The Real Last Words of Christ

     As many of you are aware, over the past few weeks we have been looking at The Seven Last Words of Christ, words which Jesus spoke while he endured the agony of the cross. I’m sure you have noticed that all seven words do not appear in any one Gospel. They are scattered throughout the four. I’m not sure who first gathered these seven “words” from the four gospels and put them together, but it was probably a very ancient practice.

     But have you ever stopped to think that these seven words were not the last words of Christ? The words Jesus spoke from the cross were not the last words human ears heard him utter. There were many more things Jesus said after the resurrection on Easter morning. Jesus has quite a bit more on his mind, and he wants to share it with his disciples and his followers. The last words of Christ do not end with “Into Your hands I commit my Spirit.”

     After his resurrection, Jesus visited ordinary places and spoke to ordinary people. He came to some in a garden, to two on the road to Emmaus, to others at the lakeside. He met a group in the Upper Room and others on a hilltop. He shared their meals and their walks. He came to them when they were working and when they were waiting. He came to them when they were afraid and when they were hopeful, when they were doubting and when they were certain. He came to ordinary people like you and me.

     So, what did Jesus say to his followers, and what were the Real Last Words of Christ?

     First, Jesus said to his disciples, “Fear not.” Certainly our world needs to hear that message from the resurrected Christ today. He said to the women, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

     Jesus appeared to the Eleven on another occasion and said, “Peace be unto you.” This was not just some conventional greeting but the assurance of God’s deep peace that Jesus had promised them at the Last Supper. Then he asked them, “Why are you troubled, and why do questions rise in your hearts?” It does seem like kind of a silly question to ask someone who is seeing what they believe to be a ghost or a phantom. They had seen Jesus killed. Perhaps some of them had helped wrap his body or carry him to the tomb. The corpse doesn’t ask the pallbearers what they are so upset about. But again Jesus repeats the words, “Fear not,” and “Do not be afraid.”

     Why not? The answer is simple. Because it is not a ghost they are seeing. He is alive! There is no longer any death or disaster they need fear. They can be assured that just as Jesus triumphed over death and the grave, they would too. They could be confident that God’s purposes were not thwarted and that Jesus himself was with them unto the end of the world. The disciples could look forward to the fact that they, too, would be resurrected.

     Our world today is filled with all kinds of dangers; fear of pain and death and loss are everywhere. In a world so filled with hate and war, the words of Jesus are more relevant than ever. Once again, Jesus comes to those he loves and says, “Fear not.”

     What a powerful message to give to people who face turmoil and strife every day of their lives. What a powerful message to speak to the heart of every person-- to our hearts, our lives and our families. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I am not a ghost or a phantom or a faith with no basis in fact. I am as real as the air you breathe and the very life within you. God’s plan has not been overturned or derailed. The end is still in sight. Don’t be afraid.”

The Seven Last Words of Christ

There is an old joke about a teacher who asked one of her students to name the four seasons, and he said, “Football, Basketball, Baseball and Hockey.” There is also a red-neck version in which the student answers, “Deer, quail, turkey and duck,” but that is another story.

     This week we are entering a new season in the life of the church. Most of us like Advent, Christmas, and Easter, but the season of Lent is usually not so popular. It is a season of somber introspection for the 40 days prior to Easter, a season when we recall our inclination to sin, and the things we have done that sent our Savior to the cross in the first place.

     As we think about the Passion of our Lord, and the events leading up to Good Friday, one of the themes that has resonated with Christians down through the centuries is The Seven Last Words of Christ, a recollection of the final utterances of our Lord from the cross of Calvary.

     On that desolate hillside so many years ago, a crowd gathered to see the gruesome sight and to hear the cries of pain and agony that would come from the pathetic figure nailed to the Roman Cross. But it was a surprise to them all when instead of a cry of anguish, there came a prayer of forgiveness when Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!”

     These words, spoken from the cross during the last hours of his earthly life, are particularly meaningful to Christians since they represent our Lord’s parting words to his people.

     One author wrote that “The Seven Last Words portray the terrible beauty and the rich and abundant meaning of those terse and deathless expressions that fell through that awful silence of Calvary to echo in men’s hearts down the ages.”

    Even a brief study of these words is a powerful experience.

    For the next five weeks, during the season of Lent, I am going to pick up this theme of the last words Jesus spoke before his death, words that are filled with meaning and purpose, and do a series of sermons on them. We will look at these words together and try to understand what Jesus meant when he said them, and what they mean for us, today.

      I hope you will make plans to join us for this special series of messages over the next few weeks. Lent is not always the most popular season of the church year, but having something to look forward to always makes things more interesting.