Good Friday marks the crucifixion and dying of Christ. On this day, Christians around the world remember the day Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for their sins. It is followed by Easter, the glorious celebration of the day Jesus was raised from the dead, heralding his victory over sin and death and pointing ahead to a future resurrection for all who are united to him by faith (Romans 6:5)."
Ever since Jesus died and was raised, Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. Paul considered it to be “of first importance” that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised to life on the third day, all in accordance with what God had promised all along in the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3). Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. Jesus endured the cross, knowing it led to his resurrection, our salvation, and the beginning of God’s reign of righteousness and peace. The Cross of Christ is God’s final word as to the character and consequence of human sin, and of the wonder and sacrifice of divine love.
God incarnate suffered and died on the cross as a propitiation for the sins of all mankind. Jesus went to the Cross so that we, through his death and resurrection might have a personal relationship with God and that we might know its power in every area of our lives. The Cross is the place "to where heaven’s love and heaven’s justice meet". Twenty centuries have passed since the Crucifixion Day, yet the Bible account enables us to visualize the event with a great deal of accuracy. Jesus faced the cup of God’s wrath upon sin on that cross. It is unbelievable to consider all that He endured in those 18 hours. The physical suffering was horrific but the spiritual war within the three hours of darkness is something we cannot comprehend.
Jesus spoke seven times during the closing moments on the Cross. Before the darkness descended on the scene, Jesus spoke three times. During the darkness, He spoke once. And after the darkness had passed, He uttered three more sentences of love. The seven utterances of Jesus from the cross reveal God’s answer to our basic needs. The words which Jesus uttered on the Cross are worthy of special consideration because of who uttered them, where they were uttered, why they were spoken, and what they mean. They are precious because they are deep expressions of the Eternal son of God in His time of terrible agony in those moments when He actually paid the price of our redemption.
Every statement from the Lord Jesus bears timeless significance and these seven words are taken from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Holy Bible, but assembled into what was probably their chronological order according to a simple harmony of the gospel accounts of the Crucifixion: they reveal his divinity as well as his humanity and demonstrate that Jesus was consistent in His life and in His message until the end. Let us briefly reflect on the seven last words of Jesus.
1. "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
2. "This day you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)
3. "Woman, behold your son." (John 19:26-27)
4. "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46)
5. "I thirst." (John 19:28)
6. "It is finished." (John 19:30)
7. "Into your hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46)
REFLECTIONS AND MEDITATIONS ON THE LAST WORDS OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS
1. Jesus Speaks to the Father- Luke 23:34
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
In the midst of his excruciating suffering, the heart of Jesus was focused on others rather than himself. Here we see the nature of God’s agape love—unconditional, selfless, redemptive, sacrificial, steadfast and serving love. 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; so that we might be reconciled to God for eternity. Because Christ died on the cross for us, we are cleansed from all wickedness, from every last sin. The timing of this suggests that Jesus asked his Father to primarily forgive the soldiers who have whipped and scourged him, mocked him, tortured him, and who have just nailed Him to the Cross.
But, scholars have asked. Could this not also apply to each one of us who committed sin against God , His apostles and the latter’s companions who have deserted Him, to Peter who has denied Him three times, to the religious and fickle –minded crowd, who only days before praised Him on His entrance to Jerusalem, and then days later chose Him over Barabbas to be crucified?
The gospel writers simply wrote "They crucified Jesus". Who crucified him? It would be truer to say "We crucified the Lord". Every one of us is equally guilty, "They do not know what they do" said Jesus. What a perceptive word this is. Mankind had become so blinded by evil, so corrupted by sin that it reacted violently to the purity and holiness of God as shown in the Lord Jesus Christ. The wonder of this Word from the Cross is that there is forgiveness for the disciples who forsook Jesus and fled in the night, Forgiveness for the evil ones who drove Him to the Cross, Forgiveness for the soldiers who nailed him to the tree, Forgiveness for the bitter hearts of his religious enemies, the priests and teachers, Forgiveness for every person who has ever sinned or made a mistake. Bible says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).
Jesus practiced what He preached. One day Jesus preached on the mountain, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.” When asked by Peter, how many times should we forgive someone, Jesus answers seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22). At the Last Supper, Jesus explains his crucifixion to His Apostles when he tells them to drink of the cup: “Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28). He forgives the paralytic at Capernaum (Mark 2:5), and the adulteress caught in the publicly despicable act and about to be stoned (John 8:1-11). Needless to say, it is much easier to talk about forgiveness than it is to forgive. But what Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount, He practiced on the grim hill of Calvary. The Bible says, “Be ye therefore kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” (Ephesians 4:32). We have been freely forgiven; therefore we should freely forgive.
