Maundy Thursday-The Seven Last Words April 17, 2025

I'm so glad that you came to join us this evening at First Presbyterian Church of Mount Dora for this very special Monday Thursday service. This service is a service about love. The entire time as you hear all of these seven last words of Jesus of the Christ, remember that anytime you see a

number in scripture, it has a meaning. Seven is a a very special number in that it means eternal. So these are the seven eternal last words of Christ. So I am so glad that you are here. This is about you and this is about all of the people in this world that God loves so much. Let us begin with the first word. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. I will never forget the day I met Jesus. I had become involved with a married man. At the very time we were together,

an angry mom burst into my home and dragged me out into the street. I felt her, they screamed. They wouldn't let me go. They dragged me out into the street and carried me toward the walls of the city. I knew what they were planning for me. Many of them picked out their rocks as they dragged me along. Rocks which fit their hands just right. rocks which they would use to stone me to death. This was their answer for my sins. Complete condemnation. We were well on our journey toward my death when I overheard

part of the conversation. The people said something about a teacher, something about a trick, something about a chance to catch him in his words. This idea seemed to please the group very much. The mob suddenly changed direction and took me to the temple courts. When they found the man they were looking for, they stopped and they slung me in front of him. I will never forget what they said. Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now, what do you

say? They waited to see if he would join them in stoning me for my sin. I felt every condemning eye burning a hole of judgment through me as we awaited his answer. I knew that if he agreed to condemn me, his answer would be my last straw. His answer would bring the first stone. He bent down and he wrote on the ground with his finger. The angry man questioned himlessly, wanting to know his answer for my sin. He stood and gave his answer. If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a

stone at her. Again, he stooped down and wrote upon the ground. There was a long silence and then I heard a word, a sound, the sound of a shower of rocks. I looked up in fear, believing the moment of my death was at hand. But these rocks were not being thrown at me. They were dropping to the street from the hands of men who realized that condemnation was not God's answer for my sin. One by one, beginning with the oldest, they walked away and left me with Jesus. He stood and asked me, "Woman, where are

they? Has no one condemn you? No sir, I said no one. Then neither do I condemn you. He said, go now and leave your life of sin. His solution for my sin was not to stone me, not to condemn me, but to forgive me. He called me to leave my life of sin and I did. His grace was the beginning of a new life for me. Now upon this cross he suffers this forgiveness for all. He has done no wrong. The Romans and his own people have condemned him to die. He has every reason to condemn us all. But he hasn't. Did you hear

him? He prays to God that we might be forgiven for what we have done to him. His way is not to condemn but to forgive. So few have heard him. So few seem to trust him. But every sinner who believes him will receive what I received that day. Forgiveness to leave the sins of the past behind. Forgiveness to start a new life. [Music] for you. Oh [Music] and all of [Music] the [Music] glory of God. [Music] We are not by the Lord. Oh, we are redeemed and we live in Christ. Receive his praise. We are justified by faith.

Praise the L. [Music] The rightousness of [Music] God is a king to all who will [Music] Yes, I [Music] was seeing Amazing grace, how sweet. [Music] [Applause] [Music] The second word, two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us. But the other criminal rebuked him. Don't you fear God, he said, since you are under the same sentence. Are we are punished justly for we are getting what we deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth. Today you will be with me in paradise. You don't know me. Not many do. Nobody remembers me. Nobody should. I'm just a poor man. One of those people on Messiah was coming to I lived in the countryside two maybe three miles from here. And I came to Jerusalem for the Passover, not to worship God or anything. I'm the kind of guy, well, I'm around. I knew that many, many rich men would be in Jerusalem for the Passover.

