Jesus hung on the cross for only about six hours, from about 9 am until about 3 pm. Typically, a crucified victim might persist for two or three days on the cross. You may recall that Pilate expressed his surprise when informed that Jesus had died so quickly.

During those six hours on the cross, Jesus said several things. These final statements have become some of the most well-known of all the things that Jesus said.

The NT records seven final statements that Jesus made as he hung on the cross. These statements are recorded throughout the Gospel accounts, although not any one single Gospel record contains them all. And we don’t know with certainty the precise order in which Jesus said these things. When we put together all four Gospel accounts and try to put these sayings in order, we find these seven statements.

Today I’d like to look at those statements and consider what they tell us. What does Jesus teach us from the cross?