THE SEVEN WORDS OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS

THE SEVEN WORDS OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS

BY: Peter Qeko Jere= Doctoral student, University of Fort Hare

This week the whole world is celebration and commemorating the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the victory that our Lord won for all human kind on the cross when he not only died but also rose from the dead. This is the very heart of Christianity because it’s the death and resurrection of our Lord that makes Christianity the only religion with that eternal living hope. We however need to know that Easter celebration is also about the seven major words that Jesus Christ proclaimed on the cross that day. These are very powerful words that have managed to change the destiny of many worldwide. Now below is the brief exposition of these seven major words that our Lord Jesus Christ spoke on the cross on that victorious day:

The first word comes from Luke 23:34 where he said, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”. It was amazing that after all the night torture and heavy biting, Jesus Christ forgave them all. He forgave them while in deep pain and with blood gashing out of his flesh because “ they did not know what they were doing”. No-one in the world has gone through such unspeakable and uncomprehendable pain and torture than what our Lord Jesus Christ. What manner of a man was this that he could forgive in such circumstances? His action to forgive is the very example that we need to emulate in our lives today. Thus Easter is about forgiving all those who have made our lives a living hell. We forgive on the basis that on the cross Jesus Christ forgave us once and for all.

The second word comes from the gospel according to Saint John 19: 26 where he said, “ Dear woman here is your son” and to the disciple “ here is your mother”. The woman addressed in here is our Lord’s own Mother, Mary and the son is our Lord himself while the disciple in question is the apostle John. Jesus sadly looked at his mother, Mary who not only suffered with him but also never abandoned her motherly responsibility. She was there and saw all what her son went through. For instance she was there in the garden of Gethsemane when they arrested him. She followed all night long even when they brought him to Caiphas, Pilate, Herod and Pilate again and was there on mount Golgotha. While there she saw with her own eyes those three rusty old nails being hammered into her son’s flesh with sea of blood flowing. Infact she remains the only mother ever to have seen what a mother is not suppose to see happening to her son. Now what kind of parents do we have? Are they available in the lives of their children? Mary’s action gives us a good example that parents need to emulate and learn from. Thus Easter is about the unconditional demonstration of parental love on their children just as Mary did.

The third word comes from Luke 23:43 where the bible says, “ I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”. This was in response to one of the thief on the cross who begged that our Lord should remember him in paradise. This thief realized his shortfall and repented right there on the cross and received his miracle. He received his salvation miracle because he asked in honesty and humbleness of heart. Thus Easter is also about demonstration of our total humility and honesty of heart before God so that we receive our long awaited miracle from Him.

The fourth word comes from the gospel according to Saint John 19: 28 where our Lord said, “ I am thirsty”. Jesus (the incarnate son of God) was fully man and fully God and he felt pain, hunger and thirsty like anybody else. This time his whole body was going through this unexplainable pain that was burning all the tissues away. As a full human being, naturally, he needed some water to cool down the burning pain inside. This means that human beings shall always feel thirsty to drink from the well of living waters that flow the everlasting river of God. This is Jesus himself from where we all shall drink and get satisfied. This is the Jesus who is the very living hope and the mark of a true Easter.

The fifth word comes from Mark 15:33 where our Lord cried out “ eloi, eloi lama sabachthani, meaning, my father, my father, why have you forsaken me”. The main issue here was that for the first time, the heavens kept silent and never responded to Christ’s call. It was a sorrowful cry of a painful broken heart. Actually during his entire ministry, God in heaven responded to Christ’s call. For instance, miracles happened through out and even the voice from heaven came confirming that Christ was God’s beloved Son (Matth 3:17, Matth 17:5). But this time around, there was what I call “the silence of purpose” in heaven because a major salvation event for the entire humanity was about to take place. It took the entire heaven to keep silent so that we should be saved. Thus Easter is also bout God’s silent of purpose, which gave birth to our total salvation.

The sixth word comes from Luke 23: 46 where Jesus said, “ Father unto your hands I commit my Spirit”. Our Lord spoke this word to show that as God incarnate, he is in total control of his life such that he is able to willingly do with it in the way he desires. He spoke the word to demonstrate that even on the cross Satan failed to destroy him because he willingly commit his life unto God the father. Just as he commits his life unto the father, he was able to take it back after three day as he rose again from the dead. Thus Easter shows that Jesus is in control and that no devil in hell will ever manage to kill even those that are washed in his precious blood.

The seventh and last word comes from John 19:30 where he cried out in a loud voice, “ It is finished!” This is the most ever victorious proclamation in the entire bible. He finished giving us our salvation. He defeated the powers of darkness and no devil in hell could play games with him. The word “ finished,” mean that God’s children can access any form of healing in Jesus name because by his wounds we are all completely healed (1 Pet 2:24, Ex 15:26, Ps 103:3, Ps 147:3). This also means that God’s children shall not live in any form of bondage anymore because there are all set free by the power of his name. Thus Easter is about the total victory that our Lord got for us after he died and rose again from the dead.