Jesus' Seven Words on the Cross

by Gregg Allen Trickett, written 01/16/05 updated 01/16/08

The four Gospels record seven statements spoken by Jesus Christ while being crucified. These seven statements from the cross signify His completion of His Father's will. "But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me" (John 5:36).

1. Father, forgive them ...

Lk 23:34 (see Ps 22:18) "But Jesus was saying, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.' And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves." This verse contrasts the Father's perceived alienation from Jesus on the cross to man's actual alienation from the Father. "forgive" means to send off or to send away having granted a state of remittance. Jesus' acquaintance with and dependence upon His Father never ceased despite man sending Jesus away, His expulsion from the walled city, the rejection from Israel and the ridicule from Rome, the seclusion of His friends and followers. Jesus requested His Father's forgiveness for those crucifying Him even as our sins were bearing upon Him; that He forgive the unapprised error of His Roman crucifiers, for their naively obedient act of crucifying the Son of God. The Roman soldiers did not observe the Law, yet they participated in its fulfillment. They could not comprehend the gravity and depth of their undertaking. "this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death" (Act 2:23). Yet Jesus made intercession for godless men. "but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb 7:24-25; see Rom 8:34). Jesus was making intercession for transgressors while upon the cross, as He is our High Priest who intercedes. Jesus as High Priest, Yahweh in the flesh, demonstrated the truth of the Law and the grace of God by requesting forgiveness for those who pierced His hands and feet; this in the midst of strong foreignors, surrounding dogs, and a band of evildoers (Ps 22:11-17). "and He was counted with those transgressing; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for those transgressing" (Isa 53:12). God pressed the weight of our sin upon His own Son, yet "for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb 12:2). The Righteous Son became the Sacrifice acceptable for the pardon of many unrighteous sons. "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption" (1Cor 1:30).

2. ... today you shall be with Me in Paradise

Lk 23:43 "And He said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.' " This verse is an answer to the thief's request to be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom. The thief realized Jesus was a King with a kingdom, and that death was not the end of either. The thief placed faith in Jesus Christ by making his request to Him, a faith God accounted to him as righteousness. That very day before the evening hour that began Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus accompanied the repentant thief in a place called Paradise. Paradise is a word of Persian origin, implying a royal garden-like place entered upon the King's invitation. The concept of Paradise embodies the innocence of the Garden of Eden, a place of happiness and peace, a protected and beautiful garden wherein entrance is unattainable by natural means (compare 2Cor 12:2 with verse 4; also Gen 2:15-17, 3:22-24 with Rev 2:7, 22:1-2). The Hebrew mindset after coming to believe in the resurrection saw Paradise as the place where the righteous go after death. Paradise is distinguished from Sheol where the wicked are sent. Perhaps this text is contrasting the Valley of Hinnom with the City of Jerusalem. Hinnom was a valley south and below the walls of Jerusalem. Small fires burned and smoke ascended continuously amidst the waste and refuse. The Hebrew name for 'Valley of Hinnom' translates into the Greek gehenna, meaning hell and figuratively the place for everlasting punishment and torment. Jerusalem is the City of Peace, the City of King David, everlasting Zion, the place where the Messiah will return to reign as King on earth. Jesus descended and ascended from Heaven as the King maintains the privilege of free movement about His kingdom. Jesus, the righteous King, has the power to grant access into the gates of the City, into the kingdom of God, into Paradise and Heaven where abides the presence of God. "The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever" (Ps 121:5-8; see the Lord's blessings upon the Promised Land at Gerizim Deu 28:1-14).

3a. Woman, behold, your son!

