the seven words of our lord on the cross

Seven pronouncements were made by Our Lord in His
passion on the Cross. They were a lifeblood for us all.
At very few instances did He talk during His trial or while
being tortured and reviled. He forfeited His own right, and
conceded His self-respect. "Love does not seek its own"
(1 Cor. 13:5).
But while on the Cross, He spoke out, when it behooved Him
to speak. He spoke out for our sake, our benefit and salvation.
Each word had its own impact. We are going to discuss these
points in depth later on, but for now we have these comments
to make regarding His pronouncements in general:
We recognise in Christ's words on the Cross the property
of giving.. we are apt to wonder that while He was on the
Cross, in a state of batteredness and submission, He was a
giver..He gave forgiveness to His persecutors, gave Paradise to
the thief on His right side, gave His Blessed Mother a spiritual
Son and provided her with care and attention. He gave beloved
John the blessedness of accommodating Mary in his house, and
gave the Father the price of the Divine Justice as ordained, He
gave humanity atonement and redemption, and gave us also
security that the act of salvation has been accomplished. In
short, He has given everybody his due while no one gave Him
anything. He offered all that to humanity though humanity
offered Him nothing in return except gall and vinegar...
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The first and last of Christ's seven pronouncements were
addressed to the Father: His First Statement was addressed to
the Father: "Father, forgive them"( Luke 23: 34).
His Last Statement was addressed to the Father: "Father, into
Your hands I commit My spirit" (Luke. 23: 46).
And between the First and the Last, two other statements
were also addressed to the Father: "My God, why have You
forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46) The other: "It is finished " (John
19:30) Though this Last pronouncement could be only a
general statement, it is still a message to the Father: "I have
finished the work which You have given Me to do" (John 17:4)Thus the greater part or about half of Christ's words were
addressed to the Father. They were also words of assurance to
humanity.
We, also, note that He addressed the Father in two ways:"Father" and "My God ". By the word "Father" He contested
those who challenged Him, saying: "If You are the Son of God,
come down from the Cross." (Matt. 27. 40) He offered evidence
that He is the Son of God.
However, He did not descend from the Cross, but made the
Cross ascend to Heaven!
By the word "Father" He established His divinity and by
that of "God" He established His humanity. By both words
He declared His being the incarnated God, who "Was
manifested in the flesh ". (1 Tim. 3:16). By the word "Father"
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He refuted the heresy of Arius in the fourth century who denied
Christ's divine nature and by the term "My God", He refuted the
heresy of Eutyches in the fifth century who denied Christ's
human nature. By the first He was speaking as the Son of God;
by the second as the Son of Man, or the representative of
humanity...
On the Cross He did not only address the Father but He
also addressed humanity... the saints exemplified by the holy
Virgin and John the Apostle, and also the penitent sinners
represented by the thief on His right side.
His were words of blessedness and grace. It was a moment
of salvation, worthy of all bliss... Thus, He spoke the words of
forgiveness, redemption and everlasting life. He spoke the
words of endowment and grace. On the Cross He did not
condemn anybody, He did not punish a single person, in spite of
all His afflictions: He did not come to destroy but to save the
world.
Christ's words on the Cross follow a certain order, the
wisdom of which cannot be mistaken... Others first,
Himself, second. His being is for the benefit of others. He
started by asking forgiveness for humanity, for His holy blood
commenced to have its impact as an instrument of redemption
while on the Cross, and with the advent of redemption came the
second word proclaiming the opening of Paradise. For as the
price of redemption has been paid off by blood, accessibility to
Paradise must take effect...
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We also notice that the Lord Jesus Christ mentioned His
enemies before He mentioned His friends. His first words
referred to His persecutors, the malefactor, then to Virgin Mary
and St. John...
When He spoke with God the Father He first addressed Him
as the Father, then as God.. First, as "The only begotten Son,
who is in the bosom of the Father" (John 1:18); Second, as the
Son of Man born since the fullness of time..
His first Three Words pertained to the act of forgiveness
and providence, while His last four words came as a
declaration that the act of redemption was fulfilled.
His words, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"denote that the Father has forsaken Him in order for Him to pay
the price of redemption and also point to His emotional agony
in sustaining God's wrath for the transgressions of man.
His words, "I thirst" (John 19:28) point to the physical
torment that He sustained for humanity's sake. Both
pronouncements mean that He was paying the price. The
words, "It is finished" is an implicit assurance to man that the
price has been paid off. The clause saying, "Into Your hands I
commend My spirit" signifies that death is the wages of sin, and
through death redemption was accomplished... Thus, the last
four phrases were an assurance to humanity concerning
redemption...
There is also a cry of joy and triumph in the last two
phrases... As God has declared His agony by which redemption
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was accomplished, He announced His joy for the
accomplishment of redemption.
The phrase, "It is finished" (John 19:30) signifies that
everything conductive to final redemption has been fulfilled.
God found joy in accomplishment of the act He planned, and
did not allow anything to hinder it. This also applies to His
pronouncement, "Into Your hands I commend My spirit. "(Luke
23:46) With these two last statements He declared the defeat of
the devil. The battle was over; by death, God put an end to the
power of death... and there came the cry of triumph and joy.
The foregoing statements amply teach us that the Lord
Jesus Christ, while on the Cross, was working for us... Not
only was He achieving our redemption, but He was continuing
His role as a benefactor and teacher. He kept on making
important revelations concerning salvation...
In His first words He demonstrated practically how to
tolerate, forgive and love our enemies...
In His last words, "Into Your hands I commend My
spirit"(Luke 23:46) He revealed to us that the soul is immortal,
that the righteous spirit ascends to God after death.
In His Third Statement, He taught us about true love and
care, and He taught us how to execute truly and practically the
fifth commandment by honouring His mother...
How many are the insights and observations that we can
deduce from these seven pronouncements. How significant
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is the number seven, too. Let us delve into each and every
one of them trying to grasp their meaning fully.
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The First Word
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do ".
(Luke 23:34).
Our benevolent Lord Jesus Christ, in His deepest agony
on the Cross, was not thinking about Himself, but was
preoccupied by the interests of others. He was not thinking
about His sufferings, His pain, His exhaustion or His wounds.
He paid no heed to the painful gashes of the scourges on His
back; he paid no heed to nails piercing His hands and feet, nor
to the crown of thorns that pierced His head, neither did He
care about His battered and exhausted body.. All that He
ignored because His sole concern was His love for mankind.
The first thought to cross His mind was to save His adversaries
and persecutors... Thus, His First Words on the Cross were:
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do"
(Luke 23:34).
The Lord cared for His enemies first before He cared for
His friends or Himself... He offered forgiveness to His
persecutors first, then forgave the malefactor who reviled Him
at the beginning, but believed in Him later. Then, He directed
His attention to His mother. After all that, He began to speak about
Himself:
"Father, forgive them....",(Luke 23:34) words He pronounced
while undergoing the utmost physical pain... Truly, He was at
the peak of torment and affliction at the hands of those for
whom He was asking forgiveness! But His love for them was
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greater than their hostility towards Him; their hostility that was
indescribably atrocious and wicked...
In spite of all that, He did not only pray that they might
be forgiven but He gave them an excuse! Those , who would
not have dared to even think about exonerating themselves;
those who cried out loudly: "His blood be on us and on our
children " (Matt. 27: 25). The One who was scourged and
crucified by them was the one to excuse them. He said: "For
they do not know what they do"(Luke 23:34). How wonderful
is the Lord in His exhaustive love. He did not hasten to
condemn them; He did not seek revenge, or even take to
resignation and negatives. His love for them was positive; He
sought forgiveness for them. He exonerated them; He defended
their cause in the presence of the heavenly Father, declaring that
their sin was only one of ignorance...
But, in our judgement as human beings, we consider them
perpetrators of a chain of atrocious criminal acts. Among the
ranks of the religious authorities or priesthood, there was
covetousness, jealousy, enmity, slander and double-crossing. On
the part of the ungrateful public, there were accounts of
reckless wrongful rejection. As for the military and the priests'
servants, they committed atrocities, calamities, cursing and
assaults. Pontius Pilate showed cowardice, injustice and
indifference. Above all, it was a crime of homicide, torture and
fabricating false evidence. But the condemned in His loving-
kindness did only consider it an offence committed in ignorance,
"For they do not know what they do.. "!(Luke 23:34) How
wonderful is the loving-kindness of the crucified Lord .. the
immenseness of His kindness is hard to grasp...
