Seven Last Words
The Sayings of Jesus on the cross (also called the Seven Last Words from the Cross) are seven expressions spoken by Jesus during his crucifixion.
They are gathered from the four Canonical Gospels. Three of the sayings appear only in the Gospel of Luke and two only in the Gospel of John. One other saying appears both in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark, and another is only directly quoted in John but alluded to in Matthew and Mark. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus cries out to God. In Luke, he forgives his killers, reassures the penitent thief, and commends his spirit to the Father. In John, he speaks to his mother, says he thirsts, and declares the end of his earthly life.
Since a person's final articulated words said prior to death or as death approaches generally are taken to have particular significance. These seven sayings, being "last words", help Christians to understand what was ultimately important to this Man who was dying on the cross. The sparsity of sayings recorded in the biblical accounts suggests that Jesus remained relatively silent for the hours he hung on the cross.
The Seven Last Words are deeply meditated during Lent, Holy Week and Good Friday, and their traditional order is:
- Luke 23:34: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
- Luke 23:43: Verily, I say unto you, today thou shalt be with me in paradise.
- John 19:26–27: Woman, behold thy son. (Says to disciples) Behold thy mother.
- Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34: My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
- John 19:28: I thirst.
- John 19:30: It is finished.
- Luke 23:46: Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.
The seven sayings are called words of 1. Forgiveness, 2. Salvation, 3. Relationship, 4. Abandonment, 5. Distress, 6. Triumph and 7. Reunion.
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