Understanding the Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ

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Since it's Good Friday, Jesus Christ became the Passover Lamb for the sins of all. Just as the blood of an unblemished lamb saved the firstborn of Israel, the very blood of Jesus saves the person from the very sin that would have enslaved them. The bloody death of Christ was also accompanied by His seven last words which are in no particular order:

Matthew 27:46 - "My God, My God why hath thou forsaken me?"
  • Jesus was about to be briefly parted from the Father and the Holy Spirit. At this moment, He felt the abandonment of God as the sins of the world were now upon Him to which He would pay the penalty.
  • David prophesied this in Psalm 22:1 to which talks about the crucifixion of Jesus. Psalm 22 talks in detail of the crucifixion of Christ years before crucifixion would be invented by the Persians and perfected by the Romans.
  • Because at the moment that at the cross that the sins of the world were upon the Savior, God could not look at sin (Habakkuk 1:3).

Luke 23:24 - "Father forgive them for they know what they do."
  • Although people claim to know what they are doing in reality they are blind to sin. This is where Jesus showed His love for people.
  • Would have He not begged for the forgiveness of such sinners, nobody would really be forgiven. In fact, nobody deserves the forgiveness of God. That is grace, giving sinners what they do not deserve. Nobody deserves forgiveness, only Hell!
  • Romans 5:8 is clear that while men were wicked, Christ died for them. In fact, while men were yet sinners, they remain blinded from the truth. Only those who receive Jesus' free gift of forgiveness will be given a new life and a new Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ DIED for sinners like you and me.
  • Salvation is what is very undeserved for man. In fact, man is so wicked they only deserve to go to Hell. Romans 3:10-19 shows man's guilt before God and that there is NO difference, ALL have sinned (Romans 3:23).

Luke 23:43 - "Verily, verily I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me in Paradise."
  • The thief on the cross was very aware that he was getting what he DESERVED. Crucifixion was a death reserved for the worst of criminals. He saw Jesus, the Lamb of God crucified there who did not deserve it.
  • Knowing this the thief on the cross hours earlier joined his companion in mocking Christ but later, he fell into repentance. Could have it been possible that after hearing Christ say, "Father forgive them for they know what what they do." did this wretched thief see his own need for forgiveness? Possibly. With that in mind, the thief finally saw the error of his ways of mocking Christ and then fell into repentance of his sins.
  • He saw now that Jesus was dying for the sins of mankind and only He could save. The thief by faith and not by mere recitation of words said, "Lord (many Bible versions today remove Lord from this verse) remember me when thou comest into Thy Kingdom."
  • Jesus knew the authentic faith of the thief and the thief got saved. All the thief needed to do was to see his sinful condition, see Jesus for who He is and by faith believe! The thief showed a few works that resulted from his faith which he rebuked the other thief showing he was really serious with Jesus!
  • This would be unacceptable to a works salvation system like Roman Catholicism and Judaism because though the thief had good works on the cross, he however did not have all the time to do more good works to earn salvation. Christ didn't save the thief physically so he could earn his way, instead Christ said, "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise." The thief was then taken to Abraham's bosom and eventually the Old Testament saints were just waiting to be sent to Heaven.

John 19:26-27 - "Woman behold thy son, son behold thy mother."
  • Roman Catholic have erroneously used this verse to justify their adoration of Mary which they deny they worship her.
  • However, one has to realize the sad truth is that Jesus' own biological half-siblings born from Mary and Joseph did not believe He was the Messiah until His resurrection. James and Jude, two of who wrote the Bible had their unbelief during Jesus' earthly ministry. Even if they weren't his biological siblings but one must realize, He would NOT put them under the care of unbelieving relations blood or not.
  • John was in fact the most faithful disciple so he knew His earthly mother would be in good hands.
  • Also, notice that Jesus did not call Mary as mother but as "woman" in terms of being respectful signifying that her role as His earthly mother had ended. Mary is no different from any other Christian saved by grace.
  • Also note that in the Good News Translation, Jesus didn't even call Mary His mother but only said, "He is your son." In the Douay Bible, Jesus says to Mary "WOMAN behold your son." again this showed the end of Mary's role as His earthly mother.

John 19:28 - "I thirst."
  • Psalm 69:21 is fulfilled. As soon as Jesus said, "I thirst." this prompted the cruel act of making Him drink vinegar.
  • This was probably customary in crucifixion most likely to increase the agony of the victim as vinegar cannot quench thirst.
  • In His thirst, Christ showed the need for sinners to hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Luke 23:46 - "Father into Thy hands I commit My Spirit."
  • Jesus was about to physically die for the sins of man, to pay the price for mankind and grant the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). It was at this stage, Jesus was going to pay for the penalty of sins once and for all.
  • He finished what He started. Certainly this was to show what Paul would write in Philippians 1:6- "Being confident of this very thing that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

John 19:30- "IT IS FINISHED!"
  • When Jesus said it is FINISHED, He means it! Hebrews 10:12 is clear that there was only ONE SACRIFICE for sins, it was a one-time event, and that verses 26 until 29 show that people who reject Christ's perfect sacrifice will just keep on sinning every time they reject it causing the crime rate to increase.
  • The blood of Jesus is no unholy thing because it is associated with His death and sacrifice, it cannot be separated or severed from it. The blood alone does not atone, the death alone does not atone for they go hand in hand because the Law requires a bloody death for atonement (Hebrews 9:22).
  • To claim that the sacrifice is still going on like the temple sacrifices that still went on even after Jesus paid for sins or the blasphemy of the Roman Catholic Mass which claims itself to be a continual sacrifice for the sins of man is an insult to the fact that Jesus FINISHED the sacrifice for sins once and for all. There is no other sacrifice but Jesus. Salvation is not in religion but only in Jesus Christ and that's what makes Christianity different from other religions.
  • Jesus also DOES NOT die every Good Friday and resurrect every Easter Sunday at a yearly basis. He already offered ONE SACRIFICE for sins so why should He again die every Good Friday and resurrect every Easter Sunday? No, but the sacrifice is finished. Christ died ONLY ONCE for sins and resurrected only ONCE then the whole act is finished, He is now seated at the right hand of the Father! For anybody TEACH that, it would be absurdly blasphemous like the idea that they must avoid meat because He died on Good Friday is pretty questionable.

Also, Mary did none of these to save. She knew for well she was but a vessel of honor but she could NEVER do what Jesus did. Hopefully, there will be more true conversions this Good Friday, as they realize the true meaning of the seven last words of Jesus and that salvation is never earned by any merit of man because Jesus paid it 100% on the cross!