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Luke 23:34, etc. - The Seven Sayings of Christ from the Cross.

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

There are seven sayings of Jesus uttered 
from the cross. They were spoken in the following 
order:  
1. the word of forgiveness: "Father, forgive 
them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34, 
KJV)  
2. the word of salvation: "Today shalt thou 
be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43, KJV) 
3. the word of affection: "Woman, behold thy 
son"; "Behold thy mother" (John 19:26-27, KJV) 
4. the word of anguish: "My God, my God, why 
hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34, 
KJV) 
5. the word of suffering: "I thirst" (John 
19:28, KJV) 
6. the word of victory: "It is finished" 
(John 19:30, KJV) 
7. the word of committal: "Father, into thy 
hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46, KJV) [The 
One Year Bible Companion re Luke 23:34 mod] 

The seven utterances of Jesus as He hung 
upon the cross are sometimes called the Seven 
Words. No gospel writer mentions more than three, 
nor less than one, of these utterances. [SDA 
Bible Commentary] 

The Gospels report seven utterances by Jesus 
as He hung on the cross. Three of these can be 
assigned to the first three hours, between 9 a.m. and 
12 noon. Four can be assigned to the next three 
hours, 12-3 p.m., during which the scene was 
shrouded in darkness.  It is traditional during Good 
Friday services to meditate on these seven 
utterances. Surely there is much here for us to ponder. 
[Victor Bible Background Commentary] 

Jesus' first and last words from the cross 
were a prayer to His Father. [Disciple SB] 

FIRST SAYING OF CHRIST FROM THE CROSS 
(forgiveness). 

Luke 23:34a (KJV) Then said Jesus, FATHER, 
FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.  

Heaven viewed with grief and amazement 
Christ hanging upon the cross, blood flowing from 
His wounded temples, and sweat tinged with blood 
standing upon His brow. From His hands and feet the 
blood fell, drop by drop, upon the rock drilled 
for the foot of the cross. The wounds made by 
the nails gaped as the weight of His body 
dragged upon His hands. His labored breath grew 
quick and deep, as His soul panted under the 
burden of the sins of the world. All heaven was 
filled with wonder when the prayer of Christ was 
offered in the midst of His terrible 
suffering,--"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they 
do." Luke 23:34. Yet there stood men, formed in 
the image of God, joining to crush out the life 
of His only-begotten Son. What a sight for the 
heavenly universe!  DA760 

Jesus asked God to forgive the people who 
were putting him to death--Jewish leaders, Roman 
politicians and soldiers, bystanders--and God answered 
that prayer by opening up the way of salvation 
even to Jesus' murderers. The Roman centurion and 
soldiers who witnessed the crucifixion said, "Surely 
he was the Son of God" (Matthew 27:54). Soon 
many priests were converted to the Christian 
faith (Acts 6:7). Because we are all sinners, we 
all played a part in putting Jesus to death. The 
gospel--the Good News--is that God is gracious. He will 
forgive us and give us new life through his Son. 
[Life Application SB] 

