 With that said let's begin reading together here in Mark chapter 15. I'll begin reading at verse 37 and I'll read to verse 41 and we'll get into our study. Mark chapter 15 beginning at verse 37 reading to verse 41. Mark writes Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. So when the centurion who stood opposite him saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last he said truly this man was a son of God. There were also women looking on from afar among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, the last son of Joseph and Solomon who also followed him and ministered to him when he was in Galilee and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. And so what we've been doing in the last several insolments of our study is we've been looking closely at the death of Jesus Christ as he died there on the cross. And I mentioned to you that Scripture records seven last sayings of Jesus on the cross. I've already taken you through five of those last sayings and we're going to be seeing the last two as we go through our study today. But I want to review and remind you of a few of those things so that we can be prepared as we go through the study today. And so I said to you that the first saying of Jesus, the last saying of Jesus on the cross, the first saying was a word of forgiveness. Remember how that Jesus when he was hanging there on the cross in Luke 23 34 how Luke records that Jesus had said, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. I mentioned that he was in excruciating pain and even though he was suffering in that way he was praying for those who harmed him. I mentioned also that he wasn't specifically praying for Judas or the priests or even of Pontius Pilate because they had a differing amount of information concerning him. It was they who had determined to betray him to bear false witness of him and even to execute him they had more knowledge and even though they had more knowledge of him they rejected what he had to say. Luke 12 48 the second portion of that Scripture simply says from the one given much much is required. So they had a lot of information that other people didn't have and so as he was there praying Father forgive them for they know not what they do. He was praying for like the soldiers they were carrying out their duties. He was praying for the thieves who were there next to him watching him die. He was praying that God would bring them mercy show mercy make it possible for them to be forgiven. And so as he was praying there he prayed first and foremost Father forgive them. They know not what they do and that was his first saying. The second saying was to the thief who was dying next to him. The Bible tells us that Jesus was on the center cross and there were two thieves one on either side were also crucified alongside of him. And so the next word that we looked at was what has been called a word of salvation is recorded in Luke 23 39 through 43. So these thieves were there and and the thief who is listening to him is obviously listening in a different way than than the other one. He heard the mocking of the priests the scribes the elders. He heard the taunting of those who were passing by. He saw the calloused indifferent soldiers who were gambling for the robe of Jesus Christ. Remember I had mentioned to you that Jesus was was crucified on a busy road that was outside of the city gates city walls. The Romans would place their prisoners whom they were executing. They would put them in an open place as a warning to those who were coming by and when they saw these people who were hanging there dying on the cross it was a warning to them don't break the law or you're going to end up like this. Well they put Jesus there in front of a place called Calvary and as they had placed him on the cross there the people were walking by and and the thieves who were next to him were listening or could hear the things that were being said and so they they they heard the mocking of those priests as they were saying he saved others himself he cannot save if you're the Christ then then come off come on down from that that cross will believe in you they heard that mocking the mocking of the priests and the scribes and the elders they they heard the taunting of those who were passing by as they would hurl insults at those who were dying on the cross they heard that. They saw the calloused indifference of the soldiers who were gambling for the robe and at first one of those thieves joined in reviling him both of the thieves at first were insulting Christ but that one had a change of heart it's possible that he had heard when Jesus prayed Father forgive them they know not what they're doing and and normally somebody was dying on a cross would be going mad they'd be in such incredible pain and suffering that they would hurl insults at others they would swear at them and and and this is not what the this other man was doing the man on the center cross and and he was listening to this as this taking place and and at first the they began to join in in the reviling but but one thief began to to listen while the other continued when are those thieves said well if you're the Christ save yourself and us but this thief who was listening said don't you fear God seeing that we're getting what we deserve and and then he looked at Jesus and it's one of those touching moments in Scripture where he said to Jesus Lord he said remember me and I mentioned to you that when he was speaking about remember me you have the capacity to never forget you have the capacity to always remember those who have trusted in you he had he had put two and two together and and so he's saying remember me don't forget me this is a man who undoubtedly had been forgotten in his life is not mentioned in Scripture that he had a father or a mother there watching him die it's not mentioned that there were any people there who are there to bring any comfort or consolation to him as he died he was alone he was he was dying next to a man who was also next to one of his compatriots one of his fellow