The Seven Last Words of Christ From The Cross

The First Word:
“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”
–Luke 23:34

It makes sense that the first word of Jesus from the cross is a word of forgiveness. That’s the point of the cross. after all. Jesus is dying so that we might be forgiven for our sins.

 

The Second Word:
“I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
–Luke 23:43

We are welcome there not because God is merciful and we have put our trust in Jesus.

 

The Third Word:
“Dear woman, here is your son.”
–John 19:26

We are reminded that Jesus was a real human being, a man who had once been a boy who had once been carried in the womb of his mother. Even as he was dying on the cross as the Savior of the world, Jesus was also a son, a role he didn’t neglect in his last moments.

 

The Fourth Word:
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
–Mark 15:34

Jesus entered into the Hell of separation from God. The Father abandoned him because Jesus took upon himself the penalty for our sins. In that excruciating moment, he experienced something far more horrible than physical pain. The beloved Son of God knew what it was like to be rejected by the Father.

 

The Fifth Word:
“I am thirsty.”
–John 19:28

John notes that Jesus said “I am thirsty,” not only as a statement of physical reality, but also in order to fulfill the Scripture. Though there is no specific reference in the text of the Gospel, it’s likely that John was thinking of Psalm 69, which includes this passage: “if only one would turn and comfort me. But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst.”

 

The Sixth Word:
“It is finished!”
–John 19:30

Jesus had accomplished his mission. He had announced and inaugurated the kingdom of God. He had revealed the love and grace of God. And he had embodied that love and grace by dying for the sin of the world, thus opening up the way for all to live under the reign of God. We know that nothing can separate us from God’s love.

 

The Seventh Word:
“Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”
–Luke 23:46

“I entrust my spirit into your hands” points back to the familiar suffering of David in Psalm 31, and forward to the resurrection.

Have you accepted God’s salvation through Christ?

He Was Delivered Over To Death For Our Sins

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
— Romans 4:25

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 
— Galatians 2:19-20