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Passion week guide

The seven sayings of Jesus from the cross.

The “Seven Sayings” or “Seven Last Words” are a traditional way of gathering Jesus’ spoken words during the crucifixion from all four Gospels. No single Gospel records all seven, so the familiar sequence is a harmony of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Why are there seven if the reader has more entries?

The chronological reader treats distinct lines as separate speaking entries. The traditional Seven Sayings groups “Woman, behold thy son” and “Behold thy mother” together as one saying, producing the familiar count of seven.

1. “Father, forgive them”

Luke places this prayer at the crucifixion as Jesus asks forgiveness for those acting against him.

2. “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise”

Jesus answers the repentant criminal who asks to be remembered when Jesus comes into his kingdom.

3. “Woman, behold thy son ... Behold thy mother”

John records Jesus addressing his mother and the disciple whom he loved, entrusting them to one another. The reader stores the two direct addresses as adjacent entries.

4. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Matthew and Mark record this cry using words from Psalm 22, pointing readers toward the psalm’s language of suffering.

5. “I thirst”

John explicitly connects this saying with Scripture being fulfilled immediately before Jesus receives vinegar.

6. “It is finished”

John records this immediately before Jesus bows his head and gives up the ghost.

7. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”

Luke records Jesus’ final cry with wording from Psalm 31 before his death.

Continue through the chronology.

Open the crucifixion section in the full reader to see the sayings alongside the surrounding events.

Start with the first saying from the cross →

The ordering shown here is the traditional harmonized sequence. Consult Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23 and John 19 in full for each Gospel’s own presentation.