"Father, Forgive Them"
   The dialogue that Friday morning was 
bitter. 
   From the onlookers, Come down from the 
cross if you are the Son of God! 
   From the religious leaders, He saved 
others but he cant save himself. 
   From the soldiers, If you are the king 
of the Jews, save yourself. 
   Bitter words. Acidic with sarcasm. 
Hateful. Irreverent. Wasnt it enough that he was 
being crucified? Wasnt it enough that he was 
being shamed as a criminal? Were the nails 
insufficient? Was the crown of thorns too soft? Had the 
flogging been too short? 
   For some, apparently so...
   Of all the scenes around the cross, this 
one angers me the most. What kind of people, I 
ask myself, would mock a dying man? Who would be 
so base as to pour the salt of scorn upon open 
wounds? How low and perverted to sneer at one who is 
laced with pain 
   The words thrown that day were meant to 
wound. And there is nothing more painful than words 
meant to hurt 
   If you have suffered or are suffering 
because of someone elses words, youll be glad 
to know that there is a balm for this 
laceration. Meditate on these words from 1 Peter 2:23 
(NIV): 
   When they hurled their insults at him, 
he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made 
no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to 
him who judges justly. 
   Did you see what Jesus did not do? He did 
not retaliate. He did not bite back. He did not 
say, Ill get you! Come on up here and 
say that to my face! Just wait until after 
the resurrection, buddy! No, these statements 
were not found on Christs lips. 
   Did you see what Jesus did do? He 
entrusted himself to him who judges justly. Or said 
more simply, he left the judging to God. He did 
not take on the task of seeking revenge. He 
demanded no apology. He hired no bounty hunters and 
sent out no posse. He, to the astounding 
contrary, spoke on their defense. Father, forgive 
them, for they do not know what they are 
doing.? (Luke 23:34 NIV) 
   they dont know what they are 
doing. 
   And when you think about it, they 
didnt. They hadnt the faintest idea what they 
were doing. They were a stir-crazy mob, mad at 
something they couldnt see so they took it out on, 
of all people, God. But they didnt know what 
they were doing. 
   Yes, the dialogue that Friday morning was 
bitter. The verbal stones were meant to sting. How 
Jesus, with a body wracked with pain, eyes blinded 
by his own blood, and lungs yearning for air, 
could speak on behalf of some heartless thugs is 
beyond my comprehension. Never, never have I seen 
such love. If ever a person deserved a shot at 
revenge, Jesus did. But he didnt take it. Instead 
he died for them. How could he do it? I dont 
know. But I do know that all of a sudden my wounds 
seem very painless. My grudges and hard feelings 
are suddenly childish. 
   Sometimes I wonder if we dont see 
Christs love as much in the people he tolerated as 
in the pain he endured. [Max Lucado Daily 
Devotional at maxlucado.com] 

SECOND SAYING OF CHRIST FROM THE CROSS 
(salvation). 

Luke 23:42, 43 (KJV) And he said unto Jesus, 
Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy 
kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, VERILY I SAY UNTO 
THEE, TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE. 

The conversion of the thief upon the cross, 
which is an illustrious instance of Christ's 
triumphing over principalities and powers even when he 
seemed to be triumphed over by them. Christ was 
crucified between two thieves, and in them were 
represented the different effects which the cross of 
Christ would have upon the children of men, to whom 
it would be brought near in the preaching of 
the gospel. They were all malefactors, all 
guilty before God. Now the cross of Christ is to 
some a savour of life unto life, to others of 
death unto death. (Matthew Henry's Commentary) 

The dying criminal had more faith than the 
rest of Jesus followers put together. Although 
the disciples continued to love Jesus, their 
hopes for the kingdom were shattered. Most of them 
had gone into hiding. As one of his followers 
sadly said two days later, We had hoped that he 
was the one who was going to redeem Israel 
(Luke 24:21). By contrast, the criminal looked at 
the man who was dying next to him and said, 
Jesus, remember me when you come into your 
kingdom. By all appearances, the kingdom was 
finished. How awe-inspiring is the faith of this man 
who alone saw beyond the present shame to the 
coming glory! [Life Application SB] 

THIRD SAYING OF CHRIST FROM THE CROSS 
(affection). 

John 19:26, 27 (KJV) When Jesus therefore 
saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, 
whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, WOMAN, 
BEHOLD THY SON!  Then saith he to the disciple, 
BEHOLD THY MOTHER! And from that hour that disciple 
took her unto his own home. 

