
of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God which
Jesus had been preaching. He knew that there
would be judgement day at the establishment
of that Kingdom. That is why he asked Jesus
to remember him, as he knew Jesus would rise
from the dead to eventually be the Judge of
that day – to remember him for good. The
thief was certainly not ignorant, he recognised
that salvation in the day of resurrection and
judgement would be pronounced by Jesus
Christ. Jesus replied that the thief “would be
with him in paradise.” This word ‘Paradise’ in
Greek simply refers to the garden of Eden,
which will be seen in the future Kingdom of
God on the earth.
Christ and the thief did not go to the Kingdom
that day – Jesus went to the grave, but as we
know, being free from sin, His Father raised
him from death. The thief was aware that he
was responsible and sinful, and would appear
at the judgement. But Jesus gave him the
reassurance, and said: “I can tell you now”
(right away - that you don’t have to wait until
then to find out my verdict upon you) – “you
will be with me in the Kingdom.”
The LORD’s Hand is Not Shortened
| Bro Stephen Siamabi (Mazabuka, Zambia)
G
od has made clear that no matter how our
lives may work out, He is not very far off
to save us, and He will be there at any time
whenever we call upon His name wholeheart-
edly.
The passage below from the book of Isaiah
chapter 59 is clearly showing us how God cares
for our every need here on earth.
“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,
that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy,
that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have
separated between you and your God, and
your sins have hidden his face from you, that
he will not hear. For your hands are defiled
with blood, and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath
muttered perverseness. None calleth for
justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust
in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive
mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They hatch
cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's
web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and
that which is crushed breaketh out into a
viper. Their webs shall not become garments,
~ continued ...