The Seven Last Words-The Seventh Word

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed, and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, and said, "Certainly this man was innocent!" And all the multitudes who assembled to see the sight, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and saw these things. (Luke 23: 44-49)

Matthias Grunewald, Isenheimer Altar

The Isenheimer Alter executed for a hospital chapel in the French Provence of Alsace.

Lucas Cranach the Younger (an alterpiece)

Look carefully at this painting. You might discover that the most prominent of the figures gathered at the foot of the cross is Martin Luther. Just as Luther, Christ and others are made contemporary to us by the word and sacraments.

William Johnson, Mount Calvary

Artists often paint reflecting the community they are in. For example, Florentine artists painted Italians at the foot of Christ's cross. Here Johnson depicts his African American community as the Biblical figures.

Edvard Munch, Golgotha

Munch paints death as transforming of not only Christ but also the onlookers at the foot of the cross, whose faces seem as least as skeletal and spectral as his. He was painting in 1900 when many were seeking scientific answers such as Darwinism and others were taking secular approaches to traditional religious motifs. Munch has chosen to paint this anguished scene in a modern rural setting to help us relate the story to our daily life.

The Seven Last Words-The Sixth Word

When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished", and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

Graham Sutherland, The Crucifixion

Artist Graham Sutherland uses his art as an avenue for visual metaphor. He painted this in 1946 and relates the subject matter to the terrible destruction Europe suffered in the Second World War.

Stephen Frost, Crucifix with Antlers

This illustration was painted by Stephen Frost who is an ordained Catholic priest. He has a vast, diversified education that includes time spend studying with the Dalai Lama. Think back to the art of Friedrich, The Cross in the Mountains. Stephen Frost also is his own way is bringing the natural world into solidarity with the death of Jesus. He orchestrates this by placing the antlers of a deer on the image of the crucified Jesus.

Diego Valazquez, Christ on the Cross

And he bowed his head-in this moment we relive through other scripture, times that Jesus bowed his head...in private prayer, in attention to a small unnoticed detail, in consideration of what lay before him, in public worship and in teaching. All this was a foreshadowing of this final bowing of his head.

The Seven Last Words-The Fifth Word

After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the scripture), "I thirst," A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. (John 19: 28-29)

Horace Pippin, The Crucifixion

This is the Crucifixion by Pennsylvania artist, Horace Pippin. Pippin was a self taught folk artist.

Caspar David Friedrich, The Cross in the Mountains

In contrast to Pippin's work, Friedrich painted in the romantic style of the 19th century. The highlight of this period is bringing together man and nature. Here the artist makes Christ the one reconciling man and nature, bringing together the conscious and unconscious.

The Seven Last Words-The Fourth Word

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, la'ma sabachtha'ni?" That is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)

Marc Chagall, Yellow Crucifixion of 1943

In 1943 Marc Chagall was inspired to paint and emphasize Jesus the Rabbi living as a Jew, and dying as Jew. Even while dying on the cross he recited words from the Jewish scriptures. Chagall has painted a world that is about to know the horror of Auschwitz, he accentuates the Jewishness of Jesus in life and in death. Jesus wears a leather pouch containing scrolls with passages of scripture on his head as a devout Jew would. He has prayer straps on his arm, and at his right hand is the scroll of the Torah.

Why hast thou forsaken me? Jesus was not questioning God; he was quoting Psalm 22, a deep expression of anguish he felt when he took on the sins of the world, which caused him to be separated from his Father. 

Antonella da Messina, Christ at the Pillory

From the 6th hour to the 9th hour, noon to three of this day darkness fell over the land. Three hours of mounting physical anguish and now absolute moral and spiritual darkness. Da Messina paints with luminous color applied in a new technique of his time called 'oil painting.' Because of his new found technique with oil paint he was able to achieve the feeling seen in this painting. He introduced oil painting into 15th century Venetian art. His ability to build form with color instead of line and shade would prove to be inspiring to artists for many generations to come.


