Meditation on Seven Last Words

First Word

“34 And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’” (Luke 23:34)

Ignorance is not generally an excuse. Certainly not in a human court, much less the Heavenly Court. So what could Jesus mean?

Some assume that Jesus is referring specifically to the soldiers. They were, in fact, innocent— at least in one sense. They were executioners carrying out perfectly valid sentence issued by the rightful authorities— an unjust sentence, but valid one nonetheless, as far as their job went. But that would make this statement effectively meaningless. Even if they are innocent of this particular offense, their guilt goes far deeper. They are still under God’s judgment for countless other sins.

But this points to something deeper. We see, here, the love of Christ that can not help but put the best construction on the actions of others— even those who are killing Him. As one commentator phrased it:

“Love covers a multitude of sins,” scripture tells us (1 Peter 4:8). What does it say about the love in our hearts that you and I immediately leap to the worst possible conclusion about the motives of others? You assume that they have malicious motives, evil intent for what they’ve done. No so your Lord. The same love that led Him to the cross now compels Him to leap to the best possible motive: that they’re acting out of ignorance. But this is not a blind love that refuses to see the truth. Jesus knows the hidden motives in the human heart. In fact, everything He is about to suffer is for them, to not just excuse, but forgive those who put Him on the cross: His executioners— and you.

So He says, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.”

Second Word

“ 43 And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:43)

This is a gracious promise. “It would usually take three or four days until a man would die on the cross, so lingering was death by crucifixion. But Jesus assures this malefactor that his sufferings will cease “today.” This is plain prophecy and at the same time blessed news to this sufferer. [That alone would have been no small gift.] But Jesus says vastly more.... This is an absolution. By this word Jesus acquits this criminal of sin and guilt. He accepts him as one of his own. By this word he here and now unlocks heaven for him” (Lenski, “The Interpretation of St. Luke’s Gospel.”).

The absolution that you hear carries almost the same gracious promise. Unfortunately it doesn’t carry the assurance that your sufferings in this life will cease today. But Christ has sent His Church out into the world to speak a similar absolution. Through the death of Christ that day, truly I say to you: Today you are acquitted of sin and guilt. Christ has accepted you as one of His own. The gates of heaven are unlocked and thrown open wide for you.

Today, again, He says, “Truly, you will be with me in paradise.”

Third Word

“26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ 27 Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:26-27)

First things first: this is a reminder to call your mother.

You really don’t talk to her as often as you should. Yes, you’re busy, but not that busy. If basic decency doesn’t tell you that you should call, there’s also the fact that she invested an incredible amount of time and energy into you. Love dictates that you call her.

And yet she would understand if the reason that you didn’t call was that you were in a tremendous amount of physical pain. She would agree that’s a pretty good excuse.

That fact makes Jesus even more amazing. When scripture says that He lived the perfect life, it means it. He didn’t just say ‘No’ to the temptations that the devil threw at Him, He did not fail to do the good that is required of us— ever. No excuses. Nothing was overlooked because it wasn’t that important anyway. Because all of it was done out of perfect love. And no detail is too small for love to see to.

That is the depth and the breadth of His perfection. Every detail of His life, in every relationship, at every moment. All of it a perfect expression of love for those around Him and love for God. To the point that, even as He hangs on the cross, bleeding and dying to pay for the sins of humanity, He doesn’t forget to love His mother.

For centuries, the commandment had stood: the Passover Lamb had to be perfect. Without blemish. God’s people had been better about that at certain times and not as good about that at other times. But on this day, the Passover Lamb was spotless. Perfect. Absolutely without blemish. This is the sacrifice that He offered to save you. This is the precious payment that He gave to ransom you.

And, in the process, it is also what He has made you. By His blood, He has “sanctified [you], having cleansed [you] by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present [you] to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that [you] might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:26-27).

So that your life might now be a perfect expression of love for God and for those around you— yes, so that might call your mother— He said, “Mother, behold your son,” and “Behold your mother.”

Fourth Word

“46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:46)

Tradition holds that our Lord prayed all of the psalms as He hung on the cross. I’m not aware of any solid proof for this tradition. But it would certainly be fitting, since the psalms, like all of scripture are, first and foremost, about Him. And this word from Jesus would certainly fit with that understanding: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”— the first words of Psalm 22.

We might miss the connection at first. Psalm 22 isn’t as well known as the one that comes after it, for example, as Psalm 23 is. We don’t memorize it and recite it and treasure it like we do that one. Those are the words that we like to claim for ourselves, not these words from Psalm 22.

And I dare say that that is precisely what our Lord had in mind. He keeps Psalm 22 for Himself so that Psalm 23 can be yours. He cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” so that you can cry out, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

His strength is dried up like a potsherd, His tongue sticks to His jaws so that you can say, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul.”