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The Lord Christ in His forgiveness for His persecutors
has put into practice, beyond doubt, one of His teachings.
He has said before: " Love your enemies, bless those who
curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those
who spitefully use you and persecute you, " (Matt. 5:44) In this
case He was performing exactly that what He had previously
commanded humanity to do. The Lord did not give to others
Commandments that He did not observe. He put into practice
His teaching: "Love your enemies' ;(Matt 5:44); and He
accomplished that with such a wonderful idealism and
faithfulness. He forgave His persecutors and offenders...
Blessed Brethren, what do you think of this verse:
"Father, forgive them "? If you recall these words on the
Good Friday or at any time and say: "I will also do as you did
my Lord for all those who harassed and hated me, who
persecuted and mistreated me. I ask You to forgive them for
they do not know what they do". In this way, you partake with
Christ His work of benevolence and love.
What good is it for you if Christ has forgiven His enemies
while you still hate your own or do not pardon them? What
benefit do you gain? In other words, you take no part with
Christ in His benevolence; you do not partake in His work and
you do not follow His path...
Know then that Christ forgave us, so that we may forgive
others, and enjoy the bliss of forgiveness.. as it is rendered
unto us, and rendered by us.
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Whenever, we remember the offences of others, we should
also say truly and faithfully: "Forgive them, for they do not
know what they do ".(Luke 23:34) However, when we say so,
we are actually in a different position than that of the Lord
Jesus Christ. What He says is:
"Father, forgive them, for I have paid off the wages of
their sin, and they stand in no debt. I have satisfied the divine
justice; I repaid all their debts, now forgive them. Here I am
dying on behalf of those who crucified Me and on behalf of
those who loved Me. When I say, "Forgive them ". I do not
mean only those, but all those who seek refuge in My blood: All
penitent sinners from the day of Adam to eternity. Forgive
them, as "For this purpose I came to this hour" (John 12:27).
One of those to whom this verse did apply, "For they do
not know what they do"was St. Longinus, the soldier who
pierced Christ with a spear... Our Church commemorates him
on two days: on the 23rd of the Coptic month Abib and the 5th
of the month Hatoor... He pierced Christ with a spear, not
knowing what he was doing. Thus, the Lord forgave him, and
also, converted him. St. Longinus believed and preached in
Cappadocia and gained the crown of martyrdom at the hands of
Caesar Tiberius. The Lord revealed his blessedness through
many miracles that took place following his death.
The verse: "For they do not know what they do' ;(Luke
23:34) also applies to another Saint. He was a wild beast
who fought the Christians fiercely, tormented and killed
them... He was the right hand to Emperor Diocletian who
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helped him greatly in torturing the Christians. He was
incomparably fierce and awful...
To him was dispatched any Christian whom the Roman
magistrates would fail to torture fully. There he would be
subjected to new ingenious unmerciful torture techniques.
This man was St. Arianus the magistrate of the city of
Ansena (Now called El Sheik Ubada, in the Province of
Mallawi, E1 Menia, Egypt). He put to death many thousands of
Christians, with the utmost atrocity and ferocity. Knowing not
what he was doing, he continued in his persecutions until he
believed in Christ and died a martyr on the 8th of the Coptic
month Baramhat at the hands of the Roman Emperor
Diocletian. His name was recorded in the Church's Chronicle
(Sanexsarium), and the Church came to commemorate him as
one of its great saintly fathers...
Saul of Tarsus was, also, one of those, "Who knew not
what they do"... He made havoc of the church, entering into
every house and having men and women committed to prison
(Acts 8:3). He took part in the persecution of St. Stephen the
archdeacon and the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:58), he was a
monstrous and dreadful person... However, he did not know
what he was doing until the Lord revealed Himself to him on
the road to Damascus and found him a Chosen Vessel. So, Saul
believed and was baptised; he became Paul the Apostle who
preached the name of Christ. He suffered more than any other
Apostle, was persecuted and tormented severely and died as a
martyr at the hands of Emperor Nero. He became one of the
great pillars of Christianity and one of its illuminated high
towers... What would have become of St. Paul, if the Lord
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Jesus Christ had not kindly said: "Father, forgive them for they
do not know what they do. "
"Father, forgive them... " I do not wish to take revenge; I do
not want to return evil for evil. Some of them crucified me, yet,
"I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive
you to Myself: that where I am, there you may be also. " (John
14:3).
"Father, Forgive them ", when He said this, He did not mean
to forgive all His persecutors without exception. For nobody
could be endowed with forgiveness unless he fulfils two
essential conditions: Faith and Penitence. Without Faith and
Penitence nobody can attain salvation or forgiveness.
Father, forgive those who do believe and repent.
The Scripture says: "For God so loved the world, that He
gave His Only Begotten Son "... He loved the whole world and
gave His Son for the whole world.. but did the whole world
attain salvation? .No, only those who believe in him as the rest
of the verse says, "That whosoever believes in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life". (John 3:16). This concerns
the requirement of faith; as for the requirement of penitence, the
Lord says: "I tell you, No; but, unless you repent you will a11
likewise perish ". (Luke 13:3).
Thus, this demand, "Forgive them", would not apply to
the Jews at the present time, as they still believe in Judaism
and are persistent in their denial of the Lord Jesus Christ and
the virginity of the Blessed Virgin. They still maintain that Jesus
Christ, who was born in Nazareth in 1979 was a deviant and
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made others go astray. So, their forefathers deservedly
condemned him to death. Thus their acquiescence to what their
ancestors did make them partakers in the same crime and they
will have to stand trial.
But, if they do repent and believe and become Christians, the
Lord will forgive them and they would not be called Jews any
longer.
The Lord Jesus Christ brought salvation to the whole world,
but none will enjoy this salvation except the penitent and the
believers who follow His paths, led by the Holy Spirit working
in His sacraments.
Father, forgive those penitent believers. To those who
persistently and blindly deny, The Lord Jesus Christ said
"And where I am, you cannot come" (John 7:34). Again, He
told them: "And you will seek Me, and will die in your sins..
For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your
sins. " (John 8:2I, 24) Three times in the Eighth chapter of the
gospel of St. John the Lord Jesus Christ tells them, "For if you
believe not that I am He, you shall die in your sins ".
As for those in whom He has even the slightest hope, and in
as many times as they maltreat, persecute and spurn Him, He
will still lovingly reiterate His kind supplication to the Father:
"Forgive them for they do not know what they do ".
The Samaritans are among those who refused to receive
Him and denied Him admission to their country. His
disciples James and John were zealous and asked Him to
command a fire to come down from Heaven, and consume
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them. But He rebuked His disciples, saying: "You do not
know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did
not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them " (Luke 9: 52-
56). This was what He told His disciples, but undoubtedly, to
God He said: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what
they do. " Thus He treated them with patience and tolerance
until they came to know, love and believe in Him, "Now we
believe, not because of what you said: for we ourselves have
heard Him, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour
of the World. " (John 4:42).
"Father, forgive them. " These words embody the ultimate
love and the ultimate forgiveness. In order to grasp their full
significance, apply them to your situation...
You may forgive a person who just gave you a difficult time.
But imagine a person that would charge you falsely, convict you
unjustly, instigate both the people and the authorities against
you, mock and insult you, then go about scourging you and
hanging you, forcing nails into your hands and feet... Regardless
of all that and while at the peak of your agony and torment, you
would forgive him, pray for him and even champion his cause...
That attitude requires some sort of love, which is supernatural
and totally unheard of...
Many were those who had been converted to Christianity
only because of this verse: "Father, forgive them for this
cause I came to this hour. " This is My sole consolation and
only joy. The reward of all My torment on the Cross, a
compensation for all My abuse, insult, bitterness and
deprivation...
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In other words, these people are overpowered by their sins,
overcome by their bondage to the Devil, the weakness of their
will and their ignorance; I feel compassion upon them forgetting
what they do against me, for "Love does not seek its own. " My
only desire is to let You know that they need Your forgiveness.
Forgive them for that will surely gladden Me, and if that is
granted, My mission is considered accomplished and My
purpose realised...