So, I came too to make myself rich. But I was caught and made an example of to the people. Bad luck. The lucky of the poor to be crucified. When I walked away with sorrows to that hill shaped like a skull. I saw I saw there was two others crucified with me. Two of us were were robbers and we were to be tied to the cross. The other was something really bad. The sign that was over his head said that he was the king of the Jews and he was being nailed to the cross. The hollow sail of the metal piercing flesh made me

shudder. He bled until the head of the nail crush crushed the wound. which was pretty horrible. I heard the people mock this king, so I joined in. Seemed harmless enough. Anyway, we would all be dead soon. "Hey, are you really the Messiah?" I cried. "Then say to yourself, and us, too." The people laughed. It was funny at the time. The other robber told me to shut up. We were guilty of our crimes. He told me, Jesus wasn't. And then Jesus looked over to him and said something, but he didn't say anything to

me. I had betrayed him. I had to [Music] When I serve the one crossing [Music] My [Music] wishes and more content on my cross. [Music] For I should know more than I [Music] Christ. [Music] I [Music] sacrifice sorrow and Ringle down. [Music] [Applause] [Music] for the soul raise. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh, my soul. Oh, [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] The third word. When Jesus saw his mother there and the the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his

mother, "Dear woman, here is your son." And to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, the disciple took her into his home. How can I give up my son? How can I bear to watch him die? Long ago, Joseph was taken from me in death, and now my son Jesus is dying like this. In one sense, he's always belonged to me. I gave birth to him. Joseph and I raised him in our home, and he worked in the carpenter shop. But in a deeper sense, he was he never really belonged to us. From the very start, he

belonged to God. I remember when Jesus was 8 days old, we took him to the temple to dedicate him to the Lord as the law commands. An old man named Simeon was there. He told us that Jesus would bring salvation to his people and even to the Gentiles. We marveled at what he said. But Simeon also said something else. He said, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be spoken against so that the thought of many hearts will be revealed and a sword will

pierce your own soul too." And those words have come true today. My son has been spoken against by the religious and the political leaders. These last hours have shown how much Fear and hatred live in the hearts of those who claim to lead the people of God. And their hearts have been revealed. And a sword has pierced my soul today. The pain of seeing my son Jesus suffering and dying upon the cross. [Music] God takes away the sins of the world. on us. Have mercy on us. God who takes away the sins

of mercy on us. Have mercy on us. [Music] So [Music] joy of the world. Mercy on us. Have mercy on us. God the s of the world. [Music] on us. Have mercy on us. [Music] Pray us for our praise. [Music] Let [Music] us [Music] th us our peace. [Music] Oh, [Applause] [Music] [Laughter] [Applause] [Music] The fourth word. And at the 9inth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Elo, [Music] Elo," which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? I'm Peter. I was born Simon. But in our travels, Jesus chose

to rename me Petro in Greek, meaning rock. with the expectation that I might be the foundation of his church, the rock under his church. The recognition was nice, but such responsibility. It's Thursday. This has been a long and stressful day. We celebrated Passover the 12 and Jesus celebrating the Passover dinner together was joyous in a way. Jesus gave us a mandate in Greek, a command, thou shalt love that you will love your neighbor as yourself. New commandment after dinner. Well, and the other thing he said during dinner was,

"One of us will betray one of you will betray me tonight." We were shocked by that. In fact, disbelieving of it. And after dinner, when Jesus went to the garden to pray, it became true because one of us did betray Jesus. With a kiss, the guards came to arrest Jesus. I was wanting to help. I pulled the sword from my from my belt. But the chaos of the moment, it was just impossible. And we were worried for our lives. So the disciples ran for our lives. Jesus was taken away to the home of the high priest

Caiaphas. After a while, I just felt like I needed to know what my master about my master and how he was being treated. So I went back. I doubled back to the courtyard outside the high priest's home. Oh, such a crowd. And when I arrived at the at the courtyard, a woman came to me and says, "I recognize you. You're one of the men who travels with Jesus." And I wanted to get into the courtyard. So, I just said, "You're wrong." And we worked our way over. I wor my way over closer to the door and window of the house so I could what was

going on in the house. And another woman came up to me and she had accused me of of being one of the followers of of Jesus. Well, I didn't want to talk to her. In fact, she said it so loud I was concerned that people would hear it inside the house and that they would call me in to testify. So again, I told her, "I don't know the man." Well, but this time I was close enough to the house that I could was condemning Jesus and I could feel the stress on my soul. So I backed away, moved out to the outer wall of the courtyard and several