His enemies surrounded Him; they mocked Him and tore at Him; they pierced His hands and feet; they stared and gloated over Him; they divided His garments among them and cast lots for His clothing so that you can say, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, your rod and your staff they comfort me.”

He is laid in the dust of death so that you can take comfort in the words, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.” Most definitely, He has taken Psalm 22 for His own to give you Psalm 23.

Fifth Word

“28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I thirst.’” (John 19:28)

The scriptures simply do not permit us to confess Christ as anything less than fully human. Again, that’s hard to accept, hard to make sense of: “God was an embryo. And a zygote. And a blastocyst. And a fetus. And an infant. And a toddler. And an adolescent. And a teenager. And a young man. And a man. God has flesh and bones. DNA and Y chromosomes. Skin and teeth. Two arms, two eyes, two legs, two lungs.... In the person of Jesus, God is a man.”[1] He is truly and fully man, including all the other ordinary things of being a human being are not intrinsically part of what it means to be God. God doesn’t… wipe His nose, or shout in pain when He accidentally hits His thumb with a hammer. But in Jesus, God [does. He]… blows His nose, and exclaims in pain when He misses the head of the nail.

And, today, in Jesus, God thirsts and “God bleeds.”[3]

And, because He did, “Easter is the day when God kneels down, kisses the earth, and says, “This is my soil. This is my creation. Not only is it still good, but I will make it even better.”

“The religion of Jesus is a worldly religion. A faith of this world, this planet, not some ethereal realm where souls string hammocks between clouds. It is a religion of skin and bones, mountains, flowers, and overflowing dessert tables.

“When Jesus rose from the dead on Easter, the Father was saying, “Now everything is done. Humanity’s wrongs are paid for. Their souls and bodies are redeemed. Indeed, all creation is redeemed.” When the time is right, our Father will transform this old creation into a new one, fully purged of all evil, where—as Tolkien said—everything sad will come untrue.

“…As surely as the resurrected Jesus stood, feet in the dirt, fully human, eating fish, and talking with his friends on the seashore, so we shall stand on the day of final resurrection as fully human, on a perfect earth, feasting and talking with our friends.

“In this new creation, …the wolf and the lamb graze together, while a nursing child plays by the den of a cobra…. After we wine and dine on the lavish mountaintop banquet prepared by God, we’ll have chocolate for dessert (and pecan pie, too, I hope!). Little girls will spin around in white dresses and lilies will trumpet their beauty in the green grass.

“And God will smile and laugh with his creation, even as he smiles and laughs this Easter. Jesus left the tomb to embrace the earth. He came forth to say Yes to this world, to our bodies, to wine and chocolate and Bach and Michelangelo.”[4]

Because, today, God said, “I thirst.”

[1] Hemmer, Pastor Jeff. “Man Up!: The Quest for Masculinity.” Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. 2017. p. 106 [2] Ibid. p. 111. [3] Ibid. p. 106. [4] Bird, Rev. Chad. “Easter Is God’s Great Yes to Earth.” Posted at http://www.mbird.com/2017/04/easter-is-gods-great-yes-to-earth/

Sixth Word

“30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30)

So many of our prayers end, figuratively speaking, with a question mark. “Lord, heal me— if it is your will.” “Lord, help me to find a new job— if it’s your will.” So many of our prayers are uncertain.

Let us never be drawn away from what is sure and certain in His Word.

For example, Isaiah 25– “7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7-8).

And Revelation 21– “3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Revelation 21:3-5).

And later in Revelation 21– “6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son” (Revelation 21:6-7).

There are questions that we will never fully answer. There will continue to be things that we ask for which may or may not be what are truly best for us. And then there are things that are even more solid, sure, and certain that the sunrise or the laws of gravity:

I will be your God and you will be my people— It is done!

The old order of things has passed away and He is making all things new— these words are trustworthy and true!

Death will be swallowed up forever— the Lord has spoken!

So that you may be sure and certain in His Word, today Christ says, “It is finished.”

Seventh Word

“ 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’”

His work now ended, our Lord commits Himself to God’s hands. He is able to commit Himself to God’s hands because He, alone, has obeyed God perfectly. He alone has loved God with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength. He alone has loved His neighbor as Himself. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9). He was crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering and death (Heb. 2:9). He alone, at the end of His life, is able to commit Himself into His Father’s hands.

Commit yourself to your Lord’s hands. These are the hands of the One who had compassion on the blind and the deaf, the paralytic and the leper, and healed them. These are the hands of the One who delights in pardoning transgression. He is the One who said through the prophet Isaiah, “15 Can a woman forget her nursing child…? [She will forget her nursing child before I] forget you. 16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

Commit yourself into His hands, morning and evening— your body and soul and all things. Commit yourself into His hands both now and at the hour of death. Commit yourself into His hands because, from this day forth, as long as He bears the scars, your name is engraved in the palm of His hands.

So that you, too, may join Him in this prayer, He prays from the cross: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”