The final words that Jesus spoke were from the Cross where he was crucified by the collaborative efforts of the Jewish rulers and the Romans. Jesus was hung on the cross, according to the Gospels, at the “6th hour”. The Jewish measurement of time means Jesus’ crucifixion began at 9:00 a.m. While weakened from the Roman physical beatings and torture, Jesus was able to speak seven last times before his physical body succumbed to death. Over the next few days, leading us to Holy Week, I’d like to think, ponder a bit, on what these words should mean to us.
The
seven last words were traditionally part of a Good Friday service. The significance of Jesus’ suffering, and
these words are important for our faith.
One author wrote: “When we
suffer the most … we can cry out and God will save us…Jesus is on the cross;
his nerves, his body, his blood, and his anguish is ours. And in the midst of
this excruciating pain he makes the ultimate confession: There is a God and God
will hear me. How many times have we allowed ourselves to bear the depth of our
soul to God?”
It is
here that we understand God’s love and his co-suffering in our sufferings. It is here that we understand how to “offer
up” our pain and suffering to God who adds our sufferings to Christ – even as
the Apostle Paul said…
“I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am
completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body,
that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24).
The Apostle is not saying Christ’s suffering lacked completion, but instead, he
is saying that our suffering is added to Christ’s suffering, which in his body,
is added to the Church.
God used
the number seven throughout the Scriptures to remind us that something is
completed in this. God created the world
in six days, and rested on the seventh day to show it was completed. The Sabbath was declared to be the seventh
day. Seven was the yearly number of
feasts, all in seven days.
Jesus’
words on the Cross, completed his mission – to be God’s eternal Sacrifice for
Sin:
|
Sayings
of Jesus on the cross |
Matthew |
Mark |
Luke |
John |
|
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they
do. |
23:34 |
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Truly I say unto thee, This day you will be with
me in paradise. |
23:43 |
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|
Woman, behold thy son! and Behold
thy mother! |
19:26–27 |
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|
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? |
27:46 |
15:34 |
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I thirst. |
19:28 |
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It is finished. |
19:30 |
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|
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. |
23:46 |
Peace
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