This past Friday was Good Friday in the western Christian world. And for the seventh year in a row I was invited to be one of the seven preachers for a Service of the Seven Last Words of Christ. This is a service that lasts from noon until 3 pm - the hours that Scriptures say Christ hung on the cross. The seven words (or phrases) come from the accounts in all four gospels.

Each year when I have been invited to preach, I have been given the opportunity to choose which word I will preach on. And each year I chose a new word. And this year I chose the only word that I had not yet studied and preached on. It is the sixth word: "It is finished."

So here is my complete set of sermons for the Service of the Seven Last Words of Christ:

First words: "Father, forgive them."

Second words: "Truly I tell you"

Third words: "Woman, here is your son."

Fourth words: "I am thirsty."

Fifth words: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Sixth words: "It is finished."

Seventh words: "Father into your hands"

I love that I have had the opportunity to preach on all of the words already in my young career as a pastor. Who knows if I will have the chance to preach in such a service again in the future. If I do, I will gladly accept. And maybe I'll start a new set.

 

This past Friday was Good Friday in the western Christian world. And for the seventh year in a row I was invited to be one of the seven preachers for a Service of the Seven Last Words of Christ. This is a service that lasts from noon until 3 pm - the hours that Scriptures say Christ hung on the cross. The seven words (or phrases) come from the accounts in all four gospels.

Each year when I have been invited to preach, I have been given the opportunity to choose which word I will preach on. And each year I chose a new word. And this year I chose the only word that I had not yet studied and preached on. It is the sixth word: "It is finished."

So here is my complete set of sermons for the Service of the Seven Last Words of Christ:

First words: "Father, forgive them."

Second words: "Truly I tell you"

Third words: "Woman, here is your son."

Fourth words: "I am thirsty."

Fifth words: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Sixth words: "It is finished."

Seventh words: "Father into your hands"

I love that I have had the opportunