Holy Bible Online At the time of Jesus, crucifixion was a very cruel and painful death, a punishment reserved for the worst criminals and terrorists. The words that came from the mouths of those crucified were generally screams of pain or curses. This was not the case with Jesus! Even in the midst of His great pain, humiliation, and the unbearable abuse He suffered, the 7 last words of Jesus were words of love and forgiveness:
- "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34a)
- "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)
- "Woman,here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother." (John 19:26-27)
- "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?") (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)
- "I am thirsty." (John 19:28)
- "It is finished!" (John 19:30)
- "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" (Luke 23:46)
Let’s look at the last 7 phrases spoken by Jesus from the cross. These were recorded in the four Gospels by eyewitnesses of the moment of Jesus' crucifixion. The order in which they appear is generally accepted as the chronological order in which Jesus spoke them.
1. "Father, forgive them..."
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
- Luke 23:34
Jesus cried out to God the Father for the forgiveness of those who crucified Him. Even in the midst of His tremendous suffering, He understood that they were acting in ignorance, as "sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36), people in desperate need of a real encounter with God and His forgiveness.
Jesus also demonstrated that, throughout His life, His teachings were more than just empty words. He lived what He preached, right to the very end of His earthly life, praying for His enemies and persecutors at His most anguishing moment (Matthew 5:44).
2. "...You will be with me in paradise"
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."
- Luke 23:43
Jesus was crucified alongside two criminals, one to His right and the other to His left (Luke 23:32-33). One of them insulted Jesus until the end. However, at a certain point, the other rebuked the first one and asked him if he had no fear of God. It seems that this second criminal realized there was something different about Jesus and was sure of His innocence (Luke 23:41).
The second criminal made a request to Jesus: "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). By making this request, he acknowledged Jesus' lordship and expressed his faith in Him. Jesus answered that they would be together in paradise that very day. In other words, He assured him of forgiveness and eternal life, something Jesus could do because He is God.
And it is thanks to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross that we too receive salvation and eternal life.
3. "...Here is your son"
26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
- John 19:26-27
Jesus made sure that His mother, Mary, would be cared for even after He was physically gone. He entrusted John with her care. John was one of Jesus' closest disciples and was present at the moment of the crucifixion. With this gesture, Jesus demonstrated His love for His mother and His trust that John would take good care of her.
4. "...Why have you forsaken me?"
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)
- Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34
Here, Jesus quoted Scripture, specifically Psalm 22:1. Typically, Jesus referred to God as His Father, but in this moment of anguish, He cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" He used this Scripture to express what He was feeling. That psalm, along with Isaiah 53, prophesied the moment when Jesus would take upon Himself the sins of the world, experiencing separation from the Father as a consequence of sin.
Jesus took our place on the cross. He carried our sins and received the punishment we deserved. During this temporary separation from the Father - something difficult for our human minds to understand - Jesus exclaimed these words, a clear expression of His anguish.
5. "I am thirsty"
Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
- John 19:28
According to Mark 15:23, just before the crucifixion, Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mixture used to dull the senses of those being punished and alleviate some of their pain. Jesus refused to drink that substance, and by this time, He had already been hanging on the cross for several hours.
Jesus had lost significant body fluids due to the scourging, the torture, and the crucifixion. After several hours of exposure to the sun, it was natural for Him to feel thirsty. This statement about His physical thirst preceded the next phrase spoken by Jesus from the cross.
28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”
- John 19:28-30a
6. "It is finished"
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
- John 19:30
With the phrase "It is finished," or "It is accomplished," according to the New International Version, Jesus declared to all that the work He had come to do on earth was complete. It was, in a sense, a triumphant cry!
His sacrifice on the cross gave us access to salvation and eternal life. Aside from all the powerful miracles He performed during His earthly life, Jesus had just performed the greatest miracle: the payment for our redemption.
7. "...Into Your hands I commit my spirit"
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. ”When he had said this, he breathed his last.
- Luke 23:46
During His time on earth, Jesus always sought to do the will of the Father. He, being God, voluntarily submitted to the will of God the Father out of love for us. Jesus came to fulfill a specific mission entrusted to Him by the Father, and He fulfilled it to the end. He was now ready to return to the Father! With this phrase, He entrusted His spirit and exhaled His last breath.
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