Indeed, why was Christ incarnated? Was it not because He
wanted the Lord to forgive these people? Why did He take "The
form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of man" (Phil 2:
7)? Was it not because He wanted them to be forgiven? Why
did He bear our sins? Why was He condemned to death on the
Cross? That was all for one purpose; to give us forgiveness...
This phrase "Forgive them" was all for announcing the
era of forgiveness and that is not a promised forgiveness,
but a paid for forgiveness. It is a declaration that the Divine
Justice was satisfied that the penalty has been paid in full.
It is a deed - a document entitling the purchaser to the
merchandise he paid for. He purchased us with His own
blood, and the only thing left for Him to do is to take us, to
carry us with Him to Paradise that we may enjoy eternal
life with Him, and where He is we also will be... It seems as
though He was telling the Lord, "What are You asking
these people for?" What sort of claim do You have against
them? Isn't it that You want to inflict death upon them as a
penalty for their sins? Here I am dying in their place. I am
paying You off what they owe You. Relieve them of this
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verdict! You are being paid in full - shortly after, I will
announce to You that "It is finished "...
With the words "Forgive them" the Lord Jesus Christ
declares His triumph over the Devil. All the Devil had strived
for was to alienate people from God: to preclude their
redemption, to block their path to salvation. But our Lord who
was wounded for our transgressions, did open that path,
sanctifying the tent with His gushing blood.
His love overcame man's hatred; His meekness triumphed
over Satan's vanity...
The people were telling Him: "If You are the Son of God,
come down from the cross", and He by saying "Father"declared that He was the Son. But in spite of being the Son, He
would remain on the cross so that He might be able to offer
forgiveness to them. If He had come down from the Cross, He
would not have been able to say: "Forgive them ". Only then,
the sacrificial love was able to work for giving forgiveness.
"Forgive them" is the supplication that all who had died in
hope wished to hear since the beginning of all creation. If the
Lord Jesus Christ cherished so much love and forgiveness for
His persecutors and antagonists, how much more would be the
love and forgiveness He afford His friends and followers!, how
thorough would be His forgiveness and how great the reward
He would give to them!
The soldiers guarding the Cross were struck by such a
pronouncement. The thief on His right was also astounded by
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these words. To this thief the Lord made the Second
Pronouncement: "Today you will be with Me in Paradise. "
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The Second Word
"Assuredly I say to you, today you wilt be with Me in
Paradise" (Luke 23:43).
The first person to whom the Lord spoke on the cross,
was that thief... He did not start his life in fear of God, and his
sins led him to the cross. Whilst on the cross, he joined the
other thief in reproving the Lord (Matt. 27:43). But suddenly he
was transformed and began to have faith. He turned from a
reviler to a defender and from a mocker into a man of faith and
prayers.
How did he attain that faith and achieve that revival? In
what way came he to believe in the Lord, not in His glory but in
His torment; while He was being mocked by the people and not
while being sought by the multitudes asking to be healed or
blessed?
Probably the Lord's forgiveness to His persecutors influenced
much that hard-hearted thief, thus God's loving kindness
overpowered that man's ferocity. Perhaps Christ's very features,
His countenance, His kindly look or His deep warm voice did
influence that man! Perhaps the Lord looked at him and his
heart fell due to this look! ... We have no way of knowing.
Or could it be that the thief had an inherent disposition to
penitence, was a rich soil, which had waited for someone to
cultivate it, to pluck its thorns and sow it with suitable seeds; so
it might give a good harvest... This malefactor was able to reach
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the Lord Jesus Christ with the group of the Eleventh Hour or
the Twelfth Hour. He prayed and was responded to as
swiftly as could ever come a response... Many were those
who prayed for long, begged and supplicated with sweat and
tears... But that criminal was able to achieve all he wanted by
one single concise and pointed sentence. That prayer of his was
a source of meditations for many and the whole Church joins
this wonderful thief in reciting this prayer, learning it from him.
That thief was the only person who had a quick response
from the Lord Jesus Christ, while many were those whom
the Lord declined to answer even by a single word...
May I remind you that the Lord Jesus Christ declined to
answer many people throughout the period of His trial, torture
and crucifixion. "He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet
He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He
opened not His mouth" (Is 53: 7). He had only answered
Caiphas the high priest when the latter adjured Him by the
Living God (Matt. 26:63-64). Pilate, the Roman governor was
greatly astonished at His silence (Matt. 27:14). Many were
those who derided Him, but He did not respond, insulted Him
without avail, challenged Him saying: "If You are the Son of
God, come down from the cross. " (Matt. 27.:40), but He never
answered them. The malefactor on His left derided and
challenged Him saying: "If you are the Christ, save yourself
and us" (Luke 23:39), but He did not reply.
However, no sooner had the malefactor on the right side
said: "Remember me when You come to Your Kingdom ", than
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He responded to him saying: "Assuredly, I say to you, today
you will be with Me in Paradise (Luke 23: 42-43).
How wonderful was the Lord's companionship to that
malefactor! He was His companion on the cross and a good
one! Their companionship extended because the Lord was not
only satisfied with his company on the Cross but He decided
that this company would continue also in Paradise! He could
have promised him only this much: "Today you will be in
paradise", but He actually said to him: "You will be with Me",meaning that he will be one of His retinue, and where the Lord
was to be he would be there also. How lucky was this thief! Our
Lord was far from being disgusted with that malefactor, He
discovered in him on the contrary - a virtuous soul; conversed
with him on the Cross, and was delighted to please that
malefactor with a promise and an assurance as to his future
before facing death...
You will be with Me in Paradise, because your heart has
been with Me on earth. For you commended your soul to Me
on the Cross, you had your future entrusted to Me and in as
much as you suffered with Me, you will be glorified with Me
also... You have been crucified and tormented together with
Me, and you will also live with Me.
What a wonderful encounter on the Cross that was!
Many were those who encountered God in churches and
temples, others encountered Him in their closed bedrooms at
times of prayer, but the wonderful thing was to encounter God
on the Cross! Did it ever occur to this thief that if he was to
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repent one day and encounter God that their meeting would be
in that place!
Truly, "The Kingdom of God does not come with
observation " (Luke 17:20). We have no way to know when
and how the Divine Grace acts within a person.
Truly, "The wind blows where it wishes" (John 3:8) This
malefactor led a life of wrongfulness and sin, and being as sinful
as ever while on the Cross, joined his companion in deriding the
Lord... Was he denied then the Divine Grace, or was he
forgotten by the Lord forever? .. On the contrary the Lord's
grace was awaiting the right time to act on him. Then came the
time of redemption and salvation while he was only a few paces
from death...
We have no way of knowing who will be chosen. Who
thought that this malefactor would be chosen! Who thought
that within only one hour this person would achieve what took
others tens of years of arduous striving to accomplish? We only
go by appearances; We disdain some and pity others, whilst any
of those may be far better than ourselves. However, we admit
truly that this malefactor entered Paradise deservedly.
He was wonderful, amazingly wonderful in all that he
did...
He acknowledged Jesus Christ as the Lord when he said:
"Lord, remember me. "
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He acknowledged Him as king by saying: "When You come
to Your Kingdom... "
He acknowledged Him as Saviour capable of conveying him
to Paradise.
While on the cross, this malefactor confessed his personal
sins and admitted that he deserved death. He rebuked the other
malefactor saying: "And we indeed justly: for we receive the
due reward of our deeds. "
He reproached his companion for his abuse of the Lord
Jesus Christ, saying: "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are
under the same condemnation... but this man has done nothing
wrong. " (Luke 23:40-41). Thus, he admitted that Christ was
righteous and free from sin. Consequently, His crucifixion was
not due to a sin of His own, which means that He was crucified
for sins perpetrated by others.
It is really amazing that among all these multitudes, the
only person who defended the Lord Jesus Christ was that
malefactor! None among the twelve disciples did defend Him,
none among the seventy apostles, none among those who were
healed by Him, or those whose demons He exorcised... Nobody
at all did defend Him... He had to stand trial alone. Now the
only person who defended His cause and would not allow one
word of abuse to be directed to Him was the malefactor on His
right side! Could any of the disciples or the believers have
imagined that the only person to champion the Lord's cause
would be a thief! Truly the Lord Said: "Take heed that you do
not despise one of these little ones" (Matt. 18:10).