My God, My God, why hast though forsaken me?" There is no statement to rival this one from Jesus in all the Gospels!

The Seven Last Words-The Third Word

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman behold your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. (John 19: 25b-27)


Even while dying on the cross, Jesus was concerned about his family. He instructed John to care for Mary, Jesus' mother.

Carmen Lomas Garza, Tamalada

Carmen Lomas Garza is a Mexican American artist. She prides herself in painting celebrations of everyday life in the Chicano culture. Here we have a glimpse of a family preparing Tamales-taking care of the family. This also provides an image of the Last Super--finding reflection in the activity of the family.

Faith Ringgold, Church Picnic

Born in Harlem in the 1950's, Faith Ringgold transforms her childhood memories into her art. Here the quilt maker and artist has painted on fabric. She tells the story of a church picnic. Like the story of Lent and Easter it is a story of hope. It is the story of our greater family.

Our families are precious gifts from God, and we should value and care for them under all circumstances. Neither Christian work nor key responsibility in any job or position excuses us from caring for our families. What can you do today to show your love to your family?

The Seven Last Words-The Second Word

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him, "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence. We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23: 39-43)


Luke writes of a strong, gracious Jesus.

 The Life of Christ, Keith Haring

Keith Haring, artist of the 20th century, combines his pop figures with the style of ancient Russian icons. In this altarpiece (which is located in Grace Cathedral in San Francisco) Haring conveys his interpretation of Christ--a cross, a glowing heart, a baby nested in arms, with blessings flowing down equally on all humankind. This last work of love and resurrection was completed two weeks before Haring's death.

Man of Sorrows Between the Virgin and St. John, Nicholas Tzafuris 

This work shows the suffering and death on the cross that was at the opposite end of the earthly ministry of Christ from his baptism. Working on the island of Crete in the years following the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Tzafuris adapted and perhaps "westernized" the Byzantine tradition he'd come from of showing Christ as the Man of Sorrows.

A suffering yet triumphant Jesus, forever in Paradise.

The Seven Last Words-The First Word, part two

"Father forgive them; for they know not what they do."

Charles White, The Prophet

The rose is often used a s a symbol of perfection, and thus of God. This prophet's gaze upon the rose seems to suggest a life centered around the holy. As is said in Jeremiah 31:33, "I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people." 


Jeremiah provides the covenant of the Old Testament. The foundation of the Covenant of the New Testament is Christ. Jesus is saying Father forgive them-we know the way to the kingdom is the way of the cross.

The Seven Last Words-The First Word, part one

Can you recall the seven of our Lord's last words on the cross? These 'seven words'-brief sentences spoken by Him-give us our Savior's sacred parting instructions, messages intended not only for their few immediate listeners on the hill of Calvary, but spoken to all generations by way of Holy Scripture. Nothing that our Lord said or did is without meaning for each of us today. Despite Jesus' agony on the cross, these words do not express desperation or anger, but rather the strength of a person in full command of His faculties to the very end. These seven last phrases are abounding with that immense and far more than human love for us which was unquenchable in our Lord, even by torture and the approach of death. John exemplifies this in chapter 13, verse 1 when he says: "He loved them unto the end."


Over the next few weeks I'll share, an artistic journey from art masters, depicting Christs's last days. I hope you'll return for each post! Let us begin with the first word--

"Father , forgive them; for they know not what they do."

Two others also, who were criminals , were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23: 32-34)

John 19 tells us, when "Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the Man!" (John 19:5). With these words Pontius Pilate was referring to the figure of Jesus as the Man of Sorrows, despised and rejected. This is how artists in the Flemish town of the Bruges from the early sixteenth century have captured the scene. Other translations use the words "behold the Man!" instead of here is the man. This may also be indicating Jesus as the revelation of the mystery of the nature of humanity, the Representative Man.