Good Friday – Jesus Speaks

If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you no doubt have heard the story of Jesus’ final week – called the Passion Week. From the Triumphal entry into Jerusalem where he was lauded as king, to the suffering, torture and beatings, to his crucifixion and death on the cross, his burial and resurrection on the third day.  Each of the gospel writers – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all focus on different things.  They record some things, but not all things. That’s the beauty of 4 gospel accounts!  They do not in any way contradict each other, they just share different events, stories, healings and so forth that give us a fuller picture of his earthly life. 

One of the things that none of the gospels do is quote the exact same words Jesus spoke on the cross. Each gospel records different sayings – a couple of them share the same words. I was fascinated by that and thought I’d look into the chronological order of his words. And by and large most resources I look at all agreed on the same chronology!  Typically, they call these phrases or sayings as words.

The first phrase – or word is recorded by Luke in 23:34: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” There is the God-man, Jesus, battered and bruised, nailed to wooden beams, bleeding, in significant pain – and the first words are for others! He speaks these words regarding the soldiers who nailed him down. He was thinking of others first. We can look at this and remind ourselves, that in imitating Christ, we too should forgive others when we are unjustly accused. This is the word of “forgiveness”

The second is also recorded by Luke in 23:43: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Who did he speak this to? To one of the two criminals who was crucified alongside him. The first criminal jeered at and mocked Jesus – “If you are the Christ, save yourself!” But the second criminal knew that Jesus was unjustly condemned. And he rebuked the other criminal. Then he turned to Jesus, and in an astonishing act he requested that Jesus would remember him when he came into his kingdom. Who did he think he was? He didn’t repent, or ask for forgiveness, or tell Jesus “I believe in you as the Christ.” But Jesus knew his heart, and told him he had been saved. How amazing for us sinners to consider. What mercy and grace is shown to another on the cross. This is the word of “salvation”.

The third word is in John 19:26-27. None of the other gospel writers record these words. Actually, the words that John gives us are only recorded by him and none other.  Jesus said to his mother Mary who was at the cross with a few other women, “Woman, behold your son!” and to John the disciple who was also with the women, “Behold your mother!” This is another marvel.  In his suffering, he once again is thinking of another. He is aware that his mother Mary, likely widowed, would be vulnerable in the current society. Jesus knew his brothers and sisters didn’t believe in him, so he gave “the disciple Jesus loved” – John – the responsibility of caring for Mary after his death.  This is the word of “relationship”.

The fourth word Jesus uttered was, “Eli, Eli, Lema Sabachthani” or “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Both Matthew (27:46) and Mark (15:34) record this. This is such a cry of distress, isn’t it? Can you hear the despair? The agony in it? His suffering is reaching a peak. He would be running out of oxygen as his legs and arms could no longer hold his weight.  He was slowly suffocating.  Jesus knew why.  He went willingly and intentionally to the cross for his people.  But in those dark moments, and in the dark of the day, he felt abandoned. This is the word of “abandonment”

The fifth word is found in John 19:28, “I thirst”. We would wonder why he’d say that. Previously he had been offered a drink – but refused it because the mixture had a herb in it that was like a pain reliever.  But Jesus saying this was also fulfilling a prophecy. Psalm 69:21, “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” John tell us that there was a jar full of sour wine there. They took a sponge and soaked it with this wine, and offered it to him on a hyssop branch.  This is the word of “distress”.

The sixth word is also recorded by John, “It is finished.” (19:30). Jesus told all those who were there, and all of us today, that the work he came to earth to do – to live a perfect sinless life in full obedience and to become the Lamb sacrificed to atone for our sins – is complete. He suffered the full wrath of God for you and for me.  This is the word of “triumph”.  Yes, he triumphed over sin and Satan!

While the other writers recorded that, at the point of death, Jesus uttered a loud cry, and then took his last breath, Luke tells us in 23:46, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Perhaps this was the loud cry following “It is finished”. And this was the seventh and final word from the cross. This is the word of “reunion”. Because he went to paradise.

There are varying interpretations of where Jesus’ spirit actually went, because there are scripture passages that tell us that he descended to the dead. However, he did tell the criminal on the cross that that man would be with Jesus “today”.  That’s a very specific word, I think.

Jesus’ final words on the cross were not random, nor without purpose. These words were specifically said for us to learn from! We do well to pay attention to the final words Jesus spoke before his death – they are recorded for a reason by the Divine Author. Dwell on them.

One last thing. Note that there are seven “sayings”.  In the Bible, numbers have meaning, and the number 7 denotes completeness, perfection, and divine fullness.  Divine fullness. When he said “it is finished”, his earthly work was truly completed. These 7 words are the fullness of what he did for us.

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Grace and Peace to you on this Good Friday!