2. Jesus Speaks to the Criminal on the Cross- Luke 23:43- "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
On that fateful day in the history of the world, it happened that there were two thieves who were crucified alongside Jesus. This fact isn’t just recorded to give a bit of color to the dark scene. It’s not just to round up the story, but as a piece of evidence that what was happening was part of God’s plan of salvation. It was conceived before the world existed and revealed through God’s messengers, centuries before. The particular prophecy that was being fulfilled is recorded in Isaiah 53 where, among many other predictions, the prophet declared that the coming Suffering Servant of the Lord was he who "was numbered with the transgressors" (53:12). Now it is not just the religious leaders or the soldiers that mock Jesus, but even one of the criminals. But the criminal on the other side speaks up for Jesus, explaining the two criminals are receiving their just due, and then pointing to Jesus, says, “This man has done nothing wrong.” One of the criminals who was crucified with Christ, had recognized who Jesus was and expressed faith in him as Savior. Then, turning to Jesus, he asks, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).
No man is beyond hope of redemption in whose soul still lingers some fear of God. And as he spoke, faith rose in his soul and he blurted out his appeal, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." It was a plea that did not fall on deaf ears. The response was immediate, "Truly, I tell you, and today you will be with me in Paradise." The word "Paradise" is a Persian word meaning "a walled garden". When a Persian king wished to do one of his subjects a very special honor he made him a “companion of the garden” and he was chosen to walk in the royal garden with the king. It was more than immortality that Jesus promised the penitent thief. He promised the honored place of a companion of the garden in the courts of heaven. "You will be with me" said Jesus. Jesus yet again ignores His own suffering, and responds with His second word. Here we see grace poured out through faith, as Jesus assured the dying man of his forgiveness and eternal salvation.
This word from the cross teaches some wonderful truths. It illustrates that the way of salvation is wondrously simple. The man was saved simply by asking the Lord to save him. In the words of his request, there’s the implication that he felt and confessed his need of salvation; he believed the Lord could and would save him and he committed himself to the Lord and trusted him to save him (Romans 10:13).Another important lesson to learn from the personal encounter of the dying thief with Jesus is that salvation doesn’t depend on religious ceremonies, good deeds or any contribution from man. Now it is not just the religious leaders or the soldiers that mock Jesus, but even one of the criminals, a downward progression of mockery. The thief admitted that the cross was where he ought to die and that he was doomed for despair. And friend, that is the first step required in order to get saved. Every person must admit that he is helpless and lost before there is any hope of his ever getting saved. And when this man asked for mercy, Jesus did not accuse him of being a criminal and a wicked person beyond help. Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Not only will I remember you, but I will take you with me to a land where you will never suffer again, and where all your troubles and tears will be gone forever! That is marvelous grace.
3. Jesus Speaks to Mary and John- John 19:26-27
When Jesus saw his mother there, and 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.”
While the crowd mocked and jeered, it is good to know that there were those present who really cared. Jesus looked down and saw His mother standing near the Cross. By her side was the disciple John. This little group of sympathetic and bereaved souls furnished a striking contrast to the rest of the mocking crowd. Jesus, looking down from the cross, was still filled with the concerns of a son for the earthly needs of his mother. None of his brothers were there to care for her, so he gave this task to the Apostle John. Here we clearly see Christ’s humanity.
"Jesus said to his mother: "Woman, this is your son".and then to John He said, “From now on she will be your mother.”Try and read the thoughts and the emotions of Jesus’ mother’s heart. His disciples had deserted Him; His friends had forsaken Him; His nation had rejected Him; and His enemies cried out for His blood. But His faithful mother stood there sorrowing at the foot of the Cross. “Woman, behold thy son.” The years of obedience to Mary and Joseph had ended for Jesus, but not the years of honor. The words which the Finger of God engraved on two tables of stone at Mount Sinai were never repealed. The Bible still says, “Honor thy father and thy mother.”. He turned to John, his beloved disciple and established a new relationship between the two.
