Good Friday: The Last Seven Words of Jesus

The seven last words of Jesus from the cross aren't just historical statements—they're profound revelations of divine love that continue to transform lives today. 
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Even while hanging in agony, Jesus prioritized mercy, establishing the radical standard of forgiveness that defines authentic Christianity. This forgiveness wasn't dependent on the worthiness of his tormentors but flowed from the abundance of divine love. When we struggle to forgive those who've wronged us, these words remind us that forgiveness isn't optional—it's the heartbeat of our faith.

The criminal who found paradise in his final moments teaches us that salvation remains available regardless of our past. Jesus's promise, "Today you will be with me in paradise," dissolves the myth that some people are beyond redemption. His care for his mother from the cross reminds us that Christianity flourishes in community, not isolation. When he cried, "My God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus experienced the ultimate separation so we would never have to, giving sacred dignity to our moments of spiritual darkness.

His declarations "I thirst" and "It is finished" remind us that Christ fully experienced human suffering while completing everything necessary for our salvation. Nothing needs to be added to his perfect sacrifice. And in his final breath—"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit"—Jesus modeled the peaceful surrender that comes from absolute trust in God's goodness.

What makes this Friday "good" isn't the suffering but the love behind it. These seven statements continue to echo across centuries, offering forgiveness to the guilty, hope to the desperate, and community to the isolated. As you reflect on these powerful words today, remember that Sunday is coming—death doesn't get the final word when Jesus is in the story.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome and thanks for tuning in.
To Real People, real Talk,relevant conversations that take
you from surviving to thriving.
This is the podcast that goesthere.
My name is Paul Calcoat and I'myour host.
Now let's talk.
Well, happy Good Friday.

(00:31):
Today we reflect on the profoundsacrifice of our Lord and
Savior, jesus Christ.
As we remember his last momentsup there on that cross, we turn
our attention to the last sevensayings of Jesus Christ.
Each are rich with profoundmeaning and deeply impactful I

(00:53):
must say so myself.
These final words.
It really capture the heart ofJesus's ministry, his love for
humanity and the incredibleprice that he paid for your
redemption and mine.
In these sayings we encounteronce again the heart of our Lord
and Savior, jesus Christ hiscompassion, his anguish, the

(01:17):
fulfillment of prophecy and hisultimate victory over sin and
death.
Now to saying.
Number one is found in Luke,chapter 23, verse 34.
Father, forgive them, for theyknow not what they do.
This is a very profoundexpression of Jesus's mercy.

(01:38):
While he was up there hangingon that cross, surrounded by
those that mocked him,surrounded by those that
tortured him, he still chose topray for their forgiveness.
This final saying.
It reveals the depths ofJesus's love and the nature of

(01:59):
his divine forgiveness.
That's good In this moment.
That's good In this moment.
Jesus embodies the essence ofmercy, literally praying for
those that inflicted pain on him.
This is a profound act that notonly should encourage us, amen,

(02:22):
but it should challenge us aswell.
It should challenge us toconsider our own hearts.
Uh-oh, getting your businesshere.
Are we willing to forgive thosethat hurt us?
Jesus teaches us in matthew,chapter 6, for if you forgive
others, their trespasses, yourheavenly father will also
forgive you.
But if you do not forgiveothers, their trespasses,
neither will your father forgiveyour trespasses.

(02:43):
Forgiveness is a very powerfulact.
It's an act that reflects God'sgrace in our lives.
It's not based on theworthiness of the offender, it's
not based on the worthiness ofthe one that hurt you, but it's
based on the overflow of God'slove in our hearts.
As we reflect on saying numberone, which is father, forgive

(03:06):
them, for they know not whatthey do.
Let us commit to cultivate aspirit of forgiveness so we can
extend grace to those that wrongus, just as Jesus extended
grace to you, and I, amen.
Moving on to saying number two,luke, chapter 23, verse 43.
Truly, I say to you today, youwould be with me in paradise.

(03:28):
This second Sam is directed atthe repentant criminal hanging
beside Jesus.
In this moment of humility, inthis moment of faith, this
criminal acknowledges his guiltand turns to jesus, thus seeking
salvation.
And jesus response was truly Isay to you today you will be

(03:49):
with me in paradise.
This response, this finalsaying, offers profound hope.
It's a promise that illustratesthe boundless grace of our god.
No matter your past, no matteryour sin, is never too late to
turn to Jesus.
This criminal, who led a lifeof sin, found redemption in his

(04:13):
final moments.
This assures us, this remindsus that salvation is available
to all those that seek him evenin the last moments, to all
those that seek him even in thelast moments.
But hear the word of the lordtoday you don't have to wait to
your last moment.
You can call on jesus today.
The bible tells us in john 3, 16.

