The 7 Cries From the Cross
The most important week in the history of the world, the week that changed eternity, was the week between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday. The last week of Jesus Christ’s life was the beginning of every good thing we now enjoy! Those 7 days changed all of human history. We remember our Lord’s sacrifice and ultimate victory. What was on His mind as He died? How do those inspired words apply to us? We learn deep truth from Jesus’s cries from the Cross.
The Power of Last Words
Dying words give us living truth. There is a great difference between those who know God and those who do not. This distinction is often revealed in a stark way as people stand on the edge of eternity. Consider the dying words of some who rejected Christ…
- Voltaire said at the end of his life: “I am abandoned by God and man. I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months of life. Then, I shall go to hell and you shall go with me. O, Christ! O, Jesus Christ!”
- Edward Gibbon cried, “This day may be my last. I will agree that the immortality of the soul is at times a very comfortable doctrine. All of this is now lost – finally, irrevocably lost. All is dark and doubtful.”
- Thomas Hobbs, the philosopher, said, “If I had the whole world I would give it all to live one day. I shall be glad to find a hole to creep out of the world at. About to take a leap in the dark.”
- Thomas Payne, author of the Age of Reason, said, “I would give worlds if I had them if the Age of Reason had not been published. O Lord, help me! Christ help me! O God, what have I done? It is hell to be alone. If ever the Devil had an agent, I have been that one.”
- An infidel by the last name of Kay lay dying. His final words were: “Hell! Hell! Hell!”
A Contrast In Last Words
What a contrast with those who knew Christ and died in hope! Scripture teaches that we speak out of the abundance of what is in our hearts (Luke 6:45). As the outer shell begins to decay, the reality of what is within manifests more and more.
- Evangelist D.L. Moody said, “Earth recedes. Heaven opens before me. It is beautiful! It is like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. There is no valley here. God is calling, and I must go. This is my triumph; this is my coronation day! I’ve been looking for it for years.”
- The author of the hymn Rock of Ages, Augustus Toplady, rejoiced, “O what delights! Who can fathom the joy of the third heaven? The sky is clear. There is no cloud. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.”
- Frances Ridley Havergal said, “Beautiful! Too good to be true. Splendid to be so near the gate of Heaven. So beautiful to go.”
- John Wesley said, “Best of all, God is with us! Farewell.”
- Catherine Booth said as she died, “The waters are rising, but so am I. I’m not going under – I’m going up!”
Yes, dying words reveal what was true in life. If this is the case with natural men, it is especially true of the God Man. The Lord Jesus Christ, who spoke like no other (John 7:46), whose words were full of grace and truth (John 1:14), showed what true life is as He died.
Here Are Jesus’s Seven Cries from the Cross
Each meditation will spotlight one of the final seven sayings of Christ from the cross. Everything you need to know about our Lord is revealed in those last words…
- “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Here is the mercy of Jesus.
- “Woman, behold thy Son. Behold thy mother” (John 19:25-27). Here is the compassion of Jesus.
- “I thirst” (John 19:28). Here is the humanity of Jesus.
- “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Here is the power of Jesus.
- “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Here is the holiness of Jesus.
- “It is finished” (John 19:28-30). Here is the obedience of Jesus.
- “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Here is the authority of Jesus.
Jesus died differently because He was the Son of God and the Savior of the world! Only He can make the difference in the way we die. His dying words give us living truth.
As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday (and every Sunday!), contemplate the work and words of the Cross. I hope you will come to love Christ more deeply. Read the Scriptures. Watch the videos. Listen for the voice of Jesus’s Cries from the Cross. And ponder how each of our Lord’s dying words apply to your life.
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