GOOD MORNING BELOVED!
Welcome to a special edition of the SJMBC Podcast:
“HOW IMPORTANT IS THE WORD OF GOD TO YOU
WHEN IT COMES TO . . . ?”
I am your host Brother Henry Cotton, Jr. and I am also the Pastor of the SJMBC. Welcome to Podcast number 13. The topic for our Podcast today is:
“HOW IMPORTANT IS THE WORD OF GOD TO YOU WHEN IT COMES TO . . .
The Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross. We are also looking at these as “Acts of Love.” John 3:16 (NIV) states: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” It is in the spirit of this verse that we look at these seven acts/words of love. The first word being . . .
The Word of Forgiveness . . .
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
Gospel of Luke 23:34
Jesus is looking down from the cross just after he was crucified between two criminals. He sees the soldiers who have mocked him, scourged him and tortured him, and who have just nailed him to the cross. What about the crowd of people, who only days before were praising him on his entrance to Jerusalem, and only days later chose him over Barabbas to be crucified?
Is Jesus also thinking about those who beat him with their fists, pulled His beard and hairs from His face, and even spat upon Him? Do you think Jesus thought about the thousands of people He preached to, or the many people He healed from sicknesses, or the blind ones He gave sight to?
Maybe Jesus had passing thoughts of dumb people He made speak; deaf people He allowed to hear and lame people He made to walk? There were so many people who came into contact with Jesus and their lives were changed . . . Yet none of them were there.
Does he react angrily? No! At the height of his physical suffering, his love prevails and He asks His Father to forgive! Jesus knows that this is what had to happen. Jesus also knows that men will think in their hearts and minds that they perpetrated this scenario. I wonder if Jesus was also thinking of us, who daily forget him in our lives? But in spite of all of this, Jesus asks his Father to forgive man. Right up to his final hours on earth, Jesus preaches forgiveness.
Jesus teaches forgiveness in the Lord’s prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matthew 6:12). When asked by Peter, how many times should we forgive someone, Jesus answers seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22). At the Last Supper, Jesus explains his crucifixion to his Apostles when he tells them to drink of the cup: “Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28). He forgives the paralytic at Capernaum (Mark 2:5), and the adulteress caught in the act and about to be stoned (John 8:1-11). And even following his Resurrection, his first act is to commission his disciples to forgive: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:22-23).
Ironically it is only by Jesus’ Sacrifice on the Cross that mankind is able to be forgiven by GOD the Father!
Remember, our ZOOM Podcast airs live on Tuesdays at 7:00am:
Pastor Cotton is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82997714213
Meeting ID: 829 9771 4213
You can always reach me through our website and our email:
Website: https://stjamesmbcphilly.com
Email: pastor@stjamesmbcphilly.com