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Brother, do not ever think vainly of your worthiness or
that you are better than such persons. Never think that you
are equal to any of the apostles or the close followers of the
Lord. All of those stood aloof and came not to the defense of
Christ. The only defender was the thief: a person least expected
to that, and totally unknown...
A really wonderful thing about this malefactor is that
besides his defense of Christ, he was all preoccupied with his
eternal life. He was all anxious to prepare himself for the
Hereafter. He was, like Christ, not very much concerned about
his physical pain, but really worried about his eternal life. Thus,
in all penitence and supplication, he said: "Lord, remember
me", Remember me with Your grace and not for my sins. Or as
David said: "Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and
Your loving kindness, For they are from of old. 7 Do not
remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness'
sake, O LORD. " (Ps. 25: 6 & 7).
"Remember me", and remember not to count me among
those of whom you said: "I do not know".. Remember this
companionship, the few hours I spent next to You on the
Cross are the most valuable in my life... They are the
happiest of all. I enjoyed the partnership of Your passions and
can proudly say: "I am crucified with Christ" (Gal 2:20).
For the sake of this companionship; remember me! My
crucifixion with You, side by side was certainly shameful for
you, but it is a source of eternal pride for me. Satisfied will I be
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with these few hours at Your side, but I wish I could make it
only the point of departure for a long lasting friendship.
The words "Remember me" points to the existence of a
prior relationship. It means that I have been already known to
You that I am marked down in Your records: inscribed on Your
palm.
Lord, You were "Numbered with the transgressor" (Is
53:12); crucified with the sinful, but while that is
considered a disgrace to You, it is a source of grace and
bliss for me... How delightful it is to be near You, that
alleviates all my pain. .. on the contrary, I feel no pain but Your
spirit infiltrating all my body, purifying and sanctifying me, and
turning me into a new person. You are like the rays of the sun
that never get polluted by filthy bodies, but rather purify them...
I am really covetous of Your friendship, I wish I had known
you before. So, remember me!
I wish that everyone among us would join this thief in
saying: "Remember me ". Remember that You have a son in a
faraway land, a prodigal servant excluded from Your house.
Remember me in my weakness, in my humiliation, in my
bondage and in my downfall so You might raise me and redeem
my spirit. Remember me because I have nobody to remember
me. "I have no man when the water is stirred up, to put me into
the pool" (John 5:7)..
The story of this thief points to the fact that people's
actions differ at the hour of death. One would say that the
thief just remembered the Lord and was penitent as he was
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bound to do so shortly before his death. On the contrary, the
other malefactor was also facing death but, as the Bible says, he
was deriding Christ, never feared God or was a bit concerned
about his eternal life; all he cared for was to get rid of the cross
(Luke 23:39) to resume his, wasteful life... At that point he was
rebuked by his companion. At the moment of death he was
not at all repentant but went on committing other
transgressions and with the same callousness!.. The thief on
the left side of Christ was also close to Christ as far as physical
distance is concerned, but his mind was so far away from Him;
even at the time of death! The moment of death would not
remind him of penitence, or urge him to take stock, not by any
means...
He was not a bit moved by Christ's forgiveness to His
persecutors; he was not even jealous of the promise attained by
his companion to enter Paradise. He never had faith even after
the earth had shaken, the rocks cracked and darkness reigned
over the area... He was very much heedless of his eternity, even
at the moment of death. He was still in love with the world and
the recapture of the earthly life... He wanted nothing of Christ
or His companionship except to make Him facilitate his coming
down from the cross...
This story carries a very severe lesson to those who
postpone their act of penitence, thinking that they can do
this at the closing days of their earthly life though nobody
knows when! Many will be those who will act like the thief of
the left side; cursing, rebelling and wanting to continue with
their life! He who has been pinned to a habit will find it hard to
renounce his habit even if spikes were driven into his flesh and
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he was about to give up the ghost! If man is not responding to
God's grace, yielding to God's providence he could sin even at
the moment of his death.
Many are those who break into tears at the approaching
moment of death, not because they want penitence, but
because death will deprive them from their worldly
passions! They cry because death will sever them from their
beloved and their desires. The world is still delightful to them
even at the moment of death. Do not assume that death
necessarily brings man to submission! That might apply to some
but not to all. The thief on the right did take advantage of the
moment of death while the other did not. When the thief of the
left was still deriding and rebuking the Lord, his companion
went on supplicating in these words: "Remember me when You
come to Your Kingdom ".
The Lord did not disregard the penitent thief. He did not
even hesitate in responding to his prayer. The answer came
faster than the thief could have ever imagined. He did not, at the
imminent moment of death, despair of the Lord's forgiveness.
The Lord in turn assured him firmly by saying: "Assuredly, I say
to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise".
You are with Me now and shortly after, you will also be with
Me, but much difference is there between both situations; As
you were with Me in torment, you will be with Me in Paradise.
Here you find torment; there you will find consolation...
When the Lord said: "In Paradise' ; He was correcting
an error of the malefactor, and He did that with His
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overcame calmness and kindness... The malefactor said:
Remember me when You come to Your Kingdom, " Rightly
he believed that Christ has a spiritual kingdom in heaven, and
that His kingdom is not of this world as some people claim. Yet
people will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven till after the Day
of Judgment. Following death, people go to a waiting place.
And this is Paradise for the faithful. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ
did not answer the malefactor, saying that, "Today you will be
in My Kingdom of Heaven". He said, instead: "In Paradise".In that, He continued His mission as a kindly teacher, even
while on the Cross, and with His ever humble attitude. He was a
teacher who points out the error to the erring person without
rebuke or reproach.
"You will be with Me in Paradise" is a pledge.. and you
will come also with Me in My second advent on the clouds.
You will stand at My right on the Day of Judgment, as you are
now on My right on the Cross. You will represent the
righteous, you will reign with Me in My kingdom and will be
with Me throughout Eternity... Here I am with you every day
and forever after...
Perhaps this pledge encouraged the thief to accept death with
joy; with the great expectation to be with Christ... Thus, we can
say with the thief how delightful is death! "Oh, death, where is
your sting?" Death terrifies the sinful but is a source of joy for
those who die in hope, those who have been assured of their
eternal life and their crowns, those who have listened to Christ
saying: "Today you will be with Me in Paradise".
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When the Lord said, "You will be with Me in Paradise' ;
He did not only declare to the thief that he had already
been forgiven but that Paradise was also now open once
again since Adam. Paradise was closed all this time;
inaccessible to any human spirit because of the original sin.
Actually we recite words whenever we bid farewell to a
departing soul, we say at the funeral service: "Lord, open for
this soul the gates of Paradise as You did for that thief."
The forgiveness endowed the thief was an act of God and
the opening of the gates of Paradise was also a Divine Act.
Two actions taken by the Lord on the Cross demonstrate
His divinity: He did not merely request forgiveness for the
thief and that he may be in Paradise, but Christ's words
were almost imperative: "Today you will be with Me' ; as if
He had assumed His position as a Righteous Judge designing
the eternal life of a human being. Being now in that position, He
decided that the thief should enter Paradise the same day. Can
any human do that? His is a Divine authority not to be practiced
by any man. As for the opening of Paradise; was that within the
power even of a high priest or prophet? Absolutely not! All of
them waited for the Saviour to open it. It is a divine action. It is
also a declaration of the adequacy of the blood shed for us to
open the gates of Paradise.
Truly He has the power and the authority. "He that
opens, and no man shuts: And shuts, and no man opens" (Rev
3: 7 - Is 22:22). "And have the keys of hell and of death" (Rev
12:18). Furthermore, He has the keys of Heaven and earth, and
has the power to give them to His disciples and followers on
earth. He was the one who opened the gate to the wise virgins.
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To Him the foolish prayed, saying: "Lord, Lord, open to us"
(Matt. 25:11). Nevertheless, He would not open His Paradise
except for those who confide in Him, the way the thief of the
right did and so deserved to hear the words "Today you will be
with Me in Paradise".
The word "Today" undoubtedly proves that there is no
purgatory as some Christians believe. The malefactor entered
Paradise the same day he died, without staying in the so-called
purgatory, even for one hour! The word Today also defeats the
assumption that the spirit of the deceased keeps haunting their
place of residence on earth until the third day, and a Mass has to
be performed to drive away these spirits! Did the spirit of the
thief linger to the third day? Or, did it enter Paradise the same
day?.
