Good Friday, 2009
Seven Words From the Cross
Pastor Aaron A. Koch

The First Word–Luke 24:26-34
26 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.
27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!' 30 Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"' 31 For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"
32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

Homily
What would have been the first words out of your mouth toward those who had just been abusing you, who had beaten and mocked and spit upon you and then driven nails through your hands and feet, crucifying you? Your words would likely have been ones I couldn't speak from this pulpit. For anger rises so easily in us. Our tempers our short. Our desire for payback is great. We want the other guy to get what He deserves. We want God to damn our enemies.

But not so with our Lord, who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He has not come to issue payback, to give us what we deserve, but to give us what we don't deserve–mercy. Regarding those who showed Jesus nothing but mocking hate, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Sin makes us ignorant. We don't know what we're doing. We don't know how we hurt others and ourselves. We don't know how we slap God in the face. But Jesus prays for us, anyway, "Father, forgive them." Here is the ultimate picture of God's love for us, that He dies for sinners, even for His enemies, His persecutors. Before we could ever ask Him for help or seek His forgiveness, He was already there to save and redeem us. He doesn't require us to change before He'll love us. His forgiving love is the very power that changes us.

Jesus was not only praying for those 2000 years ago who did Him harm. For the truth is that your sins and mine also did Him harm and caused the need for His death. And so when Jesus prays these words, He has you in mind, too. "Father, forgive them." And Jesus prayer is surely heard. And so you are surely forgiven. For Jesus has paid the price.

In Him you also learn to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. As Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

The Second Word–Luke 23:35-43
35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."
36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."
38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

Homily
Jesus was mocked so thoroughly that even one of those who was crucified with Him joined in, telling Him to save them if He was the Christ. Of course, that's exactly what He was doing. But this criminal couldn't see that. Even in death he was not repentant for his sins but was full of anger and denial. Jesus became a convenient target for his impenitence.

However, the other criminal rebukes his counterpart. He doesn't complain about how unfair his situation is, how he shouldn't have received the death penalty. Rather, he acknowledges that he's getting what he deserves. He comes clean before God and does not deny his sin. He confesses it and turns to Christ. He knows that this Messiah is one who is full of mercy and forgiveness; for he just heard Him forgive His enemies! That reality turns the criminal's heart to hope and trust in Christ and to seek help from Him.

Learn from this second criminal how to come before God. Do not complain in anger at God for the crosses in your life; for even those crosses are not the fullness of what your deeds truly deserve. They are meant to bring you to repentance. Turn to Christ; trust in Him. His steadfast love endures forever. Pray the prayer of the thief on the cross, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." What an amazing statement of faith that is, that He would say such a thing to a man being put to death! He could not possibly have been thinking that Jesus was going to establish some earthly kingdom, but a heavenly one.

How gladly He must have received Jesus' reply, words that will apply to you and to all Christians on the day of your death, "Today, you will be with Me in Paradise." Those two words, "with Me" define for us what Paradise is. It is to be with Christ. Where Christ is, there is heaven, where the curse of sin and death is no more, where there is no sorrow or pain or crying. To be in His merciful presence is to have all that you need. With Him is the fullness of life and joy and peace.

Today, Jesus says. All the work will be completed today. Easter will reveal and prove the victory of the cross, but everything that is necessary to rescue you and renew creation is accomplished right here on the cross.

The Third Word–John 19:25-27
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

Homily
When we suffer, we tend to turn inward on ourselves, to meditate on our pain, even to wallow in it. We find it hard to get outside of ourselves and focus on others. But not our Lord Jesus. Behold His love! In His final hours He is thinking not of Himself, but is making sure that His mother is cared for properly. Jesus had other brothers and sisters who might have looked after Mary. But the Scriptures remind us that not even they believed that Jesus was who He said He was. And so our Lord places His mother into the care of John, who stood by Him with Mary in her hour of need, even as John is placed into her care as her son. It was important that Mary be placed into the hands of one who was faithful to Christ.

For Mary is a picture of the Church, which has given birth to us all in baptism as members of the body of Christ. And John is a picture of the Church's pastors, who in turn care for her in the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments. These words of Jesus apply also to us, then, as pastor and congregation, "Woman behold your son." "Behold, your mother." Our Lord cares for us from the cross, setting the solitary into the family of the church and bringing comfort to those who mourn.

The Fourth Word–Matthew 27:45-46
45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

Homily
All of us at one time or another have been afraid of being alone in the dark. Our mind and heart are terrorized by what lurks in the shadows, by the noises that we hear, by our defenselessness against an enemy that might attack.