The Second Word from the Cross ministered salvation to the penitent sinner, but the Third Word introduces us to the wider implications of this great salvation. It illuminates relationships as seen through the cross of Jesus, especially that of love. A psychologist once said, "there are two things that men want: power and love." At the very heart of all our wanting is the love that Jesus gave us on the cross. The disciple that Jesus refers to in his word is John, and his gospel contains several of the most important statements that Jesus made on love. "Greater love has no one than this that one lays down his life for his friends" (15:13). "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (3:16).
This Third Word from the Cross also reveals the relationship of Jesus with his disciple John, the one who had been closest to him. It didn’t require a long explanation for John to know what was meant. We read that from that hour John took Mary into his own home. The question might be raised, "But why was not Mary committed into the care of one of her other children?" The answer is probably because they as yet hadn’t received him by a living faith. John was ready and acted without hesitation. It has been said that this Word from the Cross is the least theological, but practical application of the gospel must never be separated from its message. It is only as theory is translated into practice that relationship with Christ becomes a living reality. This Word tells us that there’s love for you on the cross, and it’s a love which having been received, is to be shared with others.
4. Jesus Cries Out to the Father- Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34)-And 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?”
This is the only expression of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. Both Gospels relate that it was in the ninth hour, after three hours of darkness that Jesus cried out this fourth word. The ninth hour was three o’clock in Palestine. One is struck by the anguished tone of this expression compared to the first three words of Jesus. This cry is from the painful heart of the human Jesus who felt deserted by His Father. Jesus feels separated from his Father. In the darkest hours of his suffering, Jesus cried out the opening words of Psalm 22. And although much has been suggested regarding the meaning of this phrase, it was quite apparent the agony Christ felt as he expressed separation from God. Here we see the Father turning way from the Son as Jesus bore the full weight of our sin. There is a depth of feeling in this cry from the heart, made with an intensity matched only by the darkness which had draped itself over the terrible spectacle. It’s surely symbolic that the sun couldn’t shine upon such a scene as the crucifixion of its Creator.
The darkness lasted three hours. All the sin of the world, the awful legacy of the fall of mankind was laid upon Jesus. "He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).Only the night before, Jesus had told his disciples that in his hour of trial they would all desert him but he said, "Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me" (John 16:33). But now at the climax of his passion, at the moment of making atonement for our sin it was necessary that even his Father should stand aside. Just as a scapegoat of the Old Testament had to be banished into the wilderness, so Jesus had to bear the sin of the world alone - literally. God forsaken, He who was made sin for us was feeling the punishment of the sinner, being separated from God. How Jesus felt as his loud cry broke the dreadful silence of that moment of destiny we cannot know. Never before had he stood alone, forsaken by God his Father. Yet, although he was forsaken he never ceased to be his Father’s well-beloved Son, for he was carrying out his Father’s will and purpose in becoming our atonement for sin.
This Word from the Cross points us to the cost of the atonement made. It’s something we must never lose sight of .It is the eternal cry of all those who see around them It resonates wherever there is oppression and suffering and the helpless bleed because they have no one to protect them. All during His ministry Jesus had known what it meant to be forsaken. Early, the members of His own family forsook Him. Nazareth, His home town, had forsaken Him. The nation He came to save forsook Him. But in every such instance He could always steal away to the tender healing fellowship of His Heavenly Father. But now, even God turns from Him. That means because we have sinned we are destined to be forsaken of God forever. But you see, Jesus offered to pay that penalty on the Cross, for the Scriptures say, “The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus was bearing the wages of your sins and of my sins, and therefore He had to be actually forsaken of God so that we need not be forsaken of God forever in the eternal regions of the lost.
5. Jesus is Thirsty-John 19:28- Jesus knew that everything was now finished, and to fulfill the Scriptures he said, “I am thirsty.”
The darkness was now gone. The sun was shining again. But while Jesus was dying on the Cross, He developed an agonizing thirst. Death by Crucifixion is the most painful mode of torture ever conceived by man. The draining away of blood from the body brings on intensive thirst. The whole body cries out for water. The physical agony of thirst is terrible beyond the power of words to describe. The fifth utterance is a brief expression of physical agony in the heat of the afternoon sun: "I thirst." It echoes down the ages when a human being is denied the bare means of sustenance because of man's inhumanity to man.