Jn 19:26 "When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold, your son!' " The son that Jesus asked His mother to behold was Himself. Jesus addressed His mother as "Woman" at the wedding in Cana. She presented an opportunity for her son in Cana to display His glory by miraculously and publicly providing wine for the groom and wedding party. Jesus told His mother then that His hour had "not yet come." Jesus was waiting for the Father to reveal the glory of His Son on the cross (Jn 12:27-28). His mother is not mentioned as having witnessed His glory after that first sign (Jn 2:11). Jesus was now telling His mother with familiar words that His crucifixion was His moment of glory, a moment that He and His Father and their Spirit knew from beyond eternity; this is what He came to do (Jn 1:14, 4:34, 5:41, 6:29, 38-40, 9:4-5, 17:1-5). "I do not receive glory from men" (Jn 5:41; see Jn 5:42-44, 1The 2:6). John does not mention the name of Jesus' mother. The name Mary means bitterness; "they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly [Hebrew marar] over Him" (Zec 12:10). Four of five women named Mary looked upon the cross and wept bitterly for Jesus. He knew His mother's weeping and her emptiness and felt compassion for her loss; and so His next expression to the disciple whom He loved.

3b. Behold, your mother!

Jn 19:27 "Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!' From that hour the disciple took her into his own household." Noticeably absent are His brothers and His many disciples. Present are the two thieves, Roman soldiers, His mother, and the disciple whom He loved. Historically and practically, Jesus was entrusting the care and provision of His mother with His most trusted disciple and friend, for John had not neglected Jesus as had the others. Symbolically, this transference or redemption type signifies Jesus entrusting Believers to His Spirit while He is away; through His Resurrection and afterward until His Second Coming. Jesus' act of entrusting the Church to the Holy Spirit matured fully on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit began to indwell Believers, the founding of the Church as the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ (Isa 32:14-15, 44:3, 59:20-21, Joel 2:28-29, Jn 14:23-26, 15:26, 16:5-15, Act 2:1-4).

Jesus upon the cross was and is the pinnacle of dimension, the focal point of creation. The Father's glory in His Son attained its fullness within creation as Jesus stood crucified upon the cross. "Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted" (Isa 52:13). God the Father glorified His Son Jesus on the cross of His crucifixion: the Servant and Messiah, the Menorah and Bread of the Holy Place, the Light of the world and the Living Bread which came down from Heaven. "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you" (Jn 16:12-15; see Jn 7:37-39, 17:9-11, 22-23, 2Cor 3:7-11, 16-18, Eph 3:14-19, Php 3:2-3). "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world" (Jn 17:24). Jesus commends each new believer to the care of His Spirit until the Rapture or Resurrection, throughout time and thereafter for the remainder of eternity. Let us not neglect the greatness of our Salvation, the goodness of our Company, the privilege of His Person indwelling our humble tent.

Following the second Servant-Messiah discourse of Isaiah (Isa 49:1-9), the prophet refers to a time yet to come when the inhabitants of Zion consider themselves forsaken of the Lord, forgotten by Him (Isa 49:14 [note the application of "forsaken" in the next section, 4a and 4b]). The Lord poses a question to Israel through His prophet saying, "Can a woman forget her nursing child?" (Isa 49:15). The question refers to a "woman" who is a mother (nursing a child), the very language and circumstance of John 19:26-27. The widow of Joseph witnessed her dying son absent from her other children. Subjugation to Rome, oppression maintained by Hebrew officials in Jerusalem, and her diminishing family came together for Jesus' mother at the foot of His cross. Certainly, Jesus has not forgotten His mother. Neither has the Lord forsaken or forgotten Israel, the nation to whom was born the Child Immanuel. She, Israel being the Lord's betrothed, is the reason for His Sacrifice; not only for Israel but for her neighbors did the Father give His Only Begotten, "a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the Earth" (Isa 49:6). His earthly mother could not see then as Israel cannot see now, that her son was the Servant Messiah and the Son of Man was and remains Israel's Redeemer. The Lord has kept His word and is fulfilling His promise today; "Lift up your eyes and look around; All of them gather together, they come to you. 'As I live,' declares the Lord, 'you will surely put on all of them as jewels and bind them on as a bride'" (Isa 49:18).

