One of the many activities that I forgot to mention during Good Friday was that of “The Seven Last Words” uttered by Jesus at The Crucifixion. It’s a result of a combination of the four gospels of John, Mark, Matthew, and Luke, and when put into order they all yield the 7 last words just before Jesus Christ died on the cross.

In The Philippines, these are reenacted in many elaborate staged activities that go on all through out the nation, one of the more famous of these happen to be “The Pagtaltal” in which many locals and tourists observe as well as local media.

The Seven Last Words

Here are the 7 last words in sequence:

1. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)
2. Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43)
3. Woman, behold your son: behold your mother (John 19:26 f.)
4. Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani? (”My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”, Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34)
5. I thirst (John 19:28)
6. It is finished (John 19:30)
7. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46)

The 7 Words Explained

First: These words are uttered by Jesus as he forgives the Roman Soldiers, and all who had a hand in the crucifixion.

Second: Jesus is crucified between two thieves, one of the thieves ridicules Jesus, while the other asks that Jesus remembers him when Jesus arrives in His kingdom, and Jesus replies accordingly with the words

Third: Jesus sees His mother and his beloved disciple. He says to his mother, “behold your son”. And he says to his disciple, “behold your mother”. This is basically Jesus entrusting the care of His mother to His Disciple.

Fourth: I think these words are often the ones that make a good conversation around the dinner table. The explanation that is made is that these words are actually part of an old testament prayer in Psalm 21, and that Jesus is praying as well as announcing the nearing of the fulfillment of the scriptures.

Fifth: The words I thirst was explained to me in the context of the human nature of Jesus, as well as part of a fulfillment scripture. The drink given to Jesus is “sour wine” soaked in a sponge.

Sixth: The sixth is an announcement that Jesus’ passion is finished.

Seventh Jesus gives himself to The Father and he dies.

Closing Thoughts

The seven words is definitely one of the highlights during the Holy Week, it is in these words that the death of Jesus Christ is fully understood, we get to know Jesus even more through these words, and in Jesus’ experience it seems as though he goes through it as a sense of duty and love, which in studying the Bible, you realize that this is what he was meant to do.