Fourth Utterance from the Cross: Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

 (Matthew 27:46) 

Third Utterance from the Cross: Woman, behold your son ... Behold your mother.

 

DAY 2, MORNING

“Woman, behold your son… Behold your mother.”

(John 19:26–27)

The third utterance from the cross is a word of care. It is spoken quietly, almost gently, in the midst of the most violent scene in human history. While the world raged around Him, Jesus turned His attention to His mother and to the disciple whom He loved. In that moment, He revealed the depth of His compassion and the importance of relationships within the family of God.

²⁶ When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” ²⁷ Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

As Christ hung on the cross, He did not forget the people whom He loved. He remembered the needs of His earthly family. Mary carried Him, raised Him, and treasured the promises spoken about Him. As she watched her Son suffer, Jesus saw her grief and entrusted her to John.

This teaches us that love is not only expressed in great acts of sacrifice, but also in the quiet responsibilities of daily life. Jesus was fulfilling the greatest mission the world has ever known, yet He still honored His mother. He still cared for her needs. He still provided for her future.

This caring word from the cross reminds us that the family of God is not limited to biological ties. Jesus formed a new spiritual family at the foot of the cross. Mary would find comfort in John. John would find purpose in caring for her. Their relationship would be shaped not by blood, but by the love of Christ. In the same way, believers today are called to care for one another. We are called to bear one another’s burdens, to support one another in times of sorrow, and to walk together in faith.

In the humanity of Jesus, we see He felt the weight of His mother’s sorrow. He understood the pain of separation. He knew the cost of obedience. He entrusted His mother to the care to John because He knew His earthly work was done. His earthly love did not keep Him from fulfilling His mission. But His mission did not eclipse His love.

Christlike love is attentive, compassionate, and responsible. It sees the needs of others even in moments of personal suffering. Love, Christ’s love, builds relationships that honor the heavenly Father. The love of Jesus creates a fellowship of comfort where there was once only grief.

Pray this prayer to God: Lord Jesus, thank You for showing compassion even in Your suffering. Teach me to care for the people You have placed in my life. Help me to honor my relationships and to build a community of love within Your family. Give me a heart that sees the needs of others and responds with grace. Amen.

Second Utterance from the Cross: Today, you will be with Me in Paradise

 

“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

(Luke 23:43)

The second utterance from the cross is a word of assurance. It is spoken not to a crowd, not to the religious leaders, and not even to the disciples. It is spoken to a dying criminal who had nothing to offer Jesus except a humble request for mercy.

⁴² Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

This man had no good works to present. He had no life of obedience to point to. He had no opportunity to make restitution or prove his sincerity. He had only a confession of guilt and a plea for grace. In response, Jesus gave him one of the most beautiful promises in all of Scripture.

⁴³ And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

This promise reveals the heart of salvation. It is not earned. It is not achieved. It is not the reward of a lifetime of religious effort. It is the gift of God to the one who turns to Christ in faith. The repentant thief had nothing but need, and Jesus met that need with divine assurance.

The word “Paradise” was used to describe a garden or a place of rest and delight. It is the same word used in Revelation when Jesus promises the overcomer access to the tree of life. Jesus was telling this man that death would not be the end. It would be the doorway into the presence of God. The thief would not enter alone. Jesus said, “You will be with Me.” Salvation is not merely the removal of sin. It is the restoration of fellowship with God.

This moment also reveals the compassion of Christ. While suffering the agony of crucifixion, Jesus still heard the cry of a sinner. He still extended mercy. He still offered hope. Even in His final hours, Jesus was doing what He came to do. He was seeking and saving the lost.

Jesus’s promise reminds us that salvation is immediate. He did not say, “Someday you may be with Me,” or “After a long process you might enter My kingdom.” He said, “Today.” The repentant thief would close his eyes on earth and open them in the presence of Christ. There would be no delay and no uncertainty. The grace of God is not slow. It is ready to meet the sinner who turns to Him in faith.

This second utterance teaches us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy. Salvation is not based on our past but on Christ’s promise. The door of grace stands open until the final breath. The heart of Jesus is always turned toward the repentant.

