Friday of Holy Week: Two Trials, Three Crosses, and Seven Words

Let's look at the Seven Words of Jesus from the cross on this Good Friday: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34 Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise. Luke 23:43 Jesus said to his mother: "Woman, this is your son." Then he said to the disciple: "This is your mother." John 19:26-27 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 I thirst. John 19:28 It is finished. John 19:30 Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. Luke 23:46 Each of these express terrible agony, deep love, and redemptive purpose. The saying I go to more often than the others, is recorded in both Matthew and Mark. It is the only one recorded in both gospels. And it speaks of a pain we do not have to bear because Jesus stood in for us. And, although it is a grave lament, and expresses an unfathomable sense of abandonment, it also expresses faith. For in the hour that God abandoned Jesus, Jesus still calls him, "My God." His God. He has been abandoned. But he will not abandon God. That's good for us who wish to claim Jesus' righteousness as our own. And that is exactly what we do when we put our faith in Jesus. We claim his righteousness. His robe of righteousness is given to us in baptism (Galatians 3:27).