by Mr. Francis D'Souza
Parting words of a person have their own importance. It also depends on who is speaking those parting words – a parent, elder brother or sister, leader, boss. Benefactor.
Parting words (Last Words) of a dying person have even greater importance, you will all agree I'm sure.
How much more when they come from the one who loved us and died for our salvation? Who came out to teach us – Mark.1:38. So lets go to the cross of Jesus and listen to his last seven words from the cross.
The last Seven Words of Jesus
1st Word (In Light)
Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing [Vertical]
Luke 23:34
2nd Word (In Light)
In truth I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise
[Horizontal]
Luke 23:43
3rd Word (In Light)
Woman, behold your son. Then to the disciple He said: Behold your mother [Horizontal]
John 19:26,27
4th Word (In Darkness)
Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani? I.E. My GOD,
My GOD why have you forsaken me? [Vertical]
Matthew 27:46
5th Word (In Darkness)
I am thirsty [Horizontal]
John 19:28
6th Word (In Darkness)
It is finished [Horizontal]
John 19:30
7th Word (In Darkness)
Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit [Vertical]
Luke 23:46
The 1st Block
[a] Father, forgive them; ........
[b] In Truth I tell you, today you will be ........
[c] Woman, behold your son. ........
The importance of forgiveness can never be downplayed. Jesus not only preached it (Matthew 6:12, Matthew 18:33, Matthew 5:44) but he demonstrated it from the cross even as he was unjustly and cruelly treated and that too inspite of all the good that he did. He could have called curses and fire upon the ungrateful humanity but only words of blessing and pardon escaped from his parched lips.
Gladys Staines, Stephen the deacon, Pope John Paul II were inspired by Jesus' action.
“Today you will be with me in paradise”. These are words of hope spoken to the repentant thief who dared to steal heaven at the last moment. We should never condemn anybody because God will have mercy on whom he wishes – Exodus 33:19, book of Jonah where he has mercy on the 1,20,000 people of Nineveh. Jesus did his part because the thief did his part – which is repentance – Act 17:30, Luke 13:3-5.
“Woman behold your son ........” - Inspite of his painful condition and sufferings he is concerned about his mother fulfilling the commandment – Exodus 20:12 'Honour your Father & Mother'. Food for thought – how we treat our parents. Do we respect them by tolerating them, do we accept them as they are. Do we dump them or write them off as useless. Your parents brought you up don't let them down.
This block confirms that Jesus was a man for others – even during the stations of the cross he is telling the women of Jerusalem - “Don't weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children”. Paul echoes this attitude in Phil. 2:4 “Do not look at your own interest.....”
2nd Block
Darkness overcomes the world around the 6th hour i.e. At 12 Noon. If sin were to be converted into matter, it would form a cloud so thick that it would prevent the sunlight from reaching the earth – (Padre Pio). The smiling face of the Father too was now hidden from Jesus – (John Stott), a darkness foretold by prophet Amos 8:9, what theologians call existential loneliness. All this made Jesus cry out the words of desolation in Psalms. 22:1 - “My God, My God why have you forsaken me”.
Jesus, knowing that all things were fulfilled said “I thirst” quoting the words of Psalms 69:21. His thirst, however, was more than physical because if it was physical alone, consider him saying to the woman at the well in John 4 - “If you ask me I will give you water that will never make you thirsty again” or, in John 7 - “He who believes in me from him will flow streams of living water”. His thirst was to do the will of the Father – John 4:34.
Will you quench his thirst by evangelising, spreading the good news of his love.
After this he cried “It is finished”. These are not words of the one defeated, but of the one who was victorious. It means he has accomplished, completed, fulfilled all that he was sent to do – John 17:4 “I have finished the work which you have given me to do”.
Finally he cries the words which teach us how to hand over our spirit and soul back to the creator – with calmness John 10:11, 15, 17, 18. Jesus says my Father loves me, ... no one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of myself... . He knew the safe hands of the Father which are able to take care not only of the body but also of the soul and spirit – Matthew 10:28.
These (seven) words were recorded because they are not only of monumental value but have timeless lessons which will help us conduct our lives in the way of the Lord. Thus making us what the Lord himself was - John 8:12 and call us to be so in Matthew 5:13, 14
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.