The Last Words of Jesus: Seven Sayings from the Cross (The Words of Humanity)

Before he died, Jesus made seven statements from the cross. During the weeks leading up to Easter, we’ll look at what Jesus said and how we might apply these words to our lives. Below is a list of the six topics based on seven passages from the Gospels of Mark, Luke and John.

• February 18 – The Word of Forgiveness (Luke 23:34)
• February 25 – The Word of Salvation (Luke 23:43)
• March 3 – The Word of Relationship (John 19:26-27)
• March 10 – The Words of Humanity (Mark 15:34 & John 19:28)
• March 17 – The Word of Triumph (John 19:30)
• March 24 – The Word of Reunion (Luke 23:46)

On Sunday, we considered the words of humanity offered by Jesus in John 19:28 and Mark 15:34:

Jesus knew that he had now finished his work. And in order to make the Scriptures come true, he said, “I am thirsty!” [John 19:28, CEV] 

Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” [Mark 15:34, CEV]

A recording and the text of the sermon is below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EST)

Although I don’t think it feels much like it today, at least not the way it felt in eastern Virginia when I was growing up, Easter is only a few weeks away. I mean, your flower orders need to be in by tomorrow. And in the thirteen days, we’ll be putting candy into plastic Easter eggs and hiding them all over our lawn. And then, in the space of seven days, we’ll have a deacon’s breakfast, two special services and then the big Easter celebration itself. Now that’s what’s on our dance card for the next few weeks.

And this morning, we’ve reached the midpoint in the sermon series we started three weeks ago entitled The Last Words of Jesus: Seven Sayings from the Cross. Now, as y’all may remember, we started by talking about these words from the Gospel of Luke: Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people! They don’t know what they’re doing.”  [Luke 23:34a, CEV] And then we related this saying to the message of forgiveness that Jesus announced. And after that we looked at this statement Jesus offered to that faithful criminal on the cross: Jesus replied, “I promise that today you will be with me in paradise.” [Luke 23:43, CEV]  And then we discussed how this pointed to the salvation Jesus offers us all. And then last week, we considered these two verses from the Gospel of John: When Jesus saw his mother and his favorite disciple with her, he said to his mother, “This man is now your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “She is now your mother.” From then on, that disciple took her into his own home. [John 19:26-27, CEV] And then we used these words to consider how, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we’ve been called into a new set of relationships within a new family called the church. Now that’s what we’ve done over the last three weeks.

And this morning, we’re going to consider two more statements Jesus made from the cross, both of which, I believe, point to his humanity. You see, we’re going to think about this little scene from the Gospel of John:

Jesus knew that he had now finished his work. And in order to make the Scriptures come true, he said, “I am thirsty!” [John 19:28, CEV]

And then we’re also going to focus on what happened right at the end of the crucifixion, at least according to two of the gospels. You see, as described by both Mark and Matthew,

Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” [Mark 15:34, CEV]

Now this is going to be our focus today, these two sayings that I believe reflect on two different aspects of Christ’s humanity. 

And I’ll tell you, that’s exactly how we’re going to approach them. You see, for the next ten minutes or so, we’re going to take each of these statements and talk about two ways Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God, actually shares our humanity. And as we do that, we’ll consider how he did it and why it’s important for us both to remember and to celebrate. And by the time we finish, I hope we’ll all have a better understanding and appreciation of this one characteristic that Jesus certainly shares with us. 

And we’re going to start by looking at what happened near the end of the crucifixion, at least according to the Gospel of John. You see, right after Jesus established a new relationship between Mary and his favorite disciple, this was what the Evangelist John wrote:

Jesus knew that he had now finished his work. And in order to make the Scriptures come true, he said, “I am thirsty!” [John 19:28, CEV]

Now that’s what he wrote, and I’ll tell you, for me, that’s a pretty clear reminder that Jesus shared our humanity, because he experienced human needs. And I’m talking about needs that are really basic, you know, like hunger and thirst and shelter. You see, in that way, God’s son was really like us. Of course, this isn’t the only example of Jesus experiencing the kind of physical stuff that’s just part of being a human being. For example, near the beginning of his Gospel, John wrote this:

Jesus left Judea and started for Galilee again. This time he had to go through Samaria, and on his way he came to the town of Sychar. It was near the field that Jacob had long ago given to his son Joseph. The well that Jacob had dug was still there, and Jesus sat down beside it because he was tired from traveling. It was noon, and after Jesus’ disciples had gone into town to buy some food, a Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well.

Jesus asked her, “Would you please give me a drink of water?” [John 4:3-8, CEV]

You see, just like he experienced on the cross, as he was hiking across the country, Jesus got thirsty, didn’t he? And so he went to a well and asked a woman who was drawing some water for a drink. And even though this situation gave Jesus the opportunity to launch into a story about the living water he came to offer, the underlying human need was still there: Jesus was thirsty and wanted something to drink. And you know, it’s interesting, the fact that he experienced this, man, it really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who’d already read the first three chapters of John. I mean, right in chapter one, at the end of his prologue, this was what the Evangelist wrote about Jesus:

The Word became

a human being

    and lived here with us.

We saw his true glory,

the glory of the only Son

    of the Father.

From him the complete gifts

of undeserved grace and truth

    have come down to us. [John 1:14, CEV]

You see, the Word really did become a human being, he lived right here with us, in our time and space. In other words, when Jesus entered our world, he didn’t come as some kind of God-man, you know, like we read about in Greek mythology. I mean, he didn’t come as a divine being who never knew what it felt like to be thirsty or to be hungry or to be dirty or to be tired. No, instead, as Paul wrote in this letter to the Philippians, 

Christ was truly God.

But he did not try to remain 

    equal with God.

Instead he gave up everything 

    and became a slave,

when he became

    like one of us.