thieves but he was really alone and he's about to die and he he looks to the Lord and he says remember me I think that's one of the most touching prayers in Scripture to be honest with you Lord nobody has ever really remembered me I became what I am because I had no purpose I had no one loving me I had had very little going for me and I became what I am because I was forgotten and now I'm about to die and I'm just asking one thing I refer to you as Lord because that's what you are and I'm asking you don't forget me and Jesus gave that word to him he gave that word of salvation assuredly I say unto you today you'll be with me in paradise I won't forget you you'll be with me today you'll be with me where I am what a word of encouragement then there was the third saying I mentioned to you that that third saying has been called the word of relationship and Jesus is there on the cross and as he's on the cross he looks down and he sees his mother and and John the one whom Jesus loved and and he looks down at his his mother and he says woman behold your son now he wasn't saying for for her to look at him as he was dying because he said to John behold your mother I mentioned to you that that he was saying this this to to provide honor for his mother by providing for her care he wasn't about to entrust her into the care of anybody who didn't trust or believe in him and so he entrusted her to the care of his beloved disciple John even at that time his own brothers didn't believe in him so he would not entrust her into their care so he says to John take her as your mother and he says to his mom mama he says look at your son and he provided for her then there's the fourth saying it's the word of abandonment in mark 1534 he had said my god my god why have you forsaken me he cried out of in anguish because of the separation that he's experiencing on the cross he fully experienced man's separation from god it's the only time in eternity that he experienced this kind of separation when he took upon himself the sin of the whole world he also experienced the isolation that sin produces you see when when sin is unforgiven it it produces a separation between you and and god that's what happens that's why you'll you'll feel before you were saved that's why you didn't have any confidence you'd have any assurance you you might pray and you might say god help me but it was kind of like just a shotgun prayer you just firing it off in the sky hoping that somehow god will hear it you didn't have that sense of salvation that that you didn't have the assurance because your sin made a separation the old testament prophet a man by the name of Micah said in chapter three verse four they will cry out to the lord but he will not answer them instead he will hide his face from them at that time because they have practiced evil deeds you see the cross was a place of divine judgment jesus was bearing our sin he was dying in our place to purchase us out of the marketplace of sin the bible teaches us that the god we worship is holy he cannot look upon sin with approval sin had to be dealt with revealing both god's wrath as well as his mercy and that's what he did when he sent jesus to provide salvation and what happens is that cross reveals both god's holiness as well as his grace somebody once said he paid a debt he did not owe i owed a debt i could not pay and that's what jesus is doing they're dying on the cross for us paying the debt that we owed but could not pay in Galatians 3 13 paul said christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written cursed it is everyone who has hanged on a tree so his death on the cross especially reveals his compassionate love for us and and love is not something that is going to remain hidden love is something that is seen it's open it's demonstrated in first john 4 9 and 10 john said it like this he said in this the love of god was manifested toward us that god has sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him in this is love not that we loved god but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins that word propitiation is a word that speaks about placating the anger sin made separation and god had wrath towards that but the death of christ satisfied his wrath on our behalf and the result of our believing what god has done has transformed us we have learned that because he loves us we don't have to try to earn his love we don't have to try to earn his approval we simply learn to trust and rest in the love he asked for us first john 4 19 says we love him because he first loved us and the love of god is what encourages us and strengthens us every day it's a place that i want to reside in it's a place i want to abide in constantly fellowship with him is what motivates and and what fuels the way that we live in jude 20 and 21 it says but you beloved building yourselves up on your most holy faith praying in the holy spirit keep yourselves in the love of god looking for the mercy of our lord jesus christ and to eternal life remain there abide in there enjoy it bask in that love because it's what motivates and fuels you to live for christ again by becoming sin for us for the first and only time jesus experienced separation which is why he said my god my god why have you forsaken me his communion with his father was broken he felt the isolation that sin produces he experienced what every one of us understand and it's that which is that drove me to Jesus christ and then we see the fifth saying of jesus it it was called it's been called a word of distress in john 19 28 after this jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled said i thirst when he says that the scripture might be fulfilled it fulfilled a prophecy concerning the death of messiah that was written a thousand years before christ it's found in psalm 22 it's something that king david had written in psalm 22 verse 15 my strength is dried up like a pot shirt my tongue clings to my jaws you have brought me to the dust of death i thirst now that was a prophetic picture of crucifixion describing the fact