Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross

I would urge you to consider a brief daily encounter with Jesus by recalling and thinking   about the seven final words Christ spoke as he hung from the cross in brutal agony. Each time he spoke he delivered another gospel lesson. He reaffirmed who he was and what he wants from each of us. These are known as the seven last words of Christ, and if you think about at least one of these profound sermons every day, God in his love will make it impossible for you to drift from the shore. Here are Christ’s seven last words:

  1. The First Word. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34.
  2. The Second Word. “And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43.
  3. The Third Word. “When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’” John 19:26, 27.
  4. The Fourth Word. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46.
  5. The Fifth Word. “I thirst.” John 19:28.
  6. The Sixth Word. “It is finished.” John 19:30.
  7. The Seventh Word. “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” Luke 23:46.

Numerous theologians of all Christian faiths have offered their analyses of why Jesus spoke these words and their significance.  Yet if you were limited to one or two brief narratives discussing these seven last pronouncements you should obtain a copy of Life of Christ by Bishop Fulton J Sheen (1895 – 1979) (Fulton J. Sheen, “Ch 49 – The Seven Words from the Cross,” in Life of Christ (New York, New York: Mc-Graw-Hill Book Company, Inc, 1958), pp. 392-408. Parts of this chapter also appear in the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum website. In a lesson which is beautifully written, simple, and profound, Bishop Sheen tells of the depth and continuing love that God has for us. The Venerable Bishop Sheen was ordained a priest in 1919 and was a prolific writer and commentator. He actually won an Emmy in 1952 for his weekly TV show Life is Worth Living, giving all credit to his great writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Another insightful spiritual analysis is gifted to us from H.H. Pope Shenouda III, 117th Pope of Alexandria, Egypt and the See of St. Mark. For the last 40 years of his life Bishop Shenouda (1923 -2012) was the head of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. His book, The Seven Words of Our Lord on the Cross, is available online.

Here is Bishop Sheen

“In this sublime hour He called all His children to the pulpit of the Cross, and every word He said to them was set down for the purpose of an eternal publication and an undying consolation. There was never a preacher like the dying Christ; there was never a congregation like that which gathered about the pulpit of the Cross; there was never a sermon like the Seven Last Words.”

Here is Bishop Shenouda:

 “We recognise in Christ’s words on the Cross the property of giving. We are apt to wonder that while He was on the Cross, in a state of batteredness and submission, He was a giver. He gave forgiveness to His persecutors, gave Paradise to the thief on His right side, gave His Blessed Mother a spiritual Son and provided her with care and attention. He gave beloved John the blessedness of accommodating Mary in his house, and gave the Father the price of the Divine Justice as ordained, He gave humanity atonement and redemption, and gave us also security that the act of salvation has been accomplished. In short, He has given everybody his due while no one gave Him anything. He offered all that to humanity though humanity offered Him nothing in return except gall and vinegar.”

By clicking on the links at the beginning of this page, you can explore these seven final sermons delivered by Jesus as he hung from the cross in excruciating pain. Recall and think about one of these sermons every day and you can’t go wrong. If you do this faithfully it will be impossible for you to lose your faith. For it is there on the cross that his love, humanity, and divinity are indelibly revealed for all nations and generations.

Some related pages, websites, and references

Footnotes and Attributions

The painting, Jesus Alone on the Cross, by James Tissot (1836-1902) retrieved from Wikipedia Commons.

Last modified August 4, 2019