Our Lord Jesus is here alone in the dark for us. And unlike our often imaginary fears when our mind plays tricks on us, the enemies that stalk Jesus are all too real. He hangs there defenseless as fresh meat for their attack. The powers of darkness are given free reign to do their worst to Him. All hell is unleashed on Jesus, marauding and molesting Him. And the Father does not intervene; Jesus if forsaken and abandoned. He knows your terror, the terror of hell itself. Christ drinks this fiery liquid all into His flesh and puts it to death. Hell has burned itself out on Him so that you will not even be the least bit singed. He has endured it for you to release you from the grip of Satan who would molest you forever. Jesus was forsaken by the Father so that you would never be abandoned by Him.

When there doesn't seem to be any answer or reason for your overwhelming troubles or afflictions, remember that all of your why questions have been absorbed into Jesus' great, "My God, My God, why . . .?" Ultimately those questions have all be answered for you on the cross. It is in the cross that you find hope and comfort. For there Jesus took all your suffering on Himself. And He has shown you that in the end, all suffering in Him gives way to resurrection and health and life. You are never alone. God is with you always in Christ the crucified.

The Fifth Word–John 19:28-29
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.

Homily
Jesus had gone now almost a full day without food or drink. He was exposed to the elements for these past six hours without any clothing. He had lost much blood. He was dehydrated. He is parched, feverish, in pain. His tongue sticks to the roof of His mouth. His heart can barely pump His blood any more because of the effects of His crucifixion. He can scarcely enunciate these two words, "I thirst."

The evening before, Jesus thirsted for the Passover, the Last Supper, with his disciples. Instead, He gave it for them to drink, and put Himself in it, His body and blood, vowing that he would drink it with them new in the kingdom of God. Now He longs for just a drop of water to cool His tongue.

Jesus bears the bone-drying effects of our sin so that we might be washed in the pure water of His Spirit. Jesus drinks deeply of our thirst, so that in our thirst we might drink deeply of Him. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Jesus is dried up here for you, so that He may become a fountain of living water for you in His resurrection. Remember His thirst so that you may learn to see Him in those who are hungry and thirsty in the world today. He still cries out, "I thirst" in them. Remember His thirst when you are suffering, so that you may know the comfort of Him who has been there for you, who bore all of your infirmities and carried all of your sicknesses. In Him you are healed and whole.

The Sixth Word–John 19:30
30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Homily
When Jesus speaks these words, it is not a sigh of resignation, but a statement of triumph. It doesn't mean that He's finished, it means that His work is finished. Everything that is necessary to rescue you who were held hostage in the devil's kingdom Jesus has done. Everything that is necessary to forgive your sins fully and entirely Jesus has done. Everything that is necessary to release you from the power of the grave and give you eternal life Jesus has done. There is nothing more that you need to do to be saved, no good work you need to accomplish to finish the job. It is complete. It is fulfilled. It is perfected in His holy death.

It is finished! This mighty cry of triumph reverberates into the depths of hell, filling the devil
with terror. It reverberates into the heights of heaven, filling all saints and angels with praise. And it reverberates into our hearts and the hearts of all believers yet on earth, filling us with comfort and confident hope. When we are troubled by our sins that separate us from God and from each other, and we wonder if we can ever be truly forgiven, Jesus says, "Yes, it is finished." When we are tempted and tested and persecuted by the world, and we wonder if we will ever be victorious in these battles, Jesus says, "Yes, it is finished." When we begin to doubt whether eternal life is really ours or whether or not we will really rise from the dead, Jesus says, "Yes, it is finished." Believe that. It is true.

The Seventh Word–Luke 23:45-49
45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.'" Having said this, He breathed His last.
47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"
48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. 49 But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things

Homily
Finally, Jesus says, "Father, into Your hands, I commit My spirit." These are words from Psalm 31, expressing faith and trust in God. Listen to Jesus' words in the context of the full Psalm. "In you, O Lord, I trust. . . quickly deliver me! . . . For you are my rock and my fortress . . . You will bring me out of the net they hid for me, for you are my stronghold. Into your hands I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth. . . I will rejoice and be glad in your faithfulness." After Jesus' other anguished words on the cross, here Jesus expresses serene confidence in His Father's love and faithfulness. He breathes His last, certain that the Father will deliver Him and raise Him up again.

As one who is not only fully divine but also fully human, Jesus has a spirit, a human soul. At this moment of His death He entrusts His spirit to His Father. He dies like a child falling asleep in the arms of his father. Remember these words of Jesus when the time comes for you to breathe your last breath. Remember that by entrusting Himself to the Father, Jesus has entrusted you to the Father. Your spirit even now is held safely in His hands. As the baptized you live in Christ, and He is in the Father. When you are experiencing anguish and pain in your last days and last moments, you also are given to pray these words with serene trust and to breathe your last in peace, knowing that God will deliver you, too, and raise you up again. "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."