people came up to me and says, "You can't follow us. We recognize you. You're one of those followers." And I said, "I don't know the man." And after a moment of silence, the crowed. And I was reminded of what Jesus had said earlier in the day that before the crows, you will Peter, you will deny me three times. I did deny him. My grief of of the moment, my sadness is beyond words. [Music] Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Sometimes it causes me to

tremble treble treble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there while they laid him in the [Music] tomb? Were you there when they lay in the wood? [Music] Sometimes it causes me to tremble treble treble. Were you there when they came in the truth? [Music] the fifth word. Later, knowing that all was now completed and so that the scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there. So they soaked a sponge in it and put the sponge on a stock of the hip

plant and lifted it to Jesus's lips. This man was so thirsty. He'd lost a great deal of blood. And he'd been driven all through the streets like an animal. He'd hung on that cross for hours. At least the Romans have the decency to give him some relief from his thirst. That is what he did for me. I met Jesus when I was very thirsty. I had come to the well to draw water in the middle of the day. I know that is that noon is not the time to go to the well. The sun is hot and the work is hard. But I would

rather face the searching, scorching sun than the burning eyes and blistering words of the people of my town. I went to the well in the heat of the day because I didn't want to face anyone. That is until I met him. I was shocked to see a Jewish man in our village. You see, Samaritans and Jews have been bitter enemies for as long as I can remember or anyone. I tried to pretend that he was not there, but I feared that he above all people would treat me like dirt, but he did not ignore me. He asked me if I

wanted a drink of water. I was shocked. I answered, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" He answered my question not by telling me why he wanted to reject me, but telling me what he wanted to give me. He said, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you you would know he had given you the living water." I didn't understand. I thought he was talking about some other source of water, but he didn't have a water jar. He didn't have a well of his own. What

could he offer me? He told me that whoever drinks the water he gives will never thirst. The water he gives, he said, is a spring of water, an endless supply that springs eternal life. I did not fully understand what he was saying, but I knew that I was thirsty for more than water that day. I asked him to give me this living water that I might not thirst again. Then he told me about my life. He saw my struggle. He knew my sin. He read what was written upon my heart. But he did not reject me. He did not condemn me. He

invited me to know God personally, to worship him in spirit and in truth. He saw that I thirsted for more than water. I was thirsty for acceptance. I was thirsty for forgiveness. And I was thirsty for peace with God. I dared not ask him what I was wondering. Could this be the Messiah, our deliverer, our savior? So I hinted. I know that the Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us. He answered, "I who speak to you am he. In that moment, my thirst was quenched. He gave me the living water

and I never thirsted again. Oh Jesus, I know how it feels to be thirsty. And I pray that soon your suffering will end. Your thirst will be quenched. And you again will know the peace he has given me. [Music] Lord, [Music] wonderous my soul. Glorious [Music] My [Music] soul for We are [Music] the earth [Music] is all my soul. [Music] Oh, [Music] every to How thy glory? Glorious. [Music] On this solemn night, we have an invitation. We have heard that it goes out to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west.

and that all God's people have been invited to come to partake of God's gifts at this table. So no matter what tradition you may come from, if Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, you are welcome and invited to this the Lord's Supper. As we come together on this sacred evening, our hearts are surrounded by the love and the mystery of Jesus as we learn and reexamine the suffering and the death that he experienced on our behalf. Even as we remember the darkness of this day, be assured of the grace, the gift

that we have all been extended, that we may just simply reach out and receive from our Lord and Savior. For my friends, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God. and all God's people say, "Amen." Thank God. We know that when Jesus was in that upper room sharing the sacred meal with his disciples, he took the bread and he gave thanks to God, the creator of the universe. And then Jesus changed the world. He broke the bread and he said to his followers, "This is my body broken for you. As often as you eat of this, do so

in remembrance of me." And then we know that later on in the meal, Jesus took the cup and he said to his followers again, "This is the cup of the new covenant sealed in my blood. As often as you drink of this, do so in remembrance of me." My friends, will you please join me in a prayer. Let us pray. Lord God, we thank you for this invitation and for these gifts that we may revisit this evening. We thank you, Lord, as we know that we stand on the shoulders of all the saints who have gone before us. We know that this is proclaiming