In this passage there is something which is 
surely one of the loveliest things in all the 
gospel story. When Jesus saw his mother, he could 
not but think of the days ahead. He could not 
commit her to the care of his brothers, for they 
did not believe in him yet (Jn 7:5). And, after 
all, John had a double qualification for the 
service Jesus entrusted to him--he was Jesus' 
cousin, being Salome's son, and he was the disciple 
whom Jesus loved. So Jesus committed Mary to 
John's care and John to Mary's, so that they should 
comfort each other's loneliness when he was gone. 
[Barclay Commentary] 

Behold, my beloved disciple shall be to you 
a son, and provide for you, and discharge 
toward you the duties of an affectionate child. 
Mary was poor. It would even seem that now she 
had no home. Jesus, in his dying moments, filled 
with tender regard for his mother, secured for 
her an adopted son, obtained for her a home, and 
consoled her grief by the prospect of attention from 
him who was the most beloved of all the 
apostles. What an example of filial attention! What a 
model to all children! And how lovely appears the 
dying Saviour, thus remembering his afflicted 
mother, and making her welfare one of his last cares 
on the cross, and even when making atonement 
for the sins of the world! (Barnes' Notes) 

FOURTH SAYING OF CHRIST FROM THE CROSS 
(anguish). 

Matthew 27:46 (KJV) And about the ninth hour 
Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, 
lama sabachthani? that is to say, MY GOD, MY GOD, 
WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME? 

Jesus was not questioning God; he was 
quoting the first line of Psalm 22"a deep 
expression of the anguish he felt when he took on the 
sins of the world, which caused him to be 
separated from his Father. This was what Jesus dreaded 
as he prayed to God in the garden to take the 
cup from him (Matthew 26:39). The physical agony 
was horrible, but even worse was the period of 
spiritual separation from God. Jesus suffered this 
double death so that we would never have to 
experience eternal separation from God. [Life 
Application SB] 

Did God actually forsake Jesus? (27:46) The 
divine and human natures of Jesus were never 
separated, even during the crucifixion. Yet it is 
clear, difficult as it is to explain, that Jesus' 
intimate fellowship with God the Father was 
temporarily broken as he took the sin of the entire 
world on himself. Jesus used the words of Psalm 
22, which begins with despair but ends with 
renewed trust in God. By quoting that psalm, Jesus 
may have hinted that he knew the broken 
relationship with his Father would soon be restored. 
[Quest SB] 

FIFTH SAYING OF CHRIST FROM THE CROSS 
(suffering). 

John 19:28 (KJV) After this, Jesus knowing 
that all things were now accomplished, that the 
scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I THIRST. 

The fatigue which he had undergone, the 
grief he had felt, the heat of the day, and the 
loss of blood, were the natural causes of this 
thirst. This he would have borne without complaint; 
but he wished to give them the fullest proof of 
his being the Messiah, by distinctly marking how 
everything relative to the Messiah, which had been 
written in the prophets, had its complete fulfilment 
in him. (Adam Clarke Commentary) 

One of the women who lingered at the foot of 
the cross had once known thirst that ordinary 
water couldn't quench. She had been an outcast 
among her peers, and there was no place in society 
for someone like her. She had a great need, and 
nothing could fill the emptiness, the void within 
her. Then came the day when she met Jesus. 
Although her accusers had already given up on her and 
would readily have stoned her, Jesus saw her need, 
and rather than give up on her, he faced her 
accusers and saved not only her life but her soul as 
well. From that moment forward, Mary Magdalene was 
a devoted disciple of Christ, following him 
even to the foot of a brutal cross. When Jesus 
cried out in thirst, the soldiers mistook it for 
weakness of the flesh and thrust sour wine to his 
lips. What they didn't comprehend is that Jesus' 
words were a declaration of his completion of his 
Father's work. He was thirsty because he was being 
poured out as an offering, not only for the 
grateful woman who knelt at his feet but also for 
generations of people to come. [Praying Through The 
Bible By Fuller] 

SIXTH SAYING OF CHRIST FROM THE CROSS 
(victory). 

John 19:30 (KJV) When Jesus therefore had 
received the vinegar, he said, IT IS FINISHED: and he 
bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. 

