CHARLES H. PERKINS
JESUS SPEAKS WORDS OF LOVE
After being beaten, spat upon, having His beard ripped
out, insulted and many other forms of torture, Jesus was nailed to a cross and
crucified. There, hanging on the cross, in the hours leading up to His death,
Jesus spoke words of love.
From deep within a sense of pain, isolation and anxiety
such as no human had ever experienced before and no one has experienced since,
Jesus cried out, “My God, My God…Why have You forsaken Me?” At that moment,
Jesus took the sin of the world, our sin, upon Himself because He loved us. At
that moment, Jesus began to pay the price for our sin, a price that we could
not pay…Because He loved us. At that moment, Jesus subjected Himself to
momentary separation from the Father because the Father will not look upon sin…Because
He loved us. He cried out to God, “Why have You forsaken Me?” so that we would
never have to cry it out…Because He loved us…Words of love.
As the people gather around the cross to watch Him die,
as they continued to ridicule Him, He said, “Father, forgive them for they know
not what they do!” Through His great love and compassion, He called for
forgiveness even though through ignorance, the people didn’t even know they
needed to be forgiven. They had been convinced that they were doing right. That’s
the way sin often is, deceptive. Jesus loves us enough to forgive us even when
we are too blinded by the lure of sin to know we are lost. He loves us even
when, through our pride, we refuse to acknowledge our need for forgiveness. He
forgives us when even through our self- righteousness, we refuse to accept His
forgiveness. “Father, forgive them…” Words of love.
As He hung on the cross in the heat of the day, “I
thirst” were the words He was heard to say. When He expressed His thirst, He
was giving us an example. This thirst was not just for water. It was a thirst
for righteousness; a thirst for God; a thirst for right relationship with the
Father; a thirst for the Word of God; a thirst for eternal life. These are just
some of the things He was encouraging us to thirst for. It is a thirst that
only God’s love can quench…Words of love.
Two thieves were crucified with Jesus. One ridiculed Him
and the other asked for forgiveness and to be remembered by Him. Jesus said to
him, “This day, you shall be with me in paradise.” By these words, Jesus let us
know that as long as we have breath, it is never too late to seek God’s love
and forgiveness. While hanging on a cross, a life-long criminal received
eternal life through Jesus Christ. He let us know that hope is always there. We
can always turn around. We can always run to the shelter of His love. He died
to pay the price of our sin. It is up to us to accept the gift of the price
that He paid: Eternal Life. The thief did…Words of love.
He looked down from the cross and saw His mother, Mary,
among those gathered around. He also saw one of His disciples, one that He
loved. He said to her, “Woman, behold your son.” And to the disciple He said,
“Son, behold your mother.” The Word tells us that from that day on, the disciple
looked after Mary as his own mother. With these words, Jesus is encouraging us
to look out for one another, to help and encourage one another. Comfort and
love one another. Forgive one another. Meet one another's needs…Words of love.
“It is finished” is what He said. The price was paid. The
final sacrifice for our sin was made. He paid the price that we could not
pay…Words of love.
“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” His last
Words on the cross shows us that the door to eternal life with the Father has
been opened. He is the door. We go in through Him…Words of love.