Pray this prayer to God: Lord Jesus, thank You for the promise You gave to the repentant thief. Thank You that salvation is by grace and not by works. Help me to trust Your promise and to rest in the assurance that those who turn to You in faith will be with You forever. Strengthen my heart with the hope of Paradise and the joy of Your presence. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

First Utterance from the Cross: Forgive Them

DAY 1, Morning

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

(Luke 23:34)

The first words Jesus spoke from the cross were those of a plea for forgiveness. They were not a cry of pain or a plea for rescue. They were not words of anger or accusation. They were a prayer of forgiveness that revealed the heart of the One who came to save.

³⁴ Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

The word Jesus uses for “forgive” is the Greek word aphiēmi. It means to release, to let go, or to send away. It is the same word Jesus used when He taught His disciples to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” This forgiveness is not sentimental or shallow. It is a deliberate act of releasing someone from the debt they owe.

Jesus is not declaring universal forgiveness for every person standing at the foot of the cross. He is not excusing their sin or pretending that their actions are harmless. He is revealing His heart. He is showing them that His love is strong enough to release them if they would receive it, even those who are actively harming Him.

The soldiers who nailed Him to the cross did not ask for forgiveness. The religious leaders who mocked Him did not repent. The crowd that blasphemed Him did not understand the magnitude of what they were doing. Yet Jesus prayed for them. He released the debt into the hands of His Father, the only One who judges perfectly.

Forgiveness begins in the heart of the forgiver. It does not begin with the worthiness of the offender. Jesus is not minimizing the evil done against Him. He is choosing to place the burden of justice into the hands of His Father. This forgiveness frees the soul from bitterness. This forgiveness refuses to let hatred take root. This forgiveness does not require reconciliation with the unrepentant. No, this forgiveness entrusts justice to God.

When Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them,” He was revealing the heart of the Father. God desires to release sinners from their debt. He yearns for repentance rather than destruction. He opens the door of mercy even while the nails are still being driven in.

As we begin these seven devotionals on the last words of Christ, we begin where Jesus began, with forgiveness. Forgiveness does not deny the truth. Release does not say wounds do not hurt. Forgiveness does not enable sin, nor does it remove healthy boundaries. Forgiveness releases the debt into the hands of God. This is the forgiveness that reflects the cross. This is the forgiveness that looks like Christ.

 

Pray this prayer to God: Lord Jesus, thank You for praying for Your enemies even as they wounded You. Teach me to release the debts others owe me. Help me to entrust justice to the Father and to walk in the freedom that forgiveness brings. Change my heart to be more like Yours. Amen.

The Last Words of Christ before His Death

 

1. The Love of Christ results in …

…Release of Enemies

aphiēmi = release; Matthew 6:12

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

- Demonstrates Jesus' selfless love and His commitment to forgiveness, even in suffering. This reflects Jesus' boundless forgiveness, even for those who crucified Him, embodying His teachings on love and mercy.  Jesus' final words express His trust in the Father and His willing surrender, marking the culmination of His earthly life. It is the same forgiveness Jesus used in the Lord’s prayer, “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” It means to leave alone. It was NOT a blanket forgiveness of all sins for all time, nor was it given to all who were there. It was exemplifying who Jesus truly was and exemplified His forgiving love. For those who were gambling for His clothes; for criminals on either side of Him; for the crowd who was blaspheming Him.

…Relations on Earth 1 John 3:1

“Woman, behold your son! … Behold your mother!” (John 19:26-27)

- Reflects Christ's care for others, showing His attention to relationships and community. Jesus entrusts His mother, Mary, to the care of His disciple John, symbolizing the creation of a new spiritual family among believers. 

2. The Humanity of Christ fulfills Scripture in…

… Sorrowful Separation see Psalm 22:1, Hebrews 13:5

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:34)

This reminds us that even in our darkest moments, when we feel utterly alone, we are not forsaken. Jesus in His humanity was separated from His Father so we would not have to be. When we have questions, God has answers. In moments of despair, we know that Jesus understands. It also calls us to reflect on the magnitude of Jesus' sacrifice and the hope it brings for redemption and eternal connection with God.

