Lament from the Cross: The Seven Last Words of Jesus 

 

Series overview: Each Lent season, we consider the impact of sin and death on us and the world we live in by returning to the biblical notion of lament. Lament gives language to the suffering we and those around us experience. In this series, leading up to Easter, we will look at the seven last words of Jesus––words spoken in the midst of Jesus’ suffering on the cross. Through these words, we will discover not only how Jesus thought about suffering but how his suffering––suffering done on our behalf––shapes how we might also approach suffering that will befall us all.

 

3/9: Lament & Sin - Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:26-38): Sin impacts us all. We are perpetrators of sin. We are victims of sin. We are surrounded by the effects of sin. The effects of sin lead us to lament. Yet, on the cross, Jesus reminds us that sin, our sin, is what brought him to the cross, there is nonetheless forgiveness extended to those who believe. 

 

3/16: Lament & Grace - Today, you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:39-43): One of the most scandalous ideas of grace is that anyone who truly believes receives that grace. The man on the cross had perpetuated injustice and, by his own admission, deserved to be there. Yet, through his lament over his sin, he experienced unmerited grace. 

 

3/23: Lament & Compassion - Woman, behold your son; behold your mother (John 19:25-27): Though suffering, the compassion of Jesus also saw the suffering of others, and it moved him to nonetheless care for others. The church is a spiritual family that cares for one another, especially in our suffering. Jesus’ compassion for his mother also illustrates the extent to which God cares about our every need. 

 

3/30: Lament & Anguish - My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matt 27:45-46): In one of the greatest cries of lament, Jesus expresses the anguish of feeling the forsakenness of the Father. In fulfilling Psalm 22, Jesus shows the true seriousness of our sin––sin that took him to the cross. Yet, our great joy is that Christ was forsaken so that we might be accepted. 

 

4/6: Lament & Longing - I thirst (John 19: 28-29): Not only does this cry reveal the humanity of Jesus and his fulfillment of Scripture (Ps. 69:21), but it also reveals the reality of longing. Our spiritual thirst often results in our longing for anything that will satisfy us. But Jesus experienced the sting of thirst so that we might be fully satisfied in him. 

 

4/13: Lament & Surrender - Father, into your hands I commend my spirit (Luke 23:44-46): Jesus has full and complete trust in the Father. He recognized that the Father is truly sovereign over all things, including life and death. Though we lament death, we can nonetheless have complete trust that God’s will, knowledge, and wisdom supersedes our understanding, including death. 

4/20: Lament & Victory - It is finished (John 19:28-30): The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is a finished and completed work. Though we still experience the effects of sin and death, and as a result, we continue to lament, Jesus' words remind us that He holds the victory. There is nothing more that must be done.