Today we begin a seven part series on the seven sayings or words of Jesus on the Cross. They are gathered from the four gospels, and only by combining these four viewpoints do we see the full picture. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus cries out to God. In Luke, he forgives his killers, reassures the penitent thief and commends his spirit to the Father. And in John he speaks to his mother, says he thirsts and declares the end of his earthly life.
In the following table, they are arranged according to their traditional order:
| Sayings of Jesus on the cross | Matthew | Mark | Luke | John |
| Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing. | 23:34 | |||
| I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise. | 23:43 | |||
| Woman, here is your son and Here is your mother. | 19:26–27 | |||
| My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? | 27:46 | 15:34 | ||
| I’m thirsty. | 19:28 | |||
| It is finished. | 19:30 | |||
| Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit. | 23:46 |
Traditionally, these seven sayings are called words of:
- Forgiveness,
- Salvation,
- Relationship,
- Abandonment,
- Distress,
- Triumph, and
- Reunion.
and will form our meditation over the next eight weeks leading into Easter.