that your love continues throughout this world. And we thank you, Lord, that we have been included in this, that you have reached out to every one of us. For you are the lamb of God for us that takes away the sins of the world. May we be and continue to be transformed by your love as we live out our days in service to you. We thank you for this and we All of this in Jesus holy name. Even as he was the one that taught us all how to pray by saying, "Our Father, who are in heaven, be thy name, thy kingdom come,

thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. My friends, we are going to share the gifts of God by intention, which is taking a piece of the bread in the bowl and dipping it into the juice, remembering that this is God's gift to you and to me. These are the gifts of God for the people of God. Will the

elders please come forward? We will have two lines, one on each side of the table. [Music] How beautiful the heavens that serve the wine and the bread and the sons of the earth. How beautiful the feet. The long dusty road and the hill to the cross. How beautiful. How beautiful. How beautiful. [Music] Beautiful is the body of Christ. How beautiful the heart of men and took all my sin and [Music] bour and chose to forive and never despise the beauty. [Music] Beautiful. How beautiful. How beautiful is the body of Christ.

And as he came down his life, we offer this sacriice that we will live just as he died. Willing to pay the price. willing to pay the price. How beautiful and bright for her with a light in her eyes. A beautiful heart give the fruit of your [Music] life will be [Music] the praise. [Music] The beauty is all the higher [Music] the earth. How [Music] beautiful. How beautiful. [Music] How beautiful. How beautiful is the [Music] body of Christ. [Music] Our Lord Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never

hunger and whoever believes trusts in me will never thirst." Will you please join me in a prayer of thanksgiving? Let us pray. Eternal God, may the mystery of this table deepen our connection with Christ. Help us to span the holy distance between our savior, the sacrifice that he gave and the commercialized world around us. Thank you for nourishing us this evening through the body and the blood of Jesus. Send us out with passion and purpose this day, tomorrow, and every day. For this we pray in Christ's name. Amen.

The sixth word. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his [Music] Jerusalem. The soldiers tried to clear the narrow streets. But the crowded to see the man content to turn. He was bleeding from a beating. There were stripes upon his head and he wore crown of thorns upon his head. And he bore with every step the sword of those who cried for his death. for the on the way of suffering like a name the Messiah Christ the [Music] King. But he chose to

walk out of his house for you and me. I'll be a closer all the way to Calary. [Music] Loco [Music] Praising worthy for me. [Music] of God that defends the souls of all men. They take the heart of you. Tell the earth on the way of the lamb came the Messiah Christ the King. He chose to walk the road for you and [Music] me all the way to Calary. [Music] The seventh word. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had done this, he breathed his last. And when the centurion who stood there

in front of Jesus heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the son of God. I'm a Roman centurion. It was my job that night to stand guard over those being crucified. I always dread this detail, but this night especially because there was one who had to be nailed to the cross. I watched him as he was laid on the cross piece and I had to give the order to hammer the spike through his hand. The nail was held in place by one soldier. The hammer was perched above in the air by another and the command

caught in my throat. I tried to give it but those eyes kept looking at me. There was something in them. I don't know, call it peace or forgiveness or something like that. I could have done it if he had hated me. I could have done it if he had dared me to do it. But he just kept looking up patiently, pitying me. Someone from the crowd yelled, "I hit." And the deed was done. I walked away. I heard the sounds of metal hitting metal. I heard the cries and the cheers from the watching crowd. And then

I turned in time to see him thrust up on the standard hang in that inhuman way. I yelled at the crowds to disperse and soon there were only a few left waiting. To pass the time, my friends and I cast lots for the clothes of the victims. I won, but what would I ever do with them? Still, it haunts me. When the hour came for them to die, we broke the robbers's legs to make them fast die faster. But this Jesus was already dead. We pierced him with a spear to make sure he wasn't just acting, but he was

dead. And at that moment he died, the sky turned an inky black and the curtain in the Jewish temple was torn. I knew and I knew that surely this was the son of God. I had stood guard guard at the death of the son of God. I had betrayed him and yet he had forgiven me. [Music] [Music] [Music] Our cup was fil [Music] death. Christ took your pray and give us more. Give us [Music] My is from my [Music] [Music] Lord be in dark [Applause] Weather one more for one more day. I know that from my brother my