With the word "Paradise", the Lord indicated the place where
men go after death; it also explains that Paradise is the waiting
place for the faithful and that they will be there enjoying the
company of Christ until the Day of Judgment...
Let us contemplate the verse, "Today you will be with
Me". How delightful it is to be in the company of the Lord!To be with the Lord is more pleasant than to be in Paradise, or
rather it is the best that we can have in Paradise.
That is exactly what the Lord promised us. "I will come
again, and receive you to Myself,: that where I am, there you
may be also. " (John 14:3).
How wonderful is that promise! It is our hope and our goal
that we passionately strive for...
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Our spiritual life is all in all a togetherness with the Lord...
With these words, the Lord made the thief happy and in spite
of the physical pain of crucifixion the Lord endeavoured to
assure the thief, to converse with him and please him. The Lord
Jesus Christ became oblivious of all His excruciating pain of
thorns, cuts, and scourging. He devotedly listened to that
malefactor, conversed and assured him... Truly, "Love does not
seek its own" (1 Cor 13:5). " Let no man seek his own, but each
one the other's well-being. " (1 Cor. 10:24) In many instances
we are approached by others, while being busy and we feel so
disgusted and annoyed. We tell them that we have no time for
them, and tell them to come back later. Consider the Lord, He
would not say any of that even while being on the Cross.
Regardless of His torment, He lent an ear to the malefactor,
offered him the attention he needed; responded to his
supplication; brought delight to his heart; and demonstrated to
all of us that it is possible to attend to others' needs even while
on the Cross...
The Lord also demonstrated to us by the attention He
offered the malefactor that the attention given to a single
individual is as important as attention provided to a group.In addition to His sacrificial act offered to all the world and for
every believer, and in addition to His forgiveness to His
persecutors, He attended to the needs of an individual: the thief.
For to the Lord Christ an individual has all the right to be
attended to, as well as all the group. An individual still holds the
same importance and significance as the multitude...
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Thus, we see that the Lord Jesus Christ, while preaching
the gospel was working individually and collectively. He
attended to the multitudes in His Sermon on the Mount and
among the five thousand whom He fed with five loaves and two
fishes. Likewise He worked with individuals as He did with the
Twelve Disciples or three of them: Peter, James and John; or
with Nicodemus, with Mary and Martha at their home or with
the Samaritan woman at the well...
God does not forget the individual among the group. The lost
sheep would not be lost and forgotten overridden by the
remaining ninety-nine... The malefactor's soul would not be lost
only because the whole world's salvation is at stake!
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The Third Word
"Woman, behold your son... Behold your mother" (John
19:26 & 27).
The Lord was preoccupied by the others while on the Cross.
He was concerned about His persecutors, saying: "Father,
forgive them ". He cared for the thief on His right, promising
him Paradise, saying: "Today you will be with Me in Paradise";He also directed His attention to His mother, entrusting His
beloved disciple, John with the task of taking care of her.
He entrusted His virgin disciple with His Virgin Mother.
He entrusted His mother, who nursed and cherished Him
dearly, to His beloved disciple who in many an instance lent
back on his breast.
He entrusted His mother who stood beside His cross, to
the only disciple who followed Him to the Cross. He
entrusted His mother who carried in her womb the
smouldering ember of His divinity to His disciple who
wrote the gospel to establish this Divinity.
He said to her: "Behold your son... " and said to him:
"Behold your mother "And from that hour that disciple took
her to his own home" (John 19:27).
Thus the Lord gave us an example of giving care to our kin,
and our mothers in particular. He was concerned about that
receptacle which held Him for nine months; the mother who
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cared for Him in His childhood and to whom He was
obedient. (Luke 2:51).
Normally, a person in pain receives the attention of
others, but the Lord Christ in His pain was the one caring
for others... How much more can His care be for us now in His
repose...
His first concern was to forgive the sins, then He turned to
social care and the first one to receive His care was His mother.
There are some people who came to believe that the Lord, in
His emphasis on the spiritual ties, has annulled family ties, as a
misinterpretation of His pronouncement: "Who is My mother
and who are My brethren?.. For whoever does the will of My
Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother " (Matt.
12:48-50).The Lord on the Cross refuted this false belief.
Dedication and devotion to God, and to the Universal
Church does not necessarily mean that a person should neglect
his kin, especially his household. "But if anyone does not
provide for his own, and especially for those of His household,
He has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. "
(1Tim. 5:8) Such devotion does not give a person excuse for
the neglect of his parents and his mother in particular.
It seems that the Lord Christ and His holy mother
Virgin Mary were destined to meet in this manner. Her holy
face was the first face He saw on His advent to the world in
human form, and was also the last face He saw before
commending His spirit into the hands of the Father. She was a
loving mother who followed her Son wherever He went and
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clung to Him in His torment in the deepest love and
compassion, lulling Him with these impressive words:
"The world rejoices at the acceptance of salvation, but my
heart burns fiercely at the sight of Your crucifixion which You
bear patiently for the sake of all, Oh, my Son and my God".
Here we see also a loving Son who cares for His mother even at
the moment of His deepest pain.
Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ saw that he must take care of
His mother at the time of her distress, to console her through
her grief. "A sword shall pierce. Through your own soul, also "
(Luke 2:35)... He thought it proper, being a Son, to comfort His
mother in her distress. He comforted her by talking to her,
caring for her, managing her affairs, and offering her a
spiritual son to keep her company...
Christ's dialogue with His mother while on the cross was
different from that between Him and the thief on the right side.
The thief started the dialogue, and the Lord responded to him.
With the blessed-mother, the Lord was the one who
addressed her first - He did not wait for her to talk first. He
did not wait until she expressed her grief. Truly, she would
not have said a word of complaint... She had been used
to keeping her peace. Even at the side of the Cross
she did not cry. On the contrary she was calm and composed,
mourning in silence. The Lord knew what she was silent about,
was conscious to her inner thoughts and feelings, so, He
addressed her without her asking to be talked to and the blessed
mother obeyed her Son and went to live with the beloved
disciple...
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The Virgin was a real blessing to St. John and his
household, a blessing that Christ gave him in return for his
love. St. John accepted her as a precious and a valuable gift and
she remained in his home cared and attended to until her death.
It is said that St. John did not leave Jerusalem till the holy
Virgin departed... St. John so loved the Lord Christ that he
followed Him to the Cross, remained at His side throughout His
passions. He certainly deserved a reward, on earth as well as in
Heaven. As for his reward on earth, he was blessed with
sheltering the holy Virgin in his home. In fact all those who
follow the Lord Christ will surely be rewarded and will have His
bliss and grace.
The blessed Mother in turn accepted St. John as a son to
her. The Lord offered her the most faithful, sympathetic
and loving one among His disciples.
St. John was the most ardent exponent of love. It was he
who said, "God is love" (1 John 4:16), and was also the disciple
who "Was Leaning on Jesus' bosom " ". . . whom Jesus loved. "He was the only one how offered the Virgin mother the image
of her Son..
Christ on the Cross seemed not to possess anything; even
His garment was taken away and torn, But He had, then,
John, His disciple, and that He gave to His mother. John
gave his heart to Christ. And Christ took that heart and gave it
to His mother. Thus, the Lord brought together those who
loved Him... He took care of His mother emotionally and at the
same time He provided for her living...
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I keep wondering: who was caring for the other: St. John or
the holy Virgin! Virgin Mary was there at John's home not to
depend on him for her living, but to nourish him with her bliss
and grace; and also, to acquaint him deeply and thoroughly with
the Lord Christ...
The fact that the Lord Christ entrusted St. John with
His mother refutes undoubtedly the allegations made by the
Protestants that Virgin Mary had other children besides
Jesus Christ. If that was true any one of her sons would have
been better qualified to take care of her. They would have had
more of a right to that than any person outside their family
circle. Virgin Mary was without kin at that time; she had no
children and Joseph passed away a long time ago. For that
reason Christ entrusted His disciple with His Mother. "Behold
your son "... These words give us an idea about the spiritual
relation of a son and his mother and demonstrate the honour
given the Virgin even with respect to the father apostles.
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The Fourth Word
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt.
27:46).
This statement does not mean a separation of the divine
nature of Jesus Christ from His human nature, nor does it
mean that the Father has forsaken the Son. It means rather
that the Father has allowed Him to be tormented.
