7 Last Words (Expressions) of Jesus (Part 2)
By Thomas Thorne
McDowell County
Last month we started to review the seven last “words” or expressions of Jesus before His crucifixion. We covered the first four, which, as a reminder, were as follows.
- THE FIRST WORD – “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34 (ESV throughout)
2. THE SECOND WORD – “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43
3. THE THIRD WORD – “Jesus said to his mother: “Woman, behold your son … He said to the disciple, Behold, your mother.” John 19:26-27
4. THE FOURTH WORD – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34
In today’s article, we will cover the last three.
THE FIFTH WORD – “I thirst.” John 19:28
The fifth word of Jesus is His only human expression of His physical suffering. Jesus is now in shock. The wounds inflicted upon Him in the scourging, the crowning with thorns, losing blood on the three-hour walk through the city of Jerusalem to Golgotha, and the nailing upon the cross are now taking a heavy toll upon Him.
The gospel of John first refers to thirst when Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well. When He first asked her for a drink, the woman was surprised that a Jew would ask for a drink from a Samaritan woman. He went on to tell her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).
There is more than just physical thirst. Jesus also speaks of a spiritual thirst. He thirsted for the love of His Father, who had left Him unaided during this dreadful hour when He must fulfill His mission all alone. And He thirsts for the love and salvation of His people, the human race. Jesus practiced what He preached: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).
THE SIXTH WORD – “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished;’ and he bowed his head and gave up His spirit.” John 19:30
John recalls the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb from Exodus 12 in this passage. The soldiers offered wine on a small stem of hyssop to the Lord. Hyssop is a small plant that was used to sprinkle the blood of the Passover Lamb on the doorposts of the Israelites at the first Passover (Exodus 12:22). John continues in 19:33-34: “But when they came to Jesus and saw he was already dead, they did not break his legs,” recalling the instruction in Exodus 12:46 concerning the Passover Lamb.
He died at the ninth hour (three o’clock in the afternoon). Jesus became the Passover Lamb, as noted by the apostle Paul: “For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The innocent Lamb was slain for our sins so that we might be forgiven. The sixth word is Jesus’ recognition that His suffering is over, and His task is completed. Jesus is obedient to the Father and gives His love for mankind by redeeming us with His death on the Cross.
THE SEVENTH WORD – “Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’” Luke 23:46
The seventh word of Jesus is from the Gospel of Luke and is directed to the Father in heaven, just before His physical death. Jesus recalls Psalm 31:5 – “Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” (ESV)
Jesus was obedient to His Father to the end, and His final word before His death on the Cross was a prayer to His Father. The relationship between Jesus and the Father is revealed in the Gospel of John, for He told His disciples, “The Father and I are one”(10:30 ESV), and again at the Last Supper: “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works” (14:10 ESV). And again, “I came from the Father and have come into the world; and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father” (John 16:28). Jesus fulfills His own mission and that of His Father on the Cross.
The 7 Last Recorded Words/Expressions of Jesus demonstrate the love of Jesus and God the Father
- Concerning forgiving – forgiving those who were crucifying him.
- Concerning forgiving once again. Ignoring His own suffering, Jesus shows mercy.
- Concerning the Hebrew word chesed – lovingkindness, concern.
- Concerning love for humanity and love of life.
- Speaking about water – needed for physical life, spiritual water – the Holy Spirit, needed for spiritual life.
- Obedience to the Father; love and concern for mankind.
- Fulfillment of Jesus’ mission. Encouraging each of us to fulfill the mission God has for us. He lived as a human to set us an example. We need to fulfill the mission God has for each of us. Not to run from it or hide from it, but to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16-17
Shalom,
Tom Thorne
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Tom and his wife Amy are fellowship coordinators for Avdai El Elyon/Servants of the Most High God Ministries in Marion, NC. Tom offers a “Basics of Biblical Hebrew” 1 and 2 class in a classroom setting and/or online via Zoom. If interested, please contact Tom for details at servantsotmhg@gmail.com.
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