4a. Eli, Eli,

Mat 27:46 (see Ps 22:1) "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?' "

4b. Eloi, Eloi,

Mk 15:34 (see Ps 22:1) "At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani?' which is translated, 'My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?' "

Differences between 4a and 4b:

- Matthew accounts Jesus as saying Eli [Strong's #2241 of Hebrew origin]. Mark records Jesus as saying Eloi [Strong's #1682 of Aramaic origin].
- Matthew begins this verse with "About" [Gk. peri de, Strong's #4012 + #1161], meaning 'And there about, And against, or And through;' emphasis on "About." Mark begins this verse with "At" [Gk. kai ta, Strong's #2532 + #3588], meaning 'and at.'
- Both verses translate as "Jesus cried with a loud voice," but the words used and order of the Greek text differ. Matthew says, "cried [to raise a cry with a high strong voice, to cry upwards, Gk. anaboao, Strong's #310] the Jesus voice with a loud." Mark says, "cried [to cry out with a high strong voice, Gk. boao, Strong's #994] the Jesus with a voice loud."
- Matthew includes the word "saying" [Gk. lego, Strong's #3004], meaning to lay forth by speaking.
- The quotation: Matthew uses "Eli" which is Hebrew whereas Mark uses "Eloi" that is Aramaic.
- The translation: The Greek text and word order for Matthew translates literally, "God My, God My, Why [For what reason; Gk. hina ti, Strong's #2444 + #5101] Me have you forsaken?" The Greek text and word order for Mark translates literally, "The God My, The God My, Why [(In)to what; Gk. eis ti, Strong's #1519 + #5101] have you forsaken Me?"
- Matthew says "that is" where Mark says "which is translated."
- The definite article "the" appears before "God" in Mark whereas Matthew did not use the definite article.
- In the Greek text, the pronoun "Me" occurs as next to the last word in Matthew, but as the last word in Mark.

These words of Jesus occurred near the ninth hour, from which three hours of darkness had just fled. Compare this scene to the darkness over Egypt and death passing through it. Yet the homes of the Hebrew faithful were brightly lit, and death passed over the dwellings of those whose beams were marked with blood (see the last two plagues Exo 10:21-23, 12:21-32).

The words that Jesus quoted from Psalm 22 draw attention to His being the Suffering Servant of the Lord. Darkness and death visited the land and hovered over Jesus, but He was not overcome (Jn 1:5). The Lion of Judah was injured and hanging on a tree, this curse foretold by His own words and Law. Messiah was seemingly estranged from His Eternal Father, perceived to have been abandoned for a little while to judgment on the cross. Jesus bore the breadth of man's iniquity, transgression, and sin. Jesus was roaring loudly and deeply, groaning even as creation awaited deliverance; but His words were spoken in faithful utterance to Scripture and to the One who knew His righteousness. Jesus did not trust in His own Person as He was tempted to do in the wilderness, but in His Father who would save Him. "Nor has He hidden His face from him; but when he cried to Him for help, He heard" (Psa 22:24). Jesus was smitten and bruised; but He was not utterly abandoned, for God's Spirit remained upon Him, and His Father's arms were soon to receive His Son. "He will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice in the earth" (Isa 42:4, see Isa 52:13-53:12)

5. I am thirsty

Jn 19:28 (see Ps 69:21) "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, 'I am thirsty.' " Jesus was parched and thirsty for a drink, expectedly so; but He thirst for the company of His Father, and the fruit of His Bride for whom He was about to die. The Son of Man thirst for water, but the Son of God thirsts for man to drink the Living Water. Amos told Israel that their thirst for the word of God would precede the First Coming of the Messiah, "'Behold, days are coming,' declares the Lord God, 'When I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord'" (Amos 8:11). Jesus delivered fully the words that He heard His Father saying - righteous words, utterances of justice and peace, words of grace, salvation, and freedom from bondage. Jesus gently provided word, wine, and water to fill the emptiness, to rain joy upon the land, to quench the thirst of Israel and the nations. Jesus put off His natural thirst, even refusing to swallow the sour wine offered Him. Jesus came to fulfill scripture, to accomplish the will of His Father. Knowing Jesus was weary from His journey, the Father led Him thus beside an old well and there He drew His Betrothed to Him (see Jn 4:1-38). Jesus thirst for His Bride to enter into the presence of His Father; "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom" (Mat 26:29).