His divine nature and His human nature were never separated
for a single moment or a wink of the eye. That is what we firmly
believe in and what we recite in the Holy Mass... If ever His
divine nature deserted Him, His redemption could never have
been considered as infinite, rendering infinite salvation, capable
of atoning for the sins of all humanity throughout the ages.
Thus, there was no rupture between His divine and human
nature.
As for His relationship with the Father, the Father did not
forsake Him. Let us only consider this verse: "Believe Me that I
am in the Father, and the Father in Me" (John 14:1l).
What is the meaning then of, "Why have You forsaken
Me?"
It does not mean a separation; it indicates only that the
Father did allow that He should suffer; that He should bear the
blame and suffer God's wrath over sin. That goes for the
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emotional torment He underwent. As for the physical pain; God
allowed that He should suffer physically though God, in His
omnipotence, could have made Him insensible to pain. But, if
that had happened, the Crucifixion would have been null and
void - for pain would never have been experienced and
consequently, no penalty has been inflicted, no acquittal effected
and no redemption accomplished...
Thus, the Father allowed that the Son should suffer, and
the Son accepted that ordinance and was also afflicted by
it. In fact Christ came to the world for that particular
reason.. It was a rupture that both parties preconceived
and agreed to... for the sake of humanity, and the Divine
Justice...
God allowed that Jesus should suffer, sacrifice Himself and
be tortured but did not break away from Him... It was not a
separation but rather a dispensation. God suffered that His Son
should suffer but still loved him fully, "Yet it pleased the Lord
to bruise Him" (Is. 53:10).
An example that may make the meaning easy to grasp:
Suppose a parent accompanied his child to the hospital for
an operation, let us say for the removal of an abscess; that the
parent was holding the child's hand while the surgeon went on
with his incision. The child would then start to cry and plead
with his father not to let that happen to him saying to him,
"Why did you forsake me? "
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In fact, the father did not desert his child, he only allowed
him to suffer since the operation was for his own good and he
had only total care and love for his child.
This incident, I would say, demonstrates how that could be
considered abandonment without actual severance of ties.
The word "Forsaken " means that the torment of
Crucifixion was actual and that God's wrath was
excruciating... The act of abandonment was the climax of all
torment on the Cross; all torment of redemption... Here Christ
resembles a burnt sacrifice. An offering to God for the
atonement of sin - to be consumed by the divine fire until it
turns to ashes and satisfies fully the Divine Justice..
A great number of theologians do believe that the Lord
when saying, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken
Me" was reminding the Jews of the Twenty-second Psalm
which starts with the same verse.
They were referred to as those who, Do not knowing the
Scriptures (Matt. 22:29) while those Scriptures testified of
Him (John 5:39). So the Lord Christ chose to remind them
of this particular Psalm. Actually the system of numbering
the Psalms was not known to the Jews. They used to
identify each Psalm by its opening verse, as it is the custom
among the Egyptian monks nowadays...
What does this Psalm tell us about Jesus Christ?
"They have pierced My hands and My feet, I can count all My
bones; they look and stare at Me; they divide My garments
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among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. "
(Ps 22:16-18).
It is all evident that David the Prophet, who composed this
Psalm, had nobody pierce his hands or feet. Nobody parted his
garments or cast lots upon his vesture. This verse was actually
an inspired prophecy about Jesus Christ - as if Christ on the
Cross was telling the Jews: "Go ahead and read the Psalm,
starting with: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"and see what has been told about Me. You will see also that the
following has been said about Me:
"A reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they,
that see Me, laugh Me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they
shake the head, saying: He trusted in the Lord that He would
deliver Him, let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him "
(Ps 22: 6 8).
To analyze this entire Psalm would require more space than
we have... It illustrates Christ's sufferings on the Cross. "Then
He opened their understanding, that they might understand the
Scriptures." (Luke 24:45).
All that the Psalm described began to be realised. Thus,
He was able to say shortly after: "It is finished. " But why
did they not say, "It is finished" right after His pronouncement:
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" The reason is
that there is another verse in this Psalm that was not yet realised
which is: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd: and My
tongue clings to My jaws. " (Ps. 22:15) this part will be realised
later when He says: "I thirst ". That is why He said, "It is
finished" right after.
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Then why did the Lord Christ say: "My God, My God?"
He said that in His capacity as a representative of humanity.
He said that because He took the shape of a servant, and
became similar to man. "But made Himself of no reputation.
taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of
men " (Phil. 2: 7 and 8). He said these words because "He
humbled Himself", "and became obedient to the point of
death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:9) He spoke as the
Son of man, who has taken over a human nature and taken
man's position, and agreed to represent humanity before God,
assumed all human sins and is paying off all their debts.
Here we see that all humanity is talking through Him...As He assumed all human sins, and a sin is a separation from
God and a cause of God's wrath, all humanity is crying through
Christ, saying: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken
Me?"...
Christ represented humanity in so many things if not in
all things! !
Christ did fast on our behalf:
Adam and Eve were not able to abstain from the forbidden
fruit and they plucked it and ate. As for Christ, He began His
life by abstaining even from all edibles. He was in no need to
fast, but He fasted forty days and forty nights as mentioned in
the church hymns.
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He represented us in observing God's law:
"The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of
men, to see if there were any who understand, and seek God.
They have all gone aside, they have all together become
corrupt; " (Ps. 14:2,3).
When Christ came, He represented humanity in being
obedient to God. He observed the Law, "To fulfil all
righteousness" (Matt. 3:15) as He mentioned at the time of
baptism. Thus, He acted the part of humanity in offering God a
chaste and a gracious acceptable life...
He represented us in death, torment and the atonement
of sin:
"For He has made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin"
(2 Cor 5:21). He suffered all God's wrath for the sinful with all
the bitterness therein. And as a representative of humanity said:
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" And He
who helped everybody and has never forsaken any person,
was forsaken by all, even by the Father. In that way He paid
off our debt and suffered God's wrath and emerged triumphant,
having been tried emotionally and physically...
He also gave us that a poignant lesson so that we may be
more cautious.
If sin would have as a consequence all such
abandonment and pain, we should: "See then that we walk
circumspectly" (Eph. 5:15). We should be wary about
abandoning God so that God would not abandon us in turn. The
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Son Himself has been forsaken. The torment of being
abandoned is unbearable. We should thank our Lord Jesus
Christ for all that love and for all His abnegation..
The words: "why have You forsaken Me?" should be a
source of consolation for us when we encounter any difficulty.
Knowing that if the Lord has not "Spared His Own Son" (Rom.
8:32), why should we grumble about whatever suffering God
allows? God was pleased to put His own beloved Son to Grief.
And in spite of His saying "This is My Beloved, Son, in whom I
am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17), why do we grumble at the
moments of trial though we could never suffer as much as
Christ suffered and though we deserve to be punished. The Son
drank willingly the cup that the Father offered Him. He only
said, "Your will be done" and was obedient until death on the
Cross. His pronouncement: "why have You forsaken Me?" was
not a complaint or protest, as we have said before but it was
only an expression of the reality of His suffering and a
declaration that the act of redemption is being realised...
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The Fifth Word
"I thirst " (John 19:28).
Because of my sins and yours, brethren, the Lord Jesus
Christ said: "and My tongue clings to My jaws... My strength is
dried up like a potsherd" (Ps. 22:15).
All His body liquids had been drained foe so many
reasons: For all the sweat that His body bled while struggling
for our salvation in the Garden in Gethsemane: "His sweat
became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground!"
(Luke 22:44). For all His sweating as He carried the cross along
the way, under the scorching sun at noon. For all His exhaustion
and fatigue resulting from extended court sessions and also the
scourging. Add to that the extensive bleeding from the
scourging, thorns on His head and nails piercing His flesh. For
all that His tongue clung to His jaws, and His bodily resistance
had gone and He said: "I thirst".
By this declaration, He indicated that the hot iron began
to be struck or that the fire had begun to consume the
sacrifice.. Divine Justice was being done, and His divinity
refrained from alleviating the physical pain that His human
body was suffering. His was pain in its absolute sense,
pain that pleased the Father and made Him smell a
soothing aroma, The Son expressed this by declaring: "I thirst"?By this declaration, the heretics are put to shame. Those who
tried to under-rate the human nature of the Lord on the cross. If
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he had not been fully human, He would not have said: "I
thirst."...