The sixth word or saying that Jesus spoke 
from the cross was a single Greek work which 
means It is finished. Papyri receipts for taxes 
have been recovered with this word written across 
them, meaning paid in full. This word on 
Jesus lips was significant. When He said, It is 
finished (not I am finished), He meant His 
redemptive work was completed. He had been made sin for 
people (2 Cor. 5:21) and had suffered the penalty 
of Gods justice which sin deserved. [Bible 
Knowledge Commentary] 

   With one prophecy after another falling 
into place, Jesus went to the cross and died for 
the sins of the world. Finally, he said, "It is 
finished." God's plan, which the Bible says was put 
into place before the creation of the world, was 
finally fulfilled. The centerpiece of God's rescue 
mission was complete.  
   The death of Jesus is the ultimate 
expression of love, and it's available to anyone who 
will agree to be rescued. To some, the thought 
that a sacrificial death was necessary is 
offensive; to others, it's everything. Paul made this 
message of the cross the essence of his preaching 
because it's the only means of our salvation. Jesus' 
death removed everything that stood between us and 
God so we can have perfect fellowship with him 
through faith. [NIV Once A Day Bible] 

   The cross was the goal of Jesus from the 
very beginning. His birth was so there would be 
His death. The incarnation was for our 
atonement. He was born to die so that we might live. 
And when He had accomplished the purpose He had 
come to fulfill, He summed it up with a single 
word: finished. 
   In the original Greek, it was a common 
word. Jesus probably used it after He finished a 
project that He and Joseph might have been working 
on together in the carpentry shop. Jesus might 
have turned to Joseph and said, Finished. Now 
lets go have lunch. It is finished. Mission 
accomplished. It is done. It is made an end of. 
   So what was finished? Finished and 
completed were the horrendous sufferings of Christ. 
Never again would He experience pain at the hand 
of wicked men. Never again would He have to 
bear the sins of the world. Never again would He, 
even for a moment, be forsaken of God. That was 
completed. That was taken care of. 
   Also finished was Satans stronghold on 
humanity. Jesus came to deal a decisive blow against 
the devil and his demons at the cross of 
Calvary. Hebrews 2:14 says, That through death He 
might destroy him who had the power of death, that 
is the devil This means that you no longer 
have to be under the power of sin. Because of 
Jesus accomplishment at the cross, finished was 
the stronghold of Satan on humanity. 
   And lastly, finished was our salvation. 
It is completed. It is done. All of our sins 
were transferred to Jesus when He hung on the 
cross. His righteousness was transferred to our 
account. 
   So Jesus cried out the words, It is 
finished! It was Gods deliberate and 
well-thought-out plan. It is finished - so rejoice! [By Greg 
Laurie from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

SEVENTH SAYING OF CHRIST FROM THE CROSS 
(committal). 

Luke 23:46 (KJV) And when Jesus had cried 
with a loud voice, he said, FATHER, INTO THY 
HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT: and having said thus, 
he gave up the ghost. 

Jesus died with a prayer on his lips. 
"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." That is 
Ps 31:5 with one word added--Father. That verse 
was the prayer every Jewish mother taught her 
child to say last thing at night. Just as we were 
taught, maybe, to say, "This night I lay me down to 
sleep," so the Jewish mother taught her child to 
say, before the threatening dark came down, "Into 
thy hands I commit my spirit."  Jesus made it 
even more lovely for he began it with the word 
Father. Even on a cross Jesus died like a child 
falling asleep in his father's arms. [Barclay 
Commentary] 

The words are from yet another psalm, Ps. 
31:5, and were used in Israel as an evening 
prayer. The psalm is a beautiful expression of 
unshakable confidence. It reminds us that, although 
Christ accepted death as the Fathers will, His 
suffering in no way threatened the loving bond of 
trust that existed between them. [Victor Bible 
Background Commentary re Mar.15:34] 

CLOSING PRAISE AND WORSHIP SONG:

More Than Wonderful by Sandi Patti & 
Larnelle Harris: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRTwUvZG5a0 

FURTHER STUDY ON THIS SUBJECT:

The Last Words Of Christ On The Cross From 
Charles Spurgeon's Writings:  


http://www.godrules.net/library/spurgeon/NEWspurgeon_m7.htm