THE WORDS OF JESUS
ON THE CROSS
Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua
The Department of Mission and
Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria had a colloquium on “peace and
reconciliation” on March 11-15, 2013. Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso presided at
the opening mass on Tuesday March 12, 2013. He said during his homily that a
good word can change a hopeless situation to usher in peace while a bad word
can turn a good relationship into violence. According to Sr. Prof. Theresa
Okure, the “Word has the power to destroy, blame, generate quarrels and fights;
or to build, celebrate, affirm, console, instruct and praise.” [1] The
word reveals the character of a person hence, “everyone will
have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every empty word they have
spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted and by
your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12, 35-37).
Jesus did not contradict his
mission in this situation of pains from the crucifixion. His gracious words on
the cross proved that he is the perfect messiah of the Jewish expectation. The Seven Words on the Cross is expressed
and dramatized in the Catholic devotion of the Way of the Cross at Lent and
Holy Week. This custom is traced back to the religious pilgrimages to the Holy
Land in the middle Ages that gave rise to the fourteen Stations of the Cross.
This is simplified in many booklets especially the booklet on the “Stations of
the Cross” prepared by Msgr. Hypolite Adigwe in 1977 when he was teaching in
Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Major Seminary, Bodija, Ibadan. At the 12th
station, Adigwe call the cross a pulpit where the seven words of Jesus on the Cross were proclaimed as recorded
in Scripture. Let us now reflect on these words.
(1) “Father, forgive them,
for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23, 34).
One would have expected Jesus Christ to be
filled with rage and anger looking down and seeing those who have
caused him emotional and physical pains.
His love took the place of the law of retribution, self defence and
vengeance. This soothing word from the cross is a practical manifestation of
his teaching. “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass
against us” (Matthew 6, 12). Forgive seventy times seven times (Matthew 18,
21-22). “This is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew
26, 27-28). He forgives the paralytic at Capernaum (Mark 2, 5), and the
adulteress who was to be stoned to death (John 8, 1-11). This act of
forgiveness culminates in the sacrament of reconciliation. “If you forgive the
sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are
retained” (John 20:22-23).
(2)”Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke
23, 43).
While the criminal crucified on
the left side of Jesus also mocked him, the affirmation and profession of faith
in Jesus by the other on the right side earned him a space in paradise with
Jesus. If a sinner renounces his or her sins, the ugly past can be forgiven and
forgotten.
(3) “Jesus said to his mother: “Woman, this is your son.” Then he
said to the disciple, John: “This is your mother” (John 19, 26-27).
Simeon had predicted that a sword
shall piece the soul of Mary and thought out of many hearts would be revealed
(Luke 2, 35). In some parts of the world, mothers are not allowed to watch the
death and burial of their children. In this episode Mary witnessed the passion
of her son. She was entrusted to the care of John. The Church who was
symbolically represented by John was entrusted to the care of Mary. For this,
we fly to her patronage because she will not despise our petitions in our
necessity. She will deliver us from all evil given that she has knowledge of
pain and sorrow.
(4)”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27, 4; Mark
15, 34).
This cry shows the humanity of Jesus.
In this cry, Jesus identifies with the pains and sorrows of many people in the
world. There are still people in the
world today who feel forsaken and deserted by God. A lesson from this cry is
that a person is lonely at birth and death. Many people wonder why God should
allow his only begotten son to suffer that much. The passion of Jesus Christ is
difficult for Muslims to comprehend. For Christians, the Muslims have the right
and freedom to believe in the teaching of the Qur’an even though it was revealed
about 600 years after the Crucifixion. The Muslims believe that Allah actually
deceived the people by making the crucifixion of Jesus to appear to have taken
place (Quran 4, 157). But the Christians believe in the authority of the Bible
that God does not deceive and that Jesus actually suffered and died on the
cross.
When a person is born, he or she
cries as a baby, when he or she dies, others cry, let us therefore fill the gap
of these two cries with smiles and laughter instead of killing one another.
Jesus reveals the rigor that a person passes through in the transition from
life to death. This cry is the first verse of Psalm 22. It recalls the cry of
Israel, and of all innocent persons who suffer. Psalm 22 is a prophecy of the
crucifixion of the Messiah. “They have pierced my hands and my feet; they have
numbered all my bones. They divide my garments among them and for my clothing
they cast lots” (Psalm 22, 16-18). This was indeed the hour of evil and
darkness (Luke 22, 53) yet a painful way by which Jesus redeems the world.
“There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus,
himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all” (I Timothy 2, 5-6).
(5)”I thirst” (John 19, 28).
This is another human expression
of the physical suffering of Jesus. However, this thirst surpasses a physical
need. Jesus thirsts for the salvation of the world. Today, he thirsts for peace
and love. He desires that the terrorists should allow other human beings to
coexist with them in the name of the one God of all human beings and their
religions. According to Peter, “He
himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we
might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (I Peter 2,
24).
(6) “It is finished” (John 19, 30).
His suffering is over and his
mission is completed on earth. This should be a lesson for all who have been
stressed to a point of giving up. We pray that we may accomplish our work on
earth. Every Christian should know that Jesus did not promise us a smooth
journey but a safe arrival. The passion of Jesus expresses his Kingship and his
triumphant road to glory. Behold your king (John 19, 14)!
(7) “Father, into your
hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23, 46).
Jesus recalls Psalm 31, 5 in
these words. The centurion saw what had taken place; he praised God and said,
“Certainly this man was innocent” (Luke 23, 47). Jesus died at the ninth hour
(three o’clock in the afternoon), about the same time the Passover lambs were
slaughtered in the Temple. In the words of Paul, “Christ our Passover lamb has
been sacrificed” (I Corinthians 5, 7).
“They are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which
is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be
received by faith” (Romans 3, 24-25). This seventh expression on the cross
confirms Jesus teaching. Jesus came from the Father into the world, now he returns
to the father. “Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life
for his friends” (John 15, 13). Through the cross Jesus has redeemed the world
without a word of anger, defence, retaliation and terror.
[1] Theresa Okure , Alive and
Active” (Publication of the Catholic Biblical Association of Nigeria
CABAN, 2012) P.5
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