Jesus refused the initial drink of vinegar, gall and myrrh (Matthew 27:34 and Mark 15:23) offered to alleviate his suffering. But here, several hours later, we see Jesus fulfilling the messianic prophecy found in Psalm 69:21. The wounds inflicted upon Him in the scourging, the crowning with thorns, and the nailing upon the Cross are now taking their toll, especially after losing blood on the three-hour walk through the city of Jerusalem to Golgotha on the Way of the Cross. Studies on the Shroud of Turin, reported by Gerald O’Collins in Interpreting Jesus, indicate the passion of Jesus was far worse than man could imagine.
The hours of torture on the Cross took a tremendous toll on the body of Jesus. Execution by crucifixion was not a sudden death like being shot by a firing squad. It was a long drawn out, lingering death carried out under the Eastern sun. His wounded hands and feet would be quickly inflamed, resulting in a fever of thirst and His body would soon be dehydrated. The prophetic 22nd Psalm which anticipated our Lord’s passion speaks graphically of his condition, "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth" (14,15). Yes, our Saviour’s sufferings were real. Although Jesus was divine he was also uniquely man and felt all the emotions and pain as we feel them. Jesus refused the initial drink of vinegar, gall and myrrh (Matthew 27:34 and Mark 15:23) offered to alleviate his suffering. But here, several hours later, we see Jesus fulfilling the messianic prophecy found in Psalm 69:21. As I reflect on Jesus’ statement, “I am thirsty,” I keep thinking of my own thirst. It’s nothing like that of Jesus. Rather, I am thirsty for him. My soul yearns for the living water that Jesus supplies (John 4:10; 7:38-39). I rejoice in the fact that he suffered physical thirst on the cross – and so much more – so that my thirst for the water of life might be quenched. This Fifth Word from the Cross serves to tell us that there is suffering in the Cross.
6. “It is Finished” John 19:30
The sixth word is Jesus’ recognition that His suffering is over and his task is completed. Jesus was obedient to the Father and gave his love for mankind by redeeming mankind with His death on the Cross. It was the darkest day of mankind. But, prophetically, it also became the brightest day for humanity. Jesus knew he was suffering the crucifixion for a purpose. Earlier he had said in John 10:18 of his life, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” These three words were packed with meaning, for what was finished here was not only Christ’s earthly life, not only his suffering and dying, not only the payment for sin and the redemption of the world—but the very reason and purpose he came to earth was finished. His final act of obedience was complete. The Scriptures had been fulfilled.
The 6th word Consists of one single word in the Greek - "Finished, accomplished."
What did Jesus mean? What was finished? Was he referring to his sufferings or his life’s work? Certainly it was those things, but even more. It was the end of an era. The Old Testament contains a long list of prophetic utterances, beginning with the first family of mankind, when God told the serpent in the Garden of Eden that he would "put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel" (Gen 3:15). It was this great conquest that was being enacted. Jesus’ cry was proclaiming his victory over the evil one. In the gigantic struggle between good and evil the Son of Man had suffered grievously but he had finished the work of redemption that his Father had committed to him. He didn’t say "I am finished" but rather "It is finished." It was a shout of victory over sin, death and hell. The word from the Cross said "finished" to the rituals of the Jewish religion. There was nothing wrong with them because they had been given by God, but now they had served their purpose as a holding operation until the appointed time of the coming of the Messiah. The sacrifices and ceremonies of the Old Testament order were but types pointing to the Christ, but now he had come, shadow had given way to substance; that which had been promised centuries before had at last been realized.
The work of man’s redemption was finished, accomplished. Jesus had offered himself without spot or blemish to God, and by that one sacrifice for sin, once and for all he had done all that was required to reconcile the world unto God."It is finished." The Word tells us there is nothing left for man to do but to enter into the results of Christ’s finished work. The Greek word for “finished” was used in business life of the time to indicate that a debt had been paid. That’s what Jesus was proclaiming from the Cross - "it is paid, man’s account with God has been settled, the debt is wiped out." That is the very essence of the Gospel. The Redeemer has paid the price for our redemption. Salvation has been obtained for all who accept and rely upon the finished work of Calvary. It was for this cause that Jesus came into the world, and now He raises His voice in a triumphant shout: “it is finished!” Jesus knew he was suffering the crucifixion for a purpose. Earlier he had said in John 10:18 of his life, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." These three words were packed with meaning, for what was finished here was not only Christ's earthly life, not only his suffering and dying, not only the payment for sin and the redemption of the world—but the very reason and purpose he came to earth was finished. His final act of obedience was complete. The Scriptures had been fulfilled.