that when someone was was crucified they would dehydrate john 19 28 says that jesus knew all things were now accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled and therefore he said i thirst all things pertaining to salvation were being completed and knowing that this was true and knowing it fulfilled scripture he said that he said i thirst which is another prophecy concerning jesus that was fulfilled psalm 69 21 they also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink verse 36 tells us that someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine put it on a read and in john 19 29 it says a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there they filled a sponge with sour wine put it on his hip put it to his mouth i also mentioned to you that the the sour wine was high in water and low in alcohol it was used to quench thirst and by this he was able to moisten his mouth so we could speak his last words so verse 37 jesus cried out with a loud voice and he breathed his last the vinegar provided moisture for a dry mouth and now he is able to cry out matthew mark and luke all say that he cried out with a loud voice that's an important point because this was not a weak cry coming out of a weak man breathing his last breath it was a loud cry it's the cry of a victor it's coming from someone who is dying voluntarily in john 10 17 and 18 the reason the father loves me is that i lay down my life in order to take it up again no one takes it from me but i lay it down of my own accord i have authority to lay it down authority to take it up again this charge i have received from my father so when jesus was crying out with a loud voice it demonstrated that he still had strength which brings us to the sixth saying of jesus on the cross because john tells us in chapter 19 verse 30 when jesus had received the sour wine he said it is finished it is finished to tell us die in the greek paid in full paid in full jesus knew all things were now accomplished jesus completed his task it's time to return to his father in john 16 20 80 said i i came forth from the father and have come into the world i'm leaving the world again and going to the father it is finished his mission is reaching the end it's time to go home and so he cries that out it's finished it's paid in full redemption has been won someone said the messiah's work of redemption was accomplished his father's commands had been obeyed types and prophecies had been fulfilled his life had been lived his teaching completed his last earthly tie had been severed when he entrusted his mother into the care of john and the end had come the final wages of sin which is death alone remained to be paid so on that cross jesus paid the price of redemption there were those who were saying that redemption was won when he went to the grave they they made up a story that it was won in in after he had died and he'd gone into hades and that's not true at all redemption took place on the cross jesus died on the cross and and that's where redemption was fully paid ephesians one sin seven says in him we have redemption through our through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace when jesus christ died on the cross and poured out his blood for us he washed us clean from every sin every sin not a single sin remains when you give your heart to christ the enemy likes to whisper and tell you nothing's changed you're still the same and that's when those lies from the pit because jesus christ not only died for me he cleansed me by his blood and he gave to me his his righteousness i'm made righteous in christ it isn't works of righteousness which i've done it's according to his mercy and his grace he saved us by the washing of regeneration the renewing of the holy spirit and so that's what we've received and he cries it out it's a victors cry it is finished it is now accomplished paid in fall and then we come to the seventh and last saying of jesus on the cross luke 2346 he cried out with a loud voice father into your hands i commit my spirit the word commit i deposit my spirit these words are expressing his total trust in his father his death is a completely voluntary act and he entrusts his spirit to his father now this is one of those portions of scripture that touches my heart in a special kind of way because for centuries in the jewish tradition religious tradition this particular phrase father into thy hands i commit my spirit or into thy hands i commit my spirit this particular phrase made up part of the evening prayers of faithful jewish people it's one of those things that is said when the child would go to bed and it's there are commentators who would say that jesus more than likely had had been saying this kind of thing from the time he was learning to pray as a child it was the way that he'd have been accustomed to pray from the earliest days you know we americans we we teach our children many of us teach our children their evening prayer and you go to bed you know pray and all of that but think about some of the things that we've told our kids you know now i lay me down to sleep i pray the lord my soul will keep if i die before i wake who wants to go to sleep if i die before i wake are you kidding me i'll stay awake all night we don't uh perhaps we didn't realize that perhaps that was just something that we were taught i was certainly reminiscent of that one but what the kids would say what the children would say is into thy hands i commit my spirit that's from psalm 31 verse 5 jesus quoted a psalm again they formed part of the evening prayers for centuries very well may have done so for christ and it's and it's touching to me that he prayed this prayer prayer as he was laying his head there on the cross as jesus had his hands his wrists was where the nails would go and he was lifting himself up to breathe so that his his ribs would not asphyxiate by crushing his lungs so he couldn't breathe he still had a loud voice and he cried out it is finished a cry of a victor and then he went down one last time father into thy hands i commit