… Symbolic Sacrifice see Psalm 22:15, 69:21, Exodus 12:22

“I thirst!” (John 19:28)

- This highlights Jesus' humanity and fulfills Scripture, showing His physical suffering and His role in fulfilling God's plan. Emphasizes Jesus' humanity and fulfills Scripture. This fulfills the prophecy in Psalm 69:21, which says, "They gave me vinegar for my thirst." It highlights Jesus' humanity and the fulfillment of Scripture.

…Submissive Surrender see Psalm 22:19, 31:5

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

- According to Luke, these are Jesus’s final words, which show His ultimate trust and surrender to the Father, even in death. This echoes Psalm 31:5, where the psalmist entrusts their spirit to God. Jesus uses these words to express His trust in the Father, even in death.

3. The Deity of Christ provides Salvation in …

… Divine Providence, see Revelation 2:7

“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

- Highlights the assurance of salvation through faith and repentance. Spoken to the repentant thief, this assures salvation through faith, emphasizing grace over works.

… Divine Permanence tetelestai, Hebrews 11:2

“It is finished.” (John 19:30)

Tetelestai is a single word, which can accurately be translated as “It is finished,” but it was also used in financial sense when a debt is completely paid. This single word was stamped on a deed or a financial note, meaning paid in full. Judicially,  this word was also used in a legal when a judgment or a verdict had been fully served and completed. Tetelestai. Militarily, this single word was also used that the battle had been won. The Spiritual war is over and the enemy defeated.

HOW DO WE KNOW It is finished? 

Because Sunday morning, the stone was rolled away. The soldiers fell asleep as dead men. 

Because Sunday morning, The women heard the angels say He is not here He is risen. 

Because Sunday morning, Peter and John ran and saw an empty tomb. 

Because Sunday morning, Jesus said to a weeping woman, Go tell the disciples I am ascending to MY FATHER…

Because JESUS promised in John 14 that if I go away, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am you shall be also.

 

I Thirst

    She didn’t remember when she heard the news. But what she heard, she would never forget.

    “No! It can’t be true!” she cried, nearly dropping her empty water pot when her friend breathlessly told her about the death. His death.

   “My husband told me himself,” Photini’s friend told her through tear-filled moans. “He’s dead. Crucified at the hands of the Romans. What’s worse, the Pharisees and Sadducees both conspired to bring Him in. Arrested just after Pesach. Joseph went there for the week to do business in Jerusalem.”

   Photini dragged every last sordid detail out from her young friend. They became more than mere friends since those three marvelous days when the Master, the Messiah, had come to her village, to Jacob’s well on that blistering hot but blessedly holy day.

   Yeshua had told her everything she had ever done. Well, not really, not everything. He told her enough though to convince her that He, this prophet from Nazareth, was in fact the Promised Messiah. Greater than everything she had done, He told her of what He, the Messiah, the Christ, would do: to restore worship of the Father in spirit and truth.

   As the friends talked and wept, then wept and talked, Photini looked down at her empty jar. She was reminded how empty she had been before that blessed day that now seemed long ago. How lonely she had been ... despite her five husbands she had had ... despite the man she had who was not her husband. But since that day, her life was changed, her relationships changed, she had lost her man, but gained sisters and brothers, like Sarah and Joseph.

   “Joseph was there at the cross. He said he was certain that Yeshua had died. He said that even before He died, He looked like death warmed over, as He hung on the cross. Oh, Photini, He had been beaten so badly. Joseph said if He had not spoken, he would have thought He was already dead.”

   “He spoke? From the cross? What did He say?” Photini demanded. Before Sarah could answer, she shouted, “What could He have possibly said from the cross?”

   Sarah told of His first refusal of the sour wine, the only comfort from an otherwise merciless death. Photini had seen crucifixions too many times, ghastly and cruel punishments. They were to warn all the inhabitants of the land that they, the Samaritans and the Jews alike, were under the oppressive rule of the Romans.

   “And just before He died, Photini, He cried, ‘I thirst!’”