(04:34):
For god so loved the world.
Right there we see world, youcan put your name in there to
effect.
For god, so love you.
But let me read it from the topagain for god so love the world
.
For god, so love you that hegave his only son that whoever
believes in him should notperish but have eternal life.
What a love jesus's promise tothe criminal.

(04:57):
It illustrates and demonstratesthe immediacy of god's grace.
I feel like right here, themoment that we place our faith
in Christ, we are welcome intohis presence, we are welcomed
into the family of God and weare instantly bestowed salvation
, mercy, grace, forgiveness andso much more.

(05:21):
This saying also challenges usto share the hope of salvation
with others.
We never know when someone maybe on the brink of turning to
Christ.
We must always be sensitive tothe leading, the guiding and the
prompting of the Holy Spirit,because our witness can play a
crucial role in leading someoneto Christ.

(05:44):
So let us be bold in sharingour faith, knowing that God's
grace is sufficient for all, andthat word all means all.
Maybe, when you think of asinner and you may think of an
ungodly person or a moral personthat may never come to the Lord
, you may have a picture of aperson in your mind saying man,
I tried so many times.
I want to encourage you not togive up.

(06:06):
Keep being a light, keep lovingon them, keep talking about the
Lord, because you never knowwhen the gospel is going to
penetrate their hearts.
Moving on to saying number three.
That's found in John, chapter19.
And when Jesus saw his motherand the disciple whom he loved
standing nearby, he said to hismother woman, behold your son.

(06:29):
And then he said to thedisciple behold your mother.
And from that hour the discipletook her to his home.
He was saying what does thatmean?
And I'll tell you.
In this third saying, jesus isaddressing his mother, mary, and
the disciple John.
Jesus shows his deep concernfor his mother's well-being and

(06:54):
trusting her care.
To jump this moment.
As we take a closer look, itreally underscores the
importance of family andcommunity.
Jesus, in his suffering, modelsfor us at Galatia, galatians,
chapter six bear one anotherburdens and so fulfill the law

(07:19):
of Christ.
As Jesus entrusts Mary to John,he emphasizes the significance
of relationships in our lives.
We are not meant to walk thisjourney alone.
Christianity is not a solosport.
It is a team sport, if you will.
We are called to support oneanother, especially in times of

(07:41):
trial and sorrow.
The New Testament is full ofthe one another.
Scriptures Pray for one another, bear the burden of one another
, and so many more.
Furthermore, this saying itchallenges us to reflect on our
own relationships.
Are we attentive to the needsof those around us, not just

(08:04):
your household, but those in thehousehold of faith.
So in times of struggle, we arecalled to uplift each other,
just as Jesus did with hismother, mary and John.
Saying number four can be foundin Matthew, chapter 27, verse 46
.
My God, my God, why have youforsaken me?

(08:24):
This fourth saying is a deepcry of anguish.
Jesus is quoting Psalms 22 andexpressing the profound sense of
abandonment as he feels andbears the weight of humanity's
sin.
I want you to let that sink in.
Jesus is all along on the cross, bearing your sin and my sin,

(08:49):
the weight of humanity's sin.
In this moment, jesusexperiences something that he's
never experienced beforeseparation from God that sin
brings.
His cry reveals the depth ofhis suffering, the depth of his
pain, reminding us that Jesuscan fully identify with our pain

(09:11):
and with our loneliness.
The Bible declares in Hebrews4.15,.
We do not have a high priestwho is unable to sympathize with
our weaknesses.
This encourages us to bring ourown cries of anguish and
despair to God.
In our times of distress, inthose times that we may feel

(09:31):
abandoned, we can find solace inknowing that Jesus literally
understands all of our strugglesand all of our pain.
He walks with us in those darkmoments, amen.
He is right there by our side,in everything that we may be
going through, offering us lightand love and comfort and hope.

(09:51):
So I don't know about you today, but today is definitely a good
Friday because of Jesus.
Furthermore, this cry from thecross teaches us that it's okay
to express our feelings ofabandonment and despair.
God is big enough to handle it.
He's big enough to handle ourhonest feelings and emotions,

(10:13):
and he desires honesty in ourrelationship with him.
So we can bring our doubts, wecan bring our fears, we can
bring our agonies.
We could take it all to god inprayer, trusting that he hears,
trusting that he cares for us.
Oh so greatly.
In his fifth saying, jesussimply states two powerful yet

(10:34):
profound words I thirst.
This statement reflects boththe physical suffering and the
fulfillment of prophecy.
It was foretold in Psalm 69, 21that he would be given vinegar
to drink and in this moment, andin this moment, jesus fulfills
the prophecy.