However, one is apt to wonder how Jesus became thirsty,
though He is the well and the source of the living water: "If
anyone thirst, let him come to Me, and drink" (John 7:37). He
said to the Samaritan woman: "But whoever drinks of the water
that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall
give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up
into everlasting life." (John 4:14).
What did He really mean by the words, "I thirst":
Certainly, He was thirsty in the physical sense. Also, that
spiritually He was thirsty for the forthcoming salvation that He
was offering to the world. He experienced an eager desire to the
concluding statement: "It is finished".
There is an analogy between what He said now and what He
said to the Samaritan: "Give Me a drink. " He was not then
referring to water in the common sense, knowing that "Whoever
drinks of this water shall thirst again," (John 4: 7,13). He was
thirsty for her and for all the Samaritans; for her salvation and
for theirs.
He did not say, "I thirst" to get water from the people
around Him. He knew that they would offer Him vinegar
(Matt. 27:44, 48). He knew that through His divine power
that enables Him to predict what is going to happen, He knew
that because of the prophecy: " And for my thirst they gave me
vinegar to drink. " (Ps. 69:21).
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He did not say: "I thirst' ; asking them to bring Him water,
because He could not ask a human being for help and also
because He intended to drink the cup of pains to its end. That is
why He shunned the cup of vinegar mixed with gall that was
offered Him to kill His pain, "They gave Him vinegar to drink
mingled with gall. And when He had tasted thereof, He would
not drink" (Matt. 27. 34). The Lord wished that all the
prophecies would be realised, and declared that the
redemption had been accomplished and that humanity
could rest assured...
However, the sinful human beings mocked Him at the time
He struggled for their salvation, and offered Him vinegar
instead of water, to double His pain.
I wonder, Brethren, that perhaps we are still doing the same.
The Lord thirst for our salvation and for drinking of the product
of the vine which sap flows within us, but we offer Him instead
the vinegar of our trespasses, inadvertence and neglect.
Would you please, Brethren, withdraw that spear that
you are pointing at Christ's mouth and spare His lips from
that sponge of vinegar? Would you regret hurting the feelings
of the one who loved you dearly, and do what you should do in
penitence? And if you heard the Lord saying: "I thirst" you may
tell Him: I am the one who made your tongue cleave to your
jaws due to my sins and trespasses. I wish I could quench your
thirst by my tears. I wish you could strike my adamant soul and
drink from its gushing waters...
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The Sixth Word
"It is finished " (John 19:30).
Our Lord Jesus Christ the righteous and perfect in
everything; the holy and the one - and only one - who
committed no sin; the one who lived on earth a whole life to the
full satisfaction and pleasure of God the Father, was also perfect
in His preaching and ministry. He was able to accomplish what
the Father wanted Him to accomplish and then cry
triumphantly: "I have finished the work which You have given
Me to do" (John 17. 4).
He was able to accomplish every righteousness, that which
the Law required. He was able deservedly to declare: "Which of
you convicts Me of sin " (John 8: 46). He realised all
prophecies regarding His advent and the great act of
redemption... all within the span of three years and a few
months. He achieved things that nobody was able to achieve
before. He was able to spread the Gospel and say to the Lord:
"I have glorified You on the earth... I have manifested Your
name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world...
For I have given to them the words which You have given Me...
those whom You gave Me I have kept, and none of them is
lost... And I have declared to them Your name and will declare
it" (John 17:4-6).
Thus, He realised the prophecies, accomplished obedience
and every righteousness, performed His ministry and gave His
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love in full to His own whom He loved to the end (John13:1).
Then He ascended the cross to accomplish His sacrificial act, to
bring about redemption, forgiveness and salvation to finish the
act of reconcilement between Heaven and earth; between the
spiritual and the carnal.
On that altar He carried on Himself the iniquities of us all ...
all the sins of all people throughout the ages from Adam to
eternity - outrageous sins as they are: profanity, perfidy, failing,
adultery, dissipation, theft, murder, envy and arrogance. Then
He was able to declare: "It is finished "... We, in turn, touch
this pure offering, and confess our sins everyday and add them
to His pains that He might forgive us, and that His blood may
atone for our new trespasses...
As sins were accumulated to the ultimate upon His
person, shame and disgrace were fully personified in Him
as it is said: " I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My
cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My
face from shame and spitting." (Is. 50:6), He said also: "All
those that see Me, laugh Me to scorn... A reproach of men, and
despised of the people ". (Ps. 22: 6, 7).
In all that, He was subjected to scourging, humiliation and
derision: "Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others
struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to
us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?" (Matt. 26: 67, 68).They dressed Him in the purple garment, crowned Him with
thorns and crucified Him between two malefactors so that the
prophecy may come true "Cursed is everyone that hangs on a
tree" (Gal. 3:13, Deut 21:23).
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Even on the cross He was still a target of humiliation and
derision so that He might realise all His disgrace and cry: "It is
finished. "
And as His disgrace was complete, His physical pain and
God's wrath were perfected. The Lord has paid it all --
offered Himself as a sacrifice, and the fire went on, consuming
His offering until it turned into ashes (Lev 6:10).
When Our Lord realised that He had completed the act of
redemption and atonement, and that He had satisfied the divine
justice fully and nothing else could be done, He cried
triumphantly: "It is finished."
The act of salvation for all has been accomplished,
redemption has been fulfilled; the Son of Man was able to
crush the serpent's head. God, by reigning over the cross (Ps.
96:10), was able to demolish the kingdom of the devil. The
atonement now became all encompassing and adequate to
liberate everybody. Now the veil of the temple could be rent in
twain, and the way to the sanctuary could be opened;
reconciliation is now accomplished and the hope of the
deceased saints have been fulfilled. Nothing is left for You,
God, but to, "gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty, with
Your glory and Your Majesty" (Ps. 45:3); the Lord cried in joy;
"It is finished. ''
The words, "It is finished" is the cry of joy and triumph.He had fought and won. He was able to pay for us and establish
His heavenly spiritual kingdom - to shutter the kingdom of the
devil that was formerly called "The prince of the world. " (John
24:30).
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Could you, Brethren, win what the Lord has won? Could you
ascend the cross and crush the head of the serpent? Could you
look at the work God assigned to you and say: "It is finished"?
I wish you would always consider this maximum:
"I have finished the work which You, God, have given Me
to do. " ..
Put before you always the picture of the Lord perfecting His
mission.
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The Seventh Word
"Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit" (Luke 23:46).
The Lord accomplished His work of the Cross in the same
manner He accomplished His work before the Crucifixion.
There remained one more job for Him to do after His
death on the Cross. There remains for Him to: "Lead captivity
captive and gave gifts to men" (Eph 4:8). There remains for
Him to descend to Hades and carry the good news to the
faithful among the deceased, to transfer those deceased saints
from Hades to Paradise, thus opening Paradise for the first time
since the original sin...
Since the Act of Redemption had been accomplished,
there was no reason for further delay. He bad to depart
from this body to accomplish the act of salvation for the
deceased also. He had to entrust the Father with His soul in
order to do what was designated to be done after death. Thus,
He cried with a loud voice: "Father, into Your hands I
commend My spirit"...
Into Your hands I commend My spirit and in no other
hands..."For the ruler of this world is coming, and he has
nothing in Me." (John 14:30). "I came forth from the Father
and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go
to the Father." (John 16:28).
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How desirous was the prince of this world to acquire this
spirit; to arrest this spirit in the same manner as he arrested all
other spirits that were imprisoned. But in no way could he do
that with this particular spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, which
was received by the Father Himself. This is My spirit, "No man
takes it from Me I have the power to lay it down, and I have the
power to take it again".
When Poor Lazarus died, his spirit was carried away by
the angels (Luke 16:22). The spirit of the Virgin Mother
Mary was carried by Christ but the spirit of Christ was
carried by the Father.
St. Matthew the Apostle says that Jesus "Had cried with a
loud voice" (Matt. 27:50), then yielded up the ghost, what can
we know from this phrase?
Undoubtedly Christ was greatly exhausted due to all the
exertion of carrying the cross to the extent of falling underneath
it, and also, after being scourged, bruised and pierced with nails
and having bled and perspired so much that He had His mouth
all dry when He said: "I thirst".
How then is it to be expected that He could cry with a loud
voice?