7. Jesus’ Last Words- Luke 23:46 -Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
The seventh is from the Gospel of Luke, and is directed to the Father in heaven, just before He dies. For six hours Jesus had been hanging on the Cross, and now we get a last look at His suffering face. His whole body is drooping and shivering with the last chill. His breath is growing feebler and feebler – until He gives one long, deep, last sigh – “Father into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” Jesus fulfills His mission, and as He says so clearly in John’s Gospel, He can now return: “I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father” (John 16:28). Jesus practiced what He preached: “Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Here Jesus closes with the words of Psalm 31:5, speaking to the Father. We see his complete trust in the Father. Jesus entered death in the same way he lived each day of his life, offering up his life as the perfect sacrifice and placing himself in God’s hands.
"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." Then he died. It is the affirmation of the great truth that all events are ordained by God. Man's role in the plan of God is to submit courageously to the Divine Will. As the great Italian poet Dante said, "In His Will is My Peace."
Jesus entered death in the same way he lived each day of his life, offering up his life as the perfect sacrifice and placing himself in God's hands. Jesus was always submitting Himself to God, and when He died, He died just as He had lived. Jesus commits his eternal souls to the Father, which meant submitting and humbling Himself unto death, even death on a cross. Jesus saw His physical life on earth as a clear mission directed from Heaven. He used His life on earth and did not allow Himself to be used or manipulated by anything, including the fleshly temptations He faced. This is why in His death He entrusted Himself to the Father. On the cross Jesus demonstrated loving discernment of human ignorance, selfless concern for a fellow sufferer, filial care, intimate relationship with God, acute deprivation, disciplined obedience to the will of God, and the unquestioning dedication of oneself to God. We too are told to “Commit our way unto the Lord; trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass.” The first Christian martyr, Stephen, left this life with the same security. "Lord Jesus" he said, "receives my spirit." They have been used by countless believers in Christ ever since. This is the security that comes from knowing "him whom we have believed and are persuaded that he is able to keep that which we have committed unto Him." Yes, there is eternal security in the Cross.
The death of Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of divine love: "God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). The cross is an expression of love from God, and of love that makes the greatest sacrifice (Jn. 15:13). But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5: 8) God may have seen your worst, but still, nothing changes His love for you. He still won’t fail you. His promises will still be true for you. He gave His Son, at humanity’s darkness to show that no sin, no failure, no stain, is ever to great or too horrid to keep God’s love from pouring out to you. Christ died on the cross to break the curse of evil and vanquish it for once and for all.
The very reason Jesus Christ came to earth was to offer Himself in sacrifice for our sin so that we might be reconciled to God and experience His kindness and mercy as His dearly loved children. Therefore the first step to salvation is to give your life to Jesus Christ. We have all done, in our thoughts, words, and deeds bad things, which the Bible calls “sin.” The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The result of sin is death, spiritual separation from God (Romans 6:23) but there is good news: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).But it didn’t end with His death on the cross. He rose again and still lives! “Jesus Christ died for our sins. … He was buried. … He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6).
In his Letter to the Colossians (1:19-20) Paul speaks of its mystery and says only that it pleased God to let his full nature dwell in Jesus and to reconcile to himself everything on earth and in heaven "through the shedding of his blood on the cross." At the cross, then, not only earth but also heaven and all the powers and principalities of the angel world will be reconciled to God. Certainly not we, and maybe not even the angels, will ever fully understand this. But one thing we know: Christ overcame death, the last enemy, and through this, something took place that continues to have power far beyond the limits of our planet.
Jesus died in our place so we could have a relationship with God and be with Him forever. It is His desire that you be completely set free from fears, torment, and oppression so that you might experience His abundant life (John 10:10). The Lord considers you to be very special, as it states in Zechariah 2:8: “Whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye.” Therefore, you can be assured of His desire to bring comfort to your troubled heart. (See also 2 Corinthians 1:4, 7:6.) The birth of Christ was the first Advent… and the anticipated second coming of Christ will be the Second Advent. And it is God’s desire and purpose that the people of Earth “make every effort to live a pure and blameless lives. And be at peace with God.” II Peter 3:14. It is God’s plan and purpose to extend his offer of peace so that as many as possible will turn to him and receive his mercy, grace, and peace. So It’s important to fix your thoughts on Jesus and the promise that He is preparing a place for His followers in heaven (John 14:2-3).