my spirit and its head went down the way his head would be on a pillow at night father into thy hands i commit my spirit and the cross became his pillow and he died someone said he died with the psalm on his lips as he gently peacefully and willingly died we're told he cried out with a loud voice in verse 37 and he breathed his last mouth through 2750 says that jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit the word yielded means descend away or dismiss once again that emphasizes that his death was voluntary he dismissed his spirit he said spirit go it is finished father into thy hands i commit my spirit spirit go it's over it's done he could have died at any time but he did so only when the work was finished his work was complete he died with majesty now as he died verse 38 says then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom when you look at diagrams of the jewish temple and the temple that was speak spoken of here has been called herod's temple herod's temple was built in the same dimensions of solemn's temple and when you look at this it's like a rectangle we'll say it's divided into two sections there's what is called the holy place and then there's the holy of holies or the holiest of holies it was divided by a a veil a thick veil so the holy place was separate from the holiest of holies the old testament speaks concerning this in the building in the right of hebrus in the new testament says in hebrus nine two and three a tabernacle was prepared the first part in which was the lampstand the table the showbread which is called the sanctuary behind the second veil the part of the tabernacle which is called the holiest of all so there's this veil that separating the holy place from the holy of holies first kings tells us in chapter 6 verse 20 that this veil was 30 feet long 30 feet wide and 30 feet high the bible does not reveal the thickness but many commentators say that it's estimated to be about four inches thick and the veil was intended to remind men that sin makes a separation between you and a holy god in hebrus nine verses six and seven it says the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry but only the high priest entered the inner room and that only once a year and never without blood which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance the only one who could enter the holiest place was the high priest again he did this yearly on the day of atonement but it was always repeated every year a high priest had to come in every year he was reminded that they had sinned he had sinned every year he was reminded that sin had separated him and the people from god now the thickness of this veil is not as important as its height no human being could have torn the veil from top to the bottom no human being had enough strength to do so but the bible tells us that the veil was torn from top to bottom and the answer is that god himself tore it open god ripped that veil through the blood of christ opening up that place for us to enter in and have fellowship with him the most holy place is open to all who come through jesus christ access and fellowship with god has been established by faith in him in hebrus 10 19 and 20 we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of jesus by a new and living way open for us through the curtain that is his body one time for all time act on the part of jesus open that door for us we can enter in at any given time we enter into the throne room in our time of need we give him our petitions we have fellowship with him i don't think i understand that yet but i can come before god's throne with my prayer requests i don't have to come yearly and have somebody offer a sacrifice for me like the high priest did for israel offering a sacrifice for his sin as well as the sin of the people jesus christ is a high priest jesus entered in he tore that veil we have access to god because of him and that is amazing it's amazing now as this is taking place look at verse 39 it says so when the centurion who stood opposite him saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last he said truly this man was a son of god the centurion stood there and heard him this was the uh the the soldier the roman soldier he was called a centurion because he had authority over a hundred roman soldiers and so he was there as we've already seen overseeing the crucifixions not only of jesus but of the other two and there were some soldiers with him so when jesus dies the centurion is seeing how the earth itself responded matthew 2751 says the earth quaked and the rocks were split now obviously this manifested the anger of god at the death of jesus in psalm 18 5 through 7 it said the cords of the grave coiled around me the snares of death confronted me in my distress i called to the lord i cried to my god for help from his temple he heard my voice my my cry came before him into his ears the earth trembled and quaked the foundations of the mountain shook they trembled because he was angry and the centurion sees this he heard jesus he's been there he's watched what's taking place he heard jesus says as he prayed father forgive them he saw jesus entrusted mother into the care of john he heard the things that were being said as jesus made that promise to that thief dying next to him today you shall be with me in paradise and he's watching this take place and and the darkness that came over the earth the land rather the darkness that came over the land for three hours and and now these earthquakes and he's seen what's taking place and they're watching how creation has responded to the death of its creator he may have recognized this as something revealing jesus as being more than a man dying on a cross he may have been responding to jesus being messiah the response is obviously spiritual in nature because notice verse 39 mark tells us again that the centurion said truly this man was the son of god he didn't say a son of god he was the son of god matthew 2754 says that they feared greatly saying truly this was the son of god feared the word fear means