Crying with a loud voice at the hour of His death means
that He had another power that surpassed His human
power. In other words it demonstrates His divinity.
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His crying aloud indicates His triumph for with death
He defeated death. This loud cry shook the Devil and
overthrew his kingdom.
Truly, Christ's death was a triumph by which He saved the
whole world and crushed the serpent...
The words, "Into Your hands I commend My spirit" affords
us a great assurance of the immortality of the spirit. The spirit
does not end with death... death for the spirit is only a change
from one type of existence to another. The question is where
would the spirit land after death. If man is assured about the
answer, man will accept death with joy, saying with St. Paul: "I
have a desire to depart. " . Brother, are you sure about the
destination of your spirit? Is it that when you give up your
spirit after a lengthy life, you will commend it into the hands of
Christ or that the angels would carry your spirit as it did to that
of Lazarus? Or is it that the devil will claim it saying, "It is
mine, it was one of my soldiers under my command.. so I will
take it to be with me. "? How awful would that be! ! Would
you, brother, make sure then about the destination of your
spirit!
Be sure, my beloved, to remember always this beautiful
chant: "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end
be like his " (Num 23:10).
Commend your spirit from now on into His hands by
shunning all evil and by living in unison with God. Be like
the angels of the Seven Churches whom God was carrying in
His right hand. Commend yourself also into the hands of the
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Lord Jesus Christ. Be sure that you will hear His beautiful voice
chanting: "And I give them eternal life; and they shall never
perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My Father's
hand." (John 10:28, 29).
Whenever you feel tempted by a sin or lust, ask yourself this
question: Is my spirit now in the hands of the Lord?...
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The Effectiveness Of These Words In Our Lives
These valuable words said by the Lord Jesus Christ on the
cross are worthy of being cherished by all of us. Let them have
their effect on our lives... Let us weight in our minds every
word and react to it... Here are two examples as to how we can
react to two pronouncements:
Father, forgive them:
The Lord had taught us to say in the Lord's prayer, "Forgive
us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Thus, the words
"Father, forgive them" have become a prerequisite to
forgiveness for yourself.
Let nobody imagine that he is offering forgiveness to the
others when he says: "Father, forgive them. " He is actually
acquiring forgiveness for himself. For, it is the prerequisite of
getting forgiveness for yourself, to forgive the others.
"Forgive, and you will be forgiven " (Luke 6:37).
The Lord Jesus Christ did not comment on any verse except
this one when He taught us the Lord's Prayer. He said: "For if
you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you" (Matt. 6:14,1:5).
Consequently, if you do not forgive others, you preclude
forgiveness for yourself and not for others.
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If you say: "Father, forgive them", He will, answer you
saying: `I will forgive you, too.' Thus, your forgiveness to
others is something you are bound to do , if you wish to be
forgiven yourself... You are better off then, if your
forgiveness - as it is the case with Christ - is based on love,
not being an obligation for obtaining forgiveness for
yourself...
Probably this forgiveness to others would annoy you
inwardly and would not be acceptable to your reason and
judgment. How can I forgive that person who so much
annoyed, aggravated and humiliated me? I should tell you: Just
endure and be patient. Actually when you offer forgiveness to
this person, you are offering it to yourself. Then forgive, that
God might forgive you. And I repeat; let your forgiveness be
for love and not as a necessity.
When the Lord Christ came to the Cross asking the
Father forgiveness for all the sins of people, He began by
forgiving His persecutors first.
It was as if Christ was saying to the Father: `I forgive them
for all they did, so that you may forgive Me' - not because He
wanted the Father to forgive His sins - for Christ was without
sin, "Which of you convicts Me of sin?" (John 8:46) but to
forgive the sins He carried for others, for He is "The Lamb of
God, that takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), "And
the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Is. 53:6).
You may say, `How can I forgive them for all they did to
me? Is it not enough that I am keeping my peace and not
returning evil for evil?...
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No, my dear, this peace is not enough, you have to overcome
your inner feelings and forgive willingly...
When you have won the battle within yourself, and
forgiven for love, you will have ascended the Cross.
When you ascend the Cross you will be able to say: "That I
may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the
fellowship of His sufferings" (Phil. 3:10). You have partaken
the Lord in His suffering, ascended with Him the Cross and
forgiven the offenders for they know not what they are doing.
"Today you will be with Me in Paradise"
Say to yourself, `if I wish to have that promise from the
Lord Christ, I should say as the malefactor has said: "For
we receive the due reward of our deeds "...
The malefactor on the right side of the Lord did not rebel
against the torment he was subjected to. On the contrary, all he
wanted was to be forgiven in eternity. This is an example to
follow and not that of the other convict who asked that Christ
would come down from the Cross and let him come down also,
or as he said, Save Yourself and us. What a wretched fellow he
was.
For Christ to come down from the Cross would have brought
the damnation of the whole world. If that thief was seeking
salvation of his spirit, he would have said `Would you please,
Lord, stay a little on the Cross, for my sake, so that I may not
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perish. Please, Lord, bear up your pain for my sake, endure until
death, so that you may pay the price of all my sins.' ...
Be spiritual, brother, as the thief on the right side who
was anxious for his eternal life and not be as carnal as the
thief on the left who cared for nothing but to save his body.
Also, do not shun or rebel against any crisis in your life, but
you should say as the penitent thief has said: "For we receive
the due reward of our deeds."
If you ask the Lord to remember you in His kingdom, by
the same token you should remember Him on earth and
cling to Him with love and adoration...
Do not ask the Lord to remember you only on earth but also
in His kingdom. No matter what the earth has in store for you --
nails, crosses or suffering -- the only thing that counts is your
future life in the heavenly kingdom.
It does not matter if we spend our life on earth nailed to
a cross.. the only thing that matters is to be with the Lord
in His Paradise...
Do not seek to come down from your cross, but persevere
and endure.
The Lord has said to the thief: "Today You will be with Me
in Paradise. ' ; because He accepted His faith, confession and
penitence.
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As for you, Brother, did you offer God faith, confession
and penitence in order to be worthy of His company in
Paradise?
If you have not done that already, start now!???
Take part in His suffering so that you may be glorified with
Him also.
Remember that the words: "Today you will be with Me in
Paradise" are very reassuring and apt to fill you with joy
and hope.
And if the thief has gotten a promise to be in Paradise, you
should be in no way discouraged whatever your sins may be.
If the thief's penitence was accepted in the last moments of his
life, you should not give up even if all your past life has been a
waste.
The Lord's pledge to the thief illustrates fully how fast
God's response to our prayers could be.
As soon as the thief said: "Remember me, Lord' ; he received
an answer: ; "Today you will be with Me in Paradise". Thus,
persevere in your prayers and supplications, and keep reciting:
"Lord, remember me" ... say this over and over, from the
bottom of your heart and with faith, and be sure that God will
respond to you.
Do not succumb to the Devil and let shame or pride
preclude you from asking. The tax-collector in his deep
shame said: "Lord, have mercy on me." the thief in his
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acknowledgment of his sins, said, however: "Lord,
remember me. "
In the same manner, in spite of all the shame we experience
because of our sins, and in spite of the fact that we have no
means of defense or excuse, we would still recite the words:
"Lord, remember me" because we have much more faith in His
love and forgiveness until we get a pledge to be with Him in
Paradise.
The Lord did not promise the thief to be in Paradise
only, but He pledged further that the thief will be in His
company. Actually the best thing in paradise is to be with
the Lord...
Truly, Paradise without the Lord is nothing, and no source of
joy because the real bliss is to be with the Lord... When the
Lord is among His people they enjoy His love, company,
parenthood and kindness... For that reason do not ask for
Paradise but ask for the Lord Himself...
Wish to be with Him; to enjoy looking at His joyful face.
Truly, David said: "Your face, Lord, will I seek; hide not Your
face far from me. "...
The most wonderful thing about the story of the thief is that
he has been pledged to be with the Lord in Paradise though he
was not with the Lord on earth...
Only a few hours spent with the Lord were adequate to
offer him the company of the Lord forever. The fact is that
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these few hours were spent in depth and touched in depth
the heart of the Lord.
Thus, it does not really matter how long you pray and
supplicate to the Lord. The question is how deep are your
feelings. A deeply felt word could be extremely effective...
Say it and live in depth w