New Hope Bible Church

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 3:11-13 Paul has a secret for us. He was speaking to the Philippians here, and he is thanking them for sending him some material support, most likely financial in form.  He is thankful they sent him some help, but he wanted to make something clear.  Although he rejoiced when he received their gift, he did not want them to think that he was desperate for it.  He was not necessarily rejoicing because he needed the gift.  He was rejoicing because it showed that the Philippian church was concerned for him; he knew they loved him. How can Paul, a traveling missionary, who said in anoth...

And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:46 Jesus had revealed His love by praying for the forgiveness of the very soldiers who nailed Him to the cross.  He offered the hope of salvation to the criminal next to Him.  He made sure His mother was take care of.  He expressed the agony of being spiritually separated from God while bearing the weight of our sin.  He fulfilled prophecy by asking for a drink.  And finally, He mightily declared that the debt was paid, and it was finished.  Now, Jesus was about to breathe his last. No man took Jesus life from Him; instead, He laid it down.  This last statement shows Jesus willingly giving up His life.  He committed His spirit to the Father, and He died. This too was a reference to Psalms.  In Psalm 31:5, it says, "Into Your hand I commit My spirit; You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of tru...

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. John 19:30 In Return of the King,  when the one ring is at last thrown into the great fires of Mt. Doom, Frodo, who carried this burden all the way to its end, simply gasps and says, "It's done."  There were no other words to say.  It's done.  The journey was accomplished.  The mission was fulfilled.  The work was finished. On the cross, at the end of His great work and life and ministry and mission, He shouts, "It is finished!" What was finished? First of all, prophecy was fulfilled.  When Jesus declared that He was thirsty, John 19:28 tells us that He did this because all things had already been accomplished.  Everything that the Old Testament said would happen to the Messiah up to that point, had happened.  The Scriptures were fulfilled.  He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) in Bethlehem (Micah...

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, "I am thirsty."  A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. John 19:28-29 Today is Good Friday.  It is the day we remember as that day Jesus Christ died on the cross.  We have covered four of the things Jesus said while on the cross, and today we look at another saying.  It is fitting that this fifth saying lands on Good Friday, because most of us associate crucifixion with intense physical pain.  And Jesus' saying today focuses on that physical element. Jesus said that He was thirsty.  There are three things to consider with this statement. 1. This fulfilled prophecy. In Psalm 22:15, David writes, "My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death."  Psalm 22 is the...

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?" Matthew 27:46 The first three things Jesus said reveal His outgoing love for those around Him, despite all that He was suffering.  Today, we look at the spiritual pain Jesus was experiencing on the cross.  This fourth saying is a quote from Psalm 22:1.  Some scholars think that only the first line was recorded, but Jesus may have quoted the entire Psalm.  However, all we know for certain is that He said this line.  I believe that Matthew specifically included the Hebrew lines in order to draw attention to the Psalm, which was originally written in Hebrew.  Jesus also spoke this line in Hebrew instead of Greek, for those around Him heard "Eli" and thought He was calling Elijah.  They did not understand the relation to the Psalm. (In both Hebrew and Greek, the name Elijah begins with "Eli.")  It i...

When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. John 19:26-27 Today we are looking at the third thing Jesus said while He was on the cross.  This saying is a bit more personal, and we are still able to see what was on Jesus' heart during this time.  On Monday, we saw that Jesus was thinking about forgiveness.  Yesterday, we saw that Jesus was still looking to save all that came to Him.  Today, we see that Jesus still showed love and concern for those He loved. While Jesus was on the cross, He looked down and saw His mother, Mary, watching.  How excruciating this must have been for Mary!  Jesus did not look at her with a blank stare; He did not ignore her, even though He was in agony and pain.  He loved Mary.  He also saw John, arguably Jes...

And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:42-43 Today we look at the next thing Jesus said while on the cross.  Remember, these last sayings of Jesus reveal His heart.  They reveal what was on His mind as He suffered and died.  Yesterday, we saw that Jesus asked the Father to forgive. Jesus was crucified between two criminals.  Here in Luke, we see that one of the criminals is insulting Jesus.  As he hurls abuse, He tells Jesus to free Himself and them if He is the Messiah.  Even as this man dies, He wants a sign from Jesus.  He will not believe.  He does not expect the sign to come, and he says it derisively. However, the other criminal rebukes the one insulting.  He asks the man if he does not fear God. They are suffering justly, but this man, Jesus, has done nothing wrong.  We see the heart of this crim...

When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.  But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. Luke 23:33-34 Have you ever wondered what was on Jesus' mind and heart as He hung from the cross? Jesus once said that the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart (Matthew 12:34). So if we want to hear the heart of Jesus, we must listen to His words.  The Gospels record seven different sayings spoken by Jesus while He was on the cross.  As this week leads us to Easter, we will be looking at one saying a day. Today we begin with the first saying.  "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they are doing." Imagine the scene.  Jesus has been arrested, beaten, scourged, humiliated, and condemned.  He was spit on, His beard was plucked, and a crown of thorns...