reverential awe they were putting together all that they've seen and they've heard and coming to a conclusion this is the son of god not only did they fear but luke 2347 says when the centurion saw what had happened he glorified god this may have been his confession of a saving faith in this one who died on that cross first carinthians 12 3 says i make known to you that no one speaking by the spirit of god calls jesus a cursed and and no one can say that jesus is lord except by the holy spirit and so he says truly this man was a son of god verse 40 says there were also women looking on from afar among whom were mary magdalene mary the mother of james the last and of jesus and salome who also followed him and ministered to him when he was in galilee and many other women who came up with him to jerusalem now luke gives us a final glimpse glimpse a little more information in luke 2348 and 49 it says the whole crowd who came together to that site seeing what had been done beat their breasts and returned but all his acquaintances and the women who followed him from galilee stood at a distance watching these things so there were people who had gathered to observe the crucifixion and and what was occurring they watched and they heard and the result at the end was regret regret that they had anything to do with what had happened they left striking their chest as a sign of mourning in the old testament book of zekariah chapter 12 verse 10 it says i will pour out on the house of david and on the people of jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer and they will look on me the one they have pierced they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son they walk away smiting themselves they're regretting these people are regretting that they had anything to do with this but luke 2349 speaks of all of his acquaintances that would differentiate between the casual observers and his followers the women who followed him were mentioned earlier in luke's gospel luke 8 2 and 3 speaks of some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses mary who was called maglion from whom seven demons had gone out joanna the wife of kusa herod steward and susana and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means and these are the women more than likely who are there watching what's taking place it says again there were also women looking on from afar among whom were mary maglin mary the mother of james the lesson of joseph salami who also followed him and ministered to him when he was in galilee and many other women who came up with him to jerusalem they're standing there at a distance jesus has died the solemnity of that moment some have begun to disperse but the others are standing there and the grieving and the grieving as they watch him as he died some 38 verse 11 says my loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction my relatives stand at a distance it seems that they were afraid to come too close to that cross but they wanted to be present in some way and as they're watching their hearts are aching i wonder if it's possible i think it could be that as they saw him close his eyes breathe his last dismiss the spirit i wonder if it's possible that for a moment at least it became quiet silent you're left alone with your thoughts and your emotions you've been there you've seen this you've watched my mind would probably go back as an apostle will say you can think in terms of how jesus had made water into wine how jesus had walked on water how jesus had fed the multitudes twice how jesus had cast out demons how he had raised people from the dead three times how that when people would come to debate him how that there was nobody who could ever defeat him in debate how he he spoke with such firmness such authority that even when people had been sent to to to arrest him that they couldn't do it they turned around and those who sent him to arrest him said where is he and and they say in response no man has ever spoken like this man you're asking me to arrest somebody like this i can't do it this guy is just he's he's he's he's too much like matthew says he they were amazed at him because he spoke with authority and not as the scribes you've heard it said of those of old but i say unto you that's how jesus spoke and every time they would try and catch him in something he was able to defeat them this is someone that was beyond he reached and touched those who wouldn't be touched he cleansed the lepers who were separated a sign of sin a symbol of sin leprosy was a symbol of sin because of the separation and it spread in its infection yet he would cleanse him only god can cleanse lepers jesus forgave people of their sins that paralytic let down through a hole in the roof by four friends and he looked at him and he said your sins are forgiven you who can forgive sins but god alone is man blasphemes knowing all of those things about jesus life itself embodied in human form and then you watch him and you listen and you hear those words and they're not he's not whimpering and a weakness he's crying out in victory it's finished father into your hands i commit my spirit and that registers with you because you're aware of that that phrase that's when people go to sleep we say that at night and then he puts his head on his cross as a pillow and closes his eyes dismisses his spirit and it's now silent and there's a centurion watching with these men truly this man was the son of god earthquakes rocks are splitting and you're standing there and it's quiet jesus my teacher my friend my savior is dead your heart is sinking within you we thought that he was messiah but he's dead and i like how it's been said that was friday but sunday is coming because the one who died will rise again on the third day just as he said just as he said he is our savior he ever lives jesus took upon himself my sin that he might give to me his righteousness why wouldn't i serve him why wouldn't i love him why wouldn't i follow him so why is this thing anybody can ever do is to follow jesus christ father we love you