   “No!” Photini buried her head in Sarah’s arms. Sarah was young enough to have been her daughter, if she would have had a daughter. She was more of a sister than her own sisters had been. More of a friend than any of her husbands had been.

   This Messiah, this Man from God who had truly given her spiritual drink, died asking for something to quench His own parched mouth.

   Photini said it again, “No! He said, ‘I thirst?’” 

   “I know, I know, that’s why I had to hurry to tell you,” Sarah spoke tenderly but into the ears of her grieving friend, not sure if Photini could even hear through her guttural sobs. “He took the bitter vinegar the second time, but just enough so He could cry out in a loud voice one last time.”

   Photini could only imagine what Joseph had seen. Then a peaceful word came from Sarah.

   “But Joseph said He did not die as he had seen other men die. Yeshua died as though He was in calm control of all the cruelty around Him. He was caring for His mother at His feet. Speaking to the only disciple at the cross. Oh Photini, young John was there too. He even spoke kindly to the others who were being crucified with Him. He asked the Father to forgive those who drove the nails into His hands.”

   Photini was shocked that Yeshua had died, but she knew it had to be true when she heard how He died. He died as He had lived, with resolute purpose. In charge. In control. At peace.

   She remembered His first words to her at Jacob’s well. “Give Me a drink,” He had said, commandingly, but not harshly. Firmly, but as though with a voice of someone she had always known. A familiar tone that made her wonder not only why a Jew would speak to her as a woman, a Samaritan woman, a Samaritan woman with a horrible reputation.

   She never forgot her conversation with Him about her thirst and how He saw her own spiritual thirst. Her quenching would not be found in relationships with men, not in her people’s religion. She later travelled to Galilee Lake to hear Him say that He was the Bread of Life, and that those who came to Him would never hunger nor thirst again. From that day forward, His words had indeed quenched the thirsting of her soul. She heard about rivers of Living Water flowing out of the hearts of those who believed. Though her tears were flowing, she was afraid of the drought that might return to her soul. 

   Photini stood up. She dabbed her eyes. She strained in her mind, her memories, straining to hear all that He had told her and her village.

   “So He’s gone. It’s finished.” Bitterness almost filled her heart at the hated Romans. At the wicked Jews.

   But there was no bitterness. There was no hatred.

   Even death, at the hands of her enemies no less, could not stop the love He had placed in her heart. His words, His love, were still alive if only in her heart. Her fountain was not dry.

   She picked up her empty water pot and looked towards Jacob’s well. “Thank you, Sarah, for telling me. Go in peace.”

   She walked away, head spinning, heart aching, thoughts racing, but her eyes now strangely dry. Her back was not bent down. Her head was high.

   As her friend walked away, courage suddenly flooded Sarah’s heart. Before she knew it, she called out, “Photini, wait. There is something I haven’t told you,” Sarah’s voice was trembling more than ever. “Something I scarcely believe myself. I was afraid to tell you, because you may not believe it.”

   The older woman turned.

   She listened.

   She ... She ...    BELIEVED!

 

“Famous Last Words”

You know that Jesus had seven famous last words that He uttered from the cross.

As we are in Holy Week this week, it would be a good time to see what Jesus said in his own “darkest hour”: The hours on the cross.

The President and others are saying that this week could be our darkest hours of this coronavirus crisis. What did Jesus do when things quite literally got dark?

From the cross, Jesus’s final words are a quote from Psalm 31: 5, saying “Father into Your hands I commend my Spirit,” and with that, He gave up His Spirit to God.

From His final utterance, I want to ask First Baptist Church, Killeen this question: “Is there someone you really trust?”

Read Psalm 31 and as you meditate on it, ask yourself, “Why would Christ quote this verse, this chapter, as His final word?”

¹ In You, O LORD, I put my TRUST; ​​Let me never be ashamed; ​​Deliver me in Your righteousness. ^{2 ​​}Bow down Your ear to me, ​​Deliver me speedily; ​​Be my rock of refuge, ​​A fortress of defense to save me. ​

³ ​​For You are my rock and my fortress; ​​Therefore, for Your name’s sake, ​​Lead me and guide me. ⁴ ​​Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, ​​For You are my strength.”

