Words of Jesus on the cross
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The seven words of Jesus on the cross are a traditional collection of seven short phrases uttered by Jesus at his crucifixion gathered from the four Gospels.
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Seven words
The seven words form part of a Christian meditation that is often used during Lent, Holy Week and Good Friday. The traditional order of the words is:
- Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).
- Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).
- Woman, behold your son: behold your mother (John 19:26 f.).
- Eli Eli lema sabachthani? (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34).
- I thirst (John 19:28).
- It is finished (John 19:30).
- Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46).
As can be seen from the above list, not all seven words can be found in any one account of Jesus' crucifixion. The words are a harmonizing of texts from each of the four canonical gospels. In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jesus shouts the fourth phrase only, and cries out wordlessly before dying. In Luke's Gospel, the first, second and seventh words occur. The third, fifth and sixth words can only be found in John's Gospel.
Father, forgive
Luke 23:34
- Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing".
The first word is a prayer for forgiveness for those who are crucifying Jesus: the Roman soldiers, and perhaps those whose actions brought him to Golgotha. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus exhorts his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. Perhaps this verse is such a reflection of Jesus' teaching.
The early manuscripts are evenly divided between those who have these words, and those that omit them entirely.
Today you will be with me in paradise
Luke 23:43
- And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise".
Jesus is crucified between two thieves. In Luke's Gospel, one of them supports Jesus innocence and asks him to remember him when he comes into his kingdom. Jesus replies to him using his set formula for important sayings: "Truly, I say to you..." (Αμην σοι λεγω). Then follows the only use of the word 'paradise' in the Gospels (παραδεισος, paradeisos, from the Persian pairidaeza). As this is the word used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) for the garden of Eden, Jesus may have meant a return of humanity to the presence of God. However, it is traditionally meant to refer to the abode of the blessed dead. Perhaps, it can be read that the thief's own confession of guilt opens the way to forgiveness of sin.
Behold your son: behold your mother
John 19:26 f.
- Jesus saw his own mother, and the disciple standing near whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son". Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother". And from that hour, he took his mother into his family.
Jesus entrusts Mary, his mother, into the care of a disciple. Traditionally, this is thought to be John the Evangelist, but he is only referred to as the beloved disciple.
Eli Eli lema sabachthani
Matthew 27:46
- Around the ninth hour, Jesus shouted in a loud voice, saying "Eli Eli lema sabachthani?" which is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Mark 15:34
- And at the ninth hour, Jesus shouted in a loud voice, "Eloi Eloi lema sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, my God, for what have you forsaken me?"
Of the seven words of Jesus from the cross, this one stands out. It is the only word recorded in Matthew and Mark, and is the only one that appears in two, parallel accounts. Intriguingly, this word is given in Aramaic with a translation (originally in Greek) after it. These words also appear on the opening line of Psalm 22. In the following verses immediately following these words, in both Gospels, some who hear Jesus' cry imagine that he is calling for help from Elijah (Eliyyâ). The slight differences between the two gospel accounts are most probably due to dialect. Matthew's version seems to have been more influenced by Hebrew, whereas Mark's is perhaps more colloquial.
The Aramaic phrase is Êlî Êlî (or Elohî Elohî) lmâ švaqtanî.
The theological consequences of this phrase are important. The gulf of separation that occurs between God the Father and God the Son, in the death of the latter, has been described by the theologian Jürgen Moltmann as 'death in God'.
A limited number of scholars have asserted this alternate translation of Matthew 27:46:
- Matthew 27:46 (Lamsa translation)- ηλι ηλι λαμανα σαβαχθανι (/eli eli lamana sabachthani/, later Aramaic "E-lee e-lee l-maa-naa saa-baach-taa-nee?")
Researchers from this vein attribute the current wording of this verse to errors in the original transcription and claim that "Eli, Eli, lemana shabakthani" ("My God, my God, for this [purpose] I was spared!" or "...for such a purpose have you kept me!") is more correct. The leading purporters of this theory have been Rocco A. Errico and the late George M. Lamsa.
I thirst
John 19:28
- He said, "I thirst".
This word perhaps represents the total humanity of Jesus, and the thirst for God of those who are put far from him. As he is given sour wine to drink, soaked in a sponge on a hyssop stem, this may be a reference to Psalm 69:22, where sour wine is offered. It may allude to Jesus' statement about drinking the cup that the Father gives him (John 18:11).
It is finished
John 19:30
- Jesus said, "It is finished".
Jesus announces that his work, atonement, is completed. Sometimes the meaning 'the debt is written off' is read into this verse. Although this is a sound theological statement, that the debt of humanity to God is cancelled, the simple Greek word is best translated by a simple English word (completed, finished) without added nuance.
Into your hands I commit my spirit
Luke 23:46
- And speaking in a loud voice, Jesus said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit".
This last word is based on Psalm 31:5. Because of this, it is unlikely that 'my spirit' refers to a disembodied soul, but simply to one's self: I put myself in your hands now.
See also
External links and references
- Noohra site (http://www.noohra.com/Index.pl?Data/Forum/245) - Errico message on The Passion of the Christ film.
- On the Eli Eli quote (http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/Scriptures/www.innvista.com/scriptures/compare/wasjesus.htm)
- Triumph! interpretation (http://www.redbay.com/ekklesia/triumph.htm) - citing Noorah
- Aramaic Bible Society (http://www.aramaic.org/NEWS.html)