6. It is finished!

Jn 19:30 "Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." Between saying "It is finished" and bowing His head, Jesus likely looked up to His Father and said, "Father, Into your hands . . ." Jesus bowed His head not in fatigue or in death, but in living willful honor and humility before His God and Father. "finished" is the Greek verb teleioo [Strong's #5048], meaning to fulfill, complete, conclude, consummate, or accomplish. "finished" is the same as the word "accomplished" in Jn 19:28. The debt of sin is paid! The price of redemption was tendered and accepted. The end-point of the Law is Christ for righteousness (Rom 10:4). The righteousness of the Son of God is accounted to "whosoever believes in Him." This is likely Jesus' last saying directed toward man while He was on the cross, completing His discourse to man while He Himself dwelled in the flesh among man. Jesus declares in this announcement that He has accomplished the work that His Father sent Him to do. Jesus announced to all creatures in triumphant praise with prize victorious that His work was completed. A rest remains by which entrance is granted through the veil of His flesh. "Finished" stands in comparison to the first words of the Gospel of John, "In the beginning." The Day of Jesus Christ is complete, the Day of the YHWH remains.

7. Father, Into Your hands I commit My spirit

Lk 23:46 (see Ps 31:5) "And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, Into Your hands I commit My spirit.' Having said this, He breathed His last." Jesus descended from Heaven and was then about to ascend back into the bosom of His Father. The first words that Jesus spoke were of His earnest desire to do the things of His Father, to be in His Father's house at that time (Lk 2:49); and now after having accomplished the things of His Father, Jesus was returning into the hands of the one who sent Him. The wheat was crushed into bread, anointed by the beaten oil, and now the prayer of pure frankincense was being added; still yet, the whole kernel of wheat must fall and die. The Lord Jesus Christ committed His flesh and soul to His Father while walking among men, and now His spirit. Passover was fulfilled. Creation now rest in Sabbath silence for the waving of the sheaves and the Resurrection of God's Lamb. Who reconciles truth and grace, the Father with creation, but God as Man; Yes! Hallelujah! Jesus is both the sin offering and the escape. Jesus was beaten in the Praetorium and judged on the Pavement, "yet He did not open His mouth." He was led through the gates of Jerusalem and beyond the walls to His crucifixion; yet as a Lamb "that is silent before its shearers" (Isa 53:7). "But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand" (Isa 53:10).

Psalms 31 gives the reason why Jesus committed His spirit into His Father's hands, "You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth" (Ps 31:5). In the first four verses of Psalm 31, Jesus refers to the proven character of His Father: His refuge, His Rock of strength and stronghold, His Rock and Fortress, and His strength to rescue. Jesus stated that He refused to deliver Himself with His own words in Psalm 22, "Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning" (Ps 22:1), but patiently and expectantly waited on His Father. The Lord Jesus declared His trust in the deliverance of His Father because of His everlasting faithfulness (Ps 22:4-5, 22-24) and His eternal presence with Jesus (Ps 22:9-10); see also Ps 22:2, 11, and 19-21. The Father determined and accepted the righteousness of Jesus, and His flesh and blood became an acceptable sacrifice for the redemption of man (see "righteousness" Rom 3:23-26, 5:18, 10:4). A Roman soldier noted the manner in which Jesus breathed His last, perhaps even witnessing the expression of His spirit (Lk 23:47, Mk 15:39). The Father accepted what the Son offered to Him.