And here Jesus quotes the Psalm as His final utterance of His final seven utterances.

“⁵ ​​Into Your hand I commit my spirit; ​​You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.”

If you haven’t seen why Christ would find refuge in this Psalm, then keep reading. See if this is also a psalm we can claim for our times of distress.

^{​ 6} ​​I have hated those who regard useless idols; ​​But I TRUST in the LORD. ⁷ ​​I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, ​​For You have considered my trouble; ​​You have known my soul in adversities, ⁸ ​​And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; ​​You have set my feet in a wide place.

 ^{​ 9} ​​Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; ​​My eye wastes away with grief, ​​Yes, my soul and my body! ¹⁰ ​​For my life is spent with grief, ​​And my years with sighing; ​​My strength fails because of my iniquity, ​​And my bones waste away. ¹¹ ​​I am a reproach among all my enemies, ​​But especially among my neighbors, ​​And am repulsive to my acquaintances; ​​Those who see me outside flee from me.

 ¹² ​​I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; ​​I am like a broken vessel. ¹³ ​​For I hear the slander of many; ​​Fear is on every side; ​​While they take counsel together against me, ​​They scheme to take away my life.

 ^{​ 14} ​​But as for me, I TRUST in You, O LORD; ​​I say, “You are my God.” ^{15 ​}​My times are in Your hand; ​​Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, ​​And from those who persecute me. ¹⁶ ​​Make Your face shine upon Your servant; ​​Save me for Your mercies’ sake.

 ¹⁷ ​​Do not let me be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon You; ​​Let the wicked be ashamed; ​​Let them be silent in the grave. ¹⁸ ​​Let the lying lips be put to silence, ​​Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

 ​ ¹⁹ ​​Oh, how great is Your goodness, ​​Which You have laid up for those who fear You, ​​Which You have prepared for those who TRUST in You ​​In the presence of the sons of men! ²⁰ ​​You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence ​​From the plots of man; ​​You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion ​​From the strife of tongues.

 ​ ²¹ ​​Blessed be the LORD, ​​For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city! ²² ​​For I said in my haste, ​​“I am cut off from before Your eyes”; ​​Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications ​​When I cried out to You.

 ​ ²³ ​​Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! ​​For the LORD preserves the faithful, ​​And fully repays the proud person. ²⁴ ​​Be of good courage, ​​And He shall strengthen your heart, ​​All you who hope in the LORD.

Your “Trust” is a precious gift, to be given out with great discretion. “Trust,” “hope,” “faith”, and “belief” are beautiful gifts and themes presented throughout the Bible. It is God’s “gold standard,” His “benchmark” by which all other things should be measured against. Few psalms speak more about trust than Psalm 31 and several psalms following this one.

We should be cautious on giving our trust but the person we should be the most suspicious of is the person we see every day in the mirror, and by that of course I mean, we should not trust in ourselves! We don’t want to let down our guard around others but how often have we let our own selves down?

A better place to anchor our hope is not with others and not within but rather of course with God. Be sure, others will let you down and you will let your own self down. And in all honesty, there are times when we feel God has let us down.

So, what do we do? Go back to trusting ourselves or our health or our wealth? Should we anchor our faith in our loved ones or our philosophy or our government, or, God forbid, our political party?

How’s that working for you?

Even if that works for a while, eventually everything EXCEPT the Lord will fade away. David saw that self-reliance was futile, his body was weakening; his soul was tiring; those around him were falling. “But as for me I trust in You O Lord.”

This psalm begins with trusting God, using two different Hebrew words four different times to convey trust (verses 1 and 19 convey "protection"; verses 6 and 14 emphasize "confidence").

And the psalm ends with a close cousin to trust: hope. “​​Be of good courage, ​​And He shall strengthen your heart, ​​All you who hope in the LORD.”

A good way to remember in Whom we should trust is to spell out the word FAITH this way:

Forsaking All, I Trust Him.

Jesus did this. Should not we also?