Christ was humble.

He obeyed God and even died

    on a cross. [Philippians 4:6-8, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul wrote. And remember, according to Luke, Jesus was born in a stable, and outside of his parents, the first people to see him were a bunch of shepherds. No, I think it’s pretty clear that Jesus experienced genuine human need.

And I’ll tell you, I think that’s something we need to remember, especially when we look at ourselves and consider the needs that we have. I mean, let’s get real, we all require certain things. For example, it really doesn’t matter how much money and power a person has, everybody gets hungry and thirsty. And everybody must have clothes and shelter to survive. And everybody needs some kind of help when someone they love is facing a problem they didn’t create or a sickness that they certainly didn’t choose. You see, having needs is just part of living. Of course, depending on who we are and where we live and how much we have, what we face may be very different from the difficulties faced by others who may be less fortunate than us. Still, those basic demands are the same. My goodness, needing our “daily bread” doesn’t change regardless of how many loaves we might have in the pantry. And I’ll tell you, when we remember that Jesus faced those same kinds of requirements and demands himself, well, that just might give us the freedom to lift what we need to him with both honesty and confidence. In other words, just like he asked for a drink when he was thirsty, so can we. As a matter of fact, we can even approach Jesus with the same kind of openness and assurance that the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews encouraged Christians to have. Just listen to what he wrote:

Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help. [Hebrews 4:15-16, CEV]

You see, when we hear Jesus say from the cross, “I am thirsty!” [John 19:28b, CEV], we can remember that Jesus really did experience human needs. And that’s the first way he shared our humanity.

But of course, that’s not the only statement Jesus made from the cross that points directly to his humanity. I mean, remember according to both Mark and Matthew, this happened right before Jesus died:

Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” [Mark 15:34, CEV]

Now, in two of the gospels, these were the very last words that Jesus spoke before he died: “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” [Mark 15:34b, CEV] And even though they may have all kinds of significance in a lot of different ways, at the very least, they’re a reminder that Jesus most definitely felt human emotions, and I’m including those emotions that we often don’t consider particularly spiritual or righteous. I mean, the fear and despair, even doubt in these words sure don’t seem to reflect the kind of courage and confidence and peace that we’d expect a Christian to have in the face of death, now do they? And yet, those are the words Jesus used right before he died on the cross, at least according to both Mark and Matthew, words that, in my opinion, express genuine human emotion. But that’s not the only example of what Jesus actually felt. I mean, just listen to this story, again from the Gospel of Mark:

The next time Jesus went into the synagogue, a man with a paralyzed hand was there. The Pharisees wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, and they kept watching to see if Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath.

Jesus told the man to stand up where everyone could see him. Then he asked, “On the Sabbath should we do good deeds or evil deeds? Should we save someone’s life or destroy it?” But no one said a word.

Jesus was angry as he looked around at the people. Yet he felt sorry for them because they were so stubborn. Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his bad hand was healed. [Mark 3:1-5, CEV]

Or what about this:

Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he told them, “Sit here while I pray.”

Jesus took along Peter, James, and John. He was sad and troubled and told them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”

Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt down on the ground and prayed, “Father, if it is possible, don't let this happen to me! Father, you can do anything. Don't make me suffer by drinking from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want.” [Mark 14:32-36, CEV]

You see, in spite of what we want to believe about him, according to scripture, there were times when Jesus felt angry and disappointed. And there were times when he felt sad and anxious. And if we choose to keep the White Out in the bottle and to hear what Mark and Matthew wrote, there was at least one time when Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, the Son of God, man, there was a least one time when he felt spiritual confusion and doubt, and it was on that cross, facing death. Like us, this guy felt human emotions.

And I’ll tell you, that’s something else that I believe is incredibly important for us to remember. As a matter of fact, I think it may be more important than remembering that Jesus experienced real human needs, and I’ll tell you why. Life is not always fair; we know it. Often it seems like the rotten come out on top while the truly righteous suffer. In other words, bad things happen to good people, don’t they? And no matter how patient and understanding we try to be, I think, from time to time, we all see things that just make us angry and disappointed. And no matter how positive and optimistic we want to be, I think, from time to time, we all encounter situations that leave us sad and anxious. And no matter how faithful and dedicated we assume that we are, I think, from time to time, we all come face to face with something so unexpected and so unimaginable that we become filled with confusion and doubt. Now that happens. Why? Because we’re humans living in a fallen world.

But I’ll tell you, when it does, when those feelings that we don’t want creep into our lives, it’s at those times that we need to remember that Jesus also felt them himself. Jesus felt the anger and the sadness and the confusion. And Jesus felt the disappointment and the anxiety and the doubt. Why? Because he was human too. And I’ll tell you, if we do, if we remember his humanity, rather than experiencing remorse or guilt or shame for what we’re feeling, maybe we’ll be able hear and claim these words that the Apostle Paul shared with the Romans:

What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won't he freely give us everything else? If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death?

In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! [Romans 8:31-35, 37-39, CEV]

You see, when we hear Jesus say from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” [Mark 15:34b, CEV], we can remember that Jesus really did feel human emotions, even the ones we’d prefer to ignore or bury. And that’s the second way he shared our humanity.

Of course, in three weeks, we will have reached Easter, and we’ll be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But to get there, we’re going to pass through Good Friday, the day we remember the crucifixion. And so, in the days we have left, it seems appropriate to spend some time thinking about what Jesus said from the cross, including the two statements we considered this morning. You see, when we hear Jesus say, “I am thirsty!” [John 19:28b, CEV], we can remember that even though he was the Word made flesh, he still experienced human needs. And when we hear him say, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” [Mark 15:34b, CEV], we can remember that Jesus also felt human emotions. And for me, this is the word of humanity we can hear coming from the cross.