7 LAST WORDS OF VICTORY

The magnitude of the gift of Jesus’ death on the cross can be difficult to put into words. But as with all things, Jesus
shows us the way. The Seven Last Words—the phrases spoken by our savior and recorded in the Gospels—provide
powerful messages for us to ponder and relate to our daily lives. To deepen your experience of Holy Week and more
fully enjoy the Resurrection celebration, spend some time writing about the words spoken by Jesus and their meaning to
you.

1. WORDS OF FORGIVENESS
Luke 23:34 NCV Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they are doing.” The soldiers threw
lots to decide who would get his clothes.
Even as he is wrongfully accused, convicted and tortured, Jesus asks God to grant mercy unto his persecutors. This is the
perfect time to contemplate that we need forgiveness. All of us are sinners, we rebel against God and yet the Lord is
ready to forgive you today. No matter how grievous you sin is, Jesus took it upon himself in the cross. All the accusations
and arguments against you were carried by the Lord Jesus Christ and were nailed on the cross.

Contemplate that the Lord Jesus Christ, took the punishment that He did not deserve. We deserve the punishment but
He died on your place. Go back to the cross in Calvary, the place of your forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 NCV But if we confess
our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we
have done.

When we are forgiven, we are also to release forgiveness. Maybe you are offended and abused; and you are planning for
revenge. The best revenge is to forgive, to forgive is the best for you just as you are forgiven.

2. WORDS OF SALVATION
Luke 23:43 NCV Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Here, Jesus speaks words of salvation to one of the thieves also being crucified. That man believes in Jesus’ innocence
and asks Jesus to remember him when Jesus comes into his kingdom, while the other man mocked him and rejected
Jesus. The thieves represent each one of us, we are all sinners and just like the thieves we will die, maybe not today but
in an appointed time. Those who rejected Jesus and the message of the gospel will bear the eternal punishment. The
Bible told that there is a degree of punishment, Hebrews 10:29 NCV So what do you think should be done to those who
do not respect the Son of God, who look at the blood of the agreement that made them holy as no different from
others’ blood, who insult the Spirit of God’s grace? Surely they should have a much worse punishment
-Are you one of those criminals that rejected Christ? Thank God for that one criminal that accepted Jesus, he did not
attend a single service, never gave a tithe, never knew a single Christian song but was accepted.
-Maybe you are thinking that you are a great of a sinner that you cannot be forgiven, but the Good News is you can be
forgiven; regardless of your sin you can be forgiven. That person did not expect to be forgiven, all he asked is to be
remembered, but Jesus said: not only you will be remembered but you will be with me.
-God did not want any of us to perish, but to come into repentance. We need to repent and believe that Jesus Christ
died for each one of us who believe. To repent is to turn around, turn away from our sin and go back to the Father.

3. WORDS OF RESTORATION
John 19:26–27 NCV When Jesus saw his mother and the follower he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear
woman, here is your son.” 27 Then he said to the follower, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, the follower took
her to live in his home.
Preparing to leave the earthly realm, Jesus entrusts his mother, Mary, to “the disciple whom he loved.” Even as he was
dying, Jesus was thinking of his mother and how she would go on after her son’s death. It goes to tell us how He loves his
family. We do not know where Joseph is during these times, some Bible scholar have speculated that he may have died
already during this times. Rest assured if he was alive, he would also be around during Jesus final moment on the cross.
God is interested in family relationships.
-Mary represents the parents, the passage says “behold your son” it tells us to watch over the children as they grow up,
whatever turns out our children to be it is our responsibility. The book of proverbs says, “Train up a child in the way he
should go and when he is old he will not depart from it”. Sadly, in our generation there are parents that says, yes they
are busy finding for their means, many children are left in the care of yaya, school teachers and relatives. I just want us
to understand that caring for our children is our #1 responsibility. Kids turned up rebellious because they are not raised
in the way they should go.
-Jesus Christ was definitely trained up by his earthly parents, he learned the trade of Joseph, he was brought to the
temple to make an offering, his parents made the example and when he got lost in Jerusalem they found him not in
other place but in the temple. They should feel your love, care for them. If they don’t feel it they will find it elsewhere.
-Next, it was address to the disciple. It represents the children. How was your relationship to your parents? Bible says,
Children obey your parents in the Lord for it is good. Sadly, our young ones feel distance to their parents. Maybe you are
not in good terms with them. (news about abandoned elderly parents). Though we do not make our kids as an
investment for the future but we have to remember that without them we will never be here. You may be abused and
hurt as a child, but God want you to be restored that broken relationship.
4. WORDS OF ACCEPTANCE
Mark 15:34 NCV At three o’clock Jesus cried in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani.” This means, “My God, my
God, why have you abandoned me?”
The greatest need of the world today is acceptance. People no matter how good they look or how much they attain in
life feel rejected. Today if you feel rejected and nobody cares for you, Jesus Christ when He was on the cross, he too felt
rejected by the Heavenly Father. Let us remember that Jesus Christ from the eternal past, was and always with the
Father (explain the separation)
-Isaiah 53:3 NCV He was hated and rejected by people. He had much pain and suffering. People would not even look at
him. He was hated, and we didn’t even notice him. We may feel rejected by many people, even we are rejecting our own
self, and we have a very low self-esteem. Rejection may even root even before we are born; growing up rejected and
always wanted to be accepted. Jesus was not only rejected by his Heavenly Father but was rejected by his own disciples,
the people whom he have shared meals. He was rejected by his own hometown. How you feel right now Jesus
understand, he was rejected just like you and me. (Rejected by parents because of faith, began comparing) He was
rejected so that you can be accepted by God.

5. WORDS OF LOVE
John 19:28 NCV After this, Jesus knew that everything had been done. So that the Scripture would come true, he said, “I
am thirsty.
Physically he was dehydrated, he had been on the cross for several hours already, but I believe what he thirst is more
than a physical thirst, He was thirsty for Love. He thirsts for your love. He loves you and me with unconditional love. That
love, Jesus wanted us to reciprocate that love. He is thirsty for you love. Do you spend time in prayer, in acknowledging
Him? Did you give him thanks? Respond to his love. Renew your commitment to love him.

6. WORDS OF COMPLETION
John 19:30 NCV When Jesus tasted the vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and died.
With three simple words, Jesus changes the course of human history, declaring victory over sin and death—the
fulfillment of God’s promises to his people. On earth, Jesus has finished his work.
-Jesus paid for our salvation, we cannot pay it ourselves. What he did is enough. There is no need for penitence what
Jesus done is a finished work already. Many people did not understand that you cannot add more to that. It is an insult
to the sacrifice of Jesus to imitate the cross of Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NCV I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a
gift from God. 9 It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.

7. WORDS OF COMMITMENT
Luke 23:46 NCV Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, I give you my life.” After Jesus said this, he died.
Called “The Word of Reunion,” Jesus proclaims that he will join God in heaven. His journey is at once complete and only
just beginning. He had so much confidence and joy rejoining His Father, we too can have that same assurance and
someday when our life ends we will also be united with Him. Do not wait to be dying in order to surrender your life to
Him.
What do you think heaven will be like? What does it mean to you to be united with God? Do you see death as an ending,
a beginning or both?