(10:55):
However, I thirst also speaksto a deeper spiritual longing.
It's in the book of John,chapter seven to be exact, that
Jesus invites those that arethirsty to come to him and drink
, promising that whoeverbelieves in him will never
thirst again, using him willnever thirst again.

(11:18):
This moment, this saying, shouldchallenge us to reflect on our
own thirst for the Lord.
Are we seeking to satisfy ourspiritual hunger in him?
Let's be honest here, becauseGod already knows.
In this world, in this life, inthis culture, it is filled with
so many distractions, so manyfalse promises.
Yet Jesus offers the only truesource of fulfillment and

(11:43):
satisfaction.
Let us remember that our thirstfor meaning, our thirst for
purpose, can only be filled, canonly be satisfied in Jesus.
So, as we encounter thestruggles of life, we are
invited to come to Jesus, who isa living water and he quenches
every thirst and he quenches ourdeepest longings.

(12:05):
This is a reminder that in ourspiritual thirst, in every
thirst, we must turn to Christfor sustenance.
And the sixth sin found in John,chapter 19, verse 30 is this it
is finished.
This is a powerful declarationof completion and victory.

(12:28):
With these three short butpowerful words, jesus announces
to eternity, past, present andfuture.
He announces to all that he hasaccomplished the work of
redemption.
His sacrifice on the cross paidthe penalty for our sins once
and for all.
In this moment we see theculmination of God's plan for

(12:51):
salvation.
Listen to this Colossians,chapter 2, verse 13 through 14.
And you who were dead in yourtrespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh,god made alive together with him
, having forgiven us all of ourtrespasses by counseling the
record of debt that stoodagainst us with this legal

(13:12):
demands, this, he set aside,nailing it to the cross.
Amen and amen again to the wordof the Lord.
Jesus's declaration reassuresus that our sins are forgiven
and that we can have a restoredrelationship with God, the
Father.
This is the heart of the gospel, the good news, the best news

(13:35):
that we are no longer bound byour sin, but we are free through
Christ.
Oh yes, this is a good Friday.
I don't have to die in my sinand you don't have to be bounded
by sin because we have been setfree by the lamb of God.
I repeat this, indeed, is agood Friday, so let us celebrate

(13:57):
the victory of the cross.
The enemy has been defeated.
Let me say that one more timethe enemy has been defeated and
you already have the victory.
You just got to walk it out.
The Bible says but thanks be toGod, who always give us a
victory through our Lord andJesus Christ and another
scripture.
He always calls us to triumphin Jesus.

(14:20):
We have the victory.
It is finished.
So listen to this, my friend.
We are called to share themessage of hope with the world,
proclaiming that through Christthere is redemption and new life
.
In these words it is finished.
We find assurance that oursalvation is complete and that

(14:44):
we need not add anything to whatChrist has accomplished on our
behalf.
This declaration invites us tolive in the freedom of his grace
, because it indeed is finished,of his grace, because it indeed

(15:04):
is finished.
In his seventh and final saying,jesus expresses complete trust
in the father by saying father,into your hands I commit my
spirit.
This statement.
It reflects jesus's obedienceand surrender to god's will.
By, by quoting Psalms 31 5,jesus demonstrated that his
death is not a defeat but afaithful return to the father.

(15:26):
His last words serve as a modelfor us and how we should live
our lives, trusting God even inthe face of death.
In 1 Peter 2 23, we learnedthat he was reviled.
Yet he did not revile in return, and when he suffered, he did
not threaten but continuedentrusting himself to him who

(15:46):
judges justly.
This is a powerful and profoundreminder for us that we are to
entrust our lives into the handsof the Father in all times, and
especially in difficult timesas we face the uncertainties and
the challenges of life.
We can find peace in knowingthat we are safe in God's

(16:09):
embrace.
We can commit our worries, ourfears and our very lives to him,
trusting that he is in control.
Lives to him, trusting that heis in control.
This final statement encouragesus to live in a posture of
surrender, recognizing that ourlives are not our own but belong

(16:30):
to the one that created us.
So, on this Good Friday, it's atime for reflection how Jesus
was on the cross, and it wasn'tlike that for the disciples.
It's, more so, a time of a fear, uncertainty, but we have the
benefit of being on this side ofthe cross.
It's a Good Friday becauseSunday is coming.
So, on this Good Friday, as wereflect on the seven last

(16:53):
sayings of Jesus, we are onceagain reminded of the depth of
his love and sacrifice.
Each of these sayings, theyreveal his heart, offering
forgiveness and hope andcompassion, and it's a call to
trust in him.
So may these seven sayingsremind you of what Jesus did for
you over 2,000 years ago on thecross called Calvary.

(17:16):
So happy Friday, my friend.
But guess what?
Sunday is indeed coming.