Seven Last Utterances of the Suffering Servant

As Jesus is being led away to be Crucified, there are many women who stood helplessly mourning and wailing seeing the plight of Jesus. Jesus looks to them and implores them not to weep for him, but for themselves. “If these are the things they do when the branch is green, what will happen when it is dry?” If this is what they will do when the Son of God was alive, what will they do when he is dead? Barclay says, if this is what they do to Jesus who is innocent, beware of what will happen to those who are really guilty. It is a difficult statement to interpret.

 "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing". Words said by Christ from the cross. Passionate words said by many saints of God under crushing and treacherous circumstances. Can we be so forgiving of our persecutors? Do we find ways to get our revenge on those who give us a hard time? Do we simmer with hatred when we are helpless in the face of the taunts from those who torment us? Christ is showing us the way to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Such is the nature of Christ that his concern for his enemies far exceeds whatever harm they have done to him.

 “Eloi Eloi Lama Sabatachathani.” The bystanders think he is calling out to Elijah. “My God My God why have you forsaken me?” Jesus is under tremendous physical and spiritual distress with his seperation from God. Mary the mother of Jesus as she hears her son’s heart rending cry is inconsolable. It is probable that the many women, who stood at a distance and heard the cry, are wailing tearfully equally loud hearing Jesus' cry.We pause and wonder; Is Jesus dreading death as he sees it fast approaching? Is Jesus crying out to God for not answering his prayer at Gethsemane? Did the thought of separation from God overwhelm him? Was it at this point that the sins of all mankind were laid on his heart? Did he experience a complete blackout of the presence of God? As darkness veils his lovely face we praise God for his unchanging grace.

 “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” This is one of the most powerful utterances that Jesus made from the cross. Psalm 22 begins with these words. The spiritual significance of what really transpired on the cross, is beyond human comprehension. But we do believe that in some way by the grace of God we have all been forgiven of our sins. There have been many who felt that Jesus prayed Psalm 22 as he hung on the cross. These were the words that he verbalized loudly as he cried out in pain and anguish. He was living and fulfilling the word of God that had been prophesied about him a long time ago.  

As Jesus hung from the cross exhausted, bleeding and almost naked, the things he heard and saw were disparaging. Apart from his dear family and friends that hung around, the major characters were only people who jeered and derived sadistic pleasure in watching the men die. Leaders laughed and scoffed saying, “let him save himself, if he is God’s chosen Messiah”. The soldiers mocked him saying, “If you are the King of the Jews save yourself”. A signboard nailed to the cross read, "This is the king of the Jews." The verses in the Psalm 22 elaborate that the bystanders would mock him saying that he heard the cries for help and saved many who put their trust in Him, but when it came to himself he could do nothing. The words, “Physician heal thyself” come to mind. But Jesus hung on the cross not to save himself but the world. To show us that God loved us so much, that even while we were sinners, he was showing us a map for us to take, to find this way of grace and mercy that will enable us to live with him to eternity. 

 The psalmist says “my strength has dried up like sun baked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth”. Jesus was extremely thirsty and physically tired as he hung on the cross. The psalmist says, “They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice for my garments”. Even as he lay dying, the soldiers gambled for Christ’s clothes by throwing dice (probably his only worldly possession was gambled off). Christ’s robe was given to the one who won the draw on the dice. “You have left me in the dust and left me for dead”. Once Jesus died his body was left on the ground for dead. “Not one of the bones of the righteous will be broken”. One way to speed up the death of those crucified was to break their bones. However Jesus died before the need arose. These words of King David, expressed at a time of deep anguish, are some of the words Jesus expressed as he hung on the cross. Though the psalm starts with deep sorrow it ends with great hope. 

 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “if you are the Messiah save yourself and us as well”. Are these the words to be heard when one is dying? Is this the death deserving of an innocent man? Even as Jesus leaves this world as the son of man, the scars on his body and spirit are going to stay with him. Christ did not see any other way, than to become a man to understand the plight of humans and above all to show them what God expected of them. The other criminal said, “He has done nothing wrong”. He turned to Jesus and said "Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom”. These words have been cherished in prayer and song as thousands beseech Jesus to remember them when He comes. Amidst all that taunting while Jesus hung on the cross, one person who showed sympathy to Jesus was an undesirable criminal…the thief on the cross. He realized that Jesus had done nothing to deserve crucifixion. Jesus assured the man that “today you will be with me in paradise”. Again we see the grace of God in action, even at the last minute there is salvation for the sinner that repents. Does that mean we can live a life of immorality or disobedience and wait until the last instant when we can look to Jesus for forgiveness? James and John had wanted to reign with Jesus in his Kingdom, one on the left and the other on the right. Should they have also hung by the sides of Jesus on the cross?

 “Woman he is your son.”, “She is your mother.” Jesus entrusted his loving mother to his beloved disciple John. Even while dying Christ thought of his mother. Joseph, it is believed, had died. Did Jesus have any siblings? Were they still living? Was it Mary his mother, or John his disciple, or both of them that were in need of this new relationship? Here was Jesus handing over, probably his only living dependent family member, his loving mother, into the hands of one his trusted disciples. He must have been having problems breathing. They say one of the hardest things to do when you hang on the cross is to breathe. Speaking must have been extremely difficult. Here was the consummation of a new relationship, of a mother and a son brought together as the last wish of a dying man. A relationship brought about by the living God.

 “I am thirsty.” I thirst for water. Was it only water that Christ was crying out in thirst for? Did he also mean than he was thirsty for the living God. Was his soul thirsting for the communion he had had with the living God since the beginning of time?

 “It is finished.” The job is done. Father, there it is, the last of my breath, I have been faithful to the end. I have endured the cross, suffered the pain, and now I am ready for the crown. Isn’t this what we all look forward to in our Christian walk? To finish well. 

 “Father into your hands I commend my spirit.” Even in death Jesus shows us how to die. He calmly surrenders his spirit to the Lord. Where did the Spirit of Christ go when it left his human body? On Easter day it reunites with the human body and in some strange way appears to the disciples and many others who believed in Him. The mysterious disappearance of Christ’s body from the grave keeps the world embroiled in debate whether he rose from the dead or not.

 The sun went down. Thick veil in the temple was torn apart, implying God’s presence is for all people and not restricted to the high priests. There is to be only one mediator between God and people – Jesus. 

The captain of the Roman soldier says that surely Jesus was innocent. Joseph, a member of the Jewish high council and one who had not agreed with their decision to crucify Jesus, took the body down from the cross. He laid Jesus in the grave he had purchased for his own eventual death. Many who had come to watch the crucifixion had to rush back home to observe the Sabbath. However they wanted to make sure that Jesus was dead before they left. Is it not a paradox that we call this day Good Friday and not the Black Sabbath?