Wednesday, April 13, 2011

THE SEVEN LAST SAYING OF THE LORD JESUS ON THE CROSS

       There are seven expressions traditionally attributed to Jesus during his crucifixion, gathered from the four Canonical Gospels.[1][2] Three of the sayings appear exclusively in the Gospel of Luke and three appear exclusively in the Gospel of John. The other saying appears both in the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Matthew.[3] In Mark and Matthew, Jesus cries out to God. In Luke, he forgives his killers, reassures the good thief, and commends his spirit to the Father. In John, he speaks to his mother, says he thirsts, and declares the end of his earthly life.
Since the 16th century these sayings have been widely used in the preachings on Good Friday and entire books have been written on the theological analysis, and the devotional elements of the seven sayings.[3][4][5][6]
Physicians and scientists who have studied the medical aspects of the crucifixionconcluded that the sayings had to be short because crucifixion causes asphyxia. This makes inhaling air to speak difficult and painful, especially as death approaches.[7][8][9][10]
The seven sayings tradition is an example of the Christian approach to the construction of a Gospel harmony, in which material from different Gospels is combined, producing an account that goes beyond each Gospel.[11][3] James Dunn considers the sayings as are part of the elaborations in the diverse retellings of Jesus' final hours.[12]

Seven sayings

The seven sayings form part of a Christian meditation that is often used during LentHoly Week and Good Friday. The traditional order of the sayings is:[13]
  1. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).
  2. Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).
  3. Woman, behold your son: behold your mother (John 19:26-27).
  4. My God, My Godwhy have you forsaken me, (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34).
  5. I thirst (John 19:28).
  6. It is finished (John 19:30).
  7. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46).
Traditionally, these seven sayings are called words of 1. Forgiveness, 2. Salvation, 3. Relationship, 4. Abandonment, 5. Distress, 6. Triumphand 7. Reunion.[14]
As can be seen from the above list, not all seven sayings can be found in any one account of Jesus' crucifixion. The ordering is a harmonisation of the texts from each of the four canonical gospels. In the gospels of Matthew and MarkJesus is quoted in Aramaic, shouting the fourthphrase only, and cries out wordlessly before dying. In Luke's Gospel, the first, second, and seventh sayings occur. The third, fifth and sixth sayings can only be found in John's Gospel. In other words:
  • In Matthew and Mark :
    • My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
  • In Luke:
    • Father forgive them, for they know not what they do
    • Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (in response to one of the two thieves crucified next to him)
    • Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (last words)
  • In John:
    • Woman, behold your son: behold your mother (directed at Mary, the mother of Jesus, either as a self reference, or as a reference to thebeloved disciple and an instruction to the disciple himself)
    • I thirst (just before a wetted sponge, mentioned by all the Canonical Gospels, is offered)
    • It is finished (last words)
HIS Life for Mine song and video by The Good Guys..pls watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WayQGcL7Tcw&feature=player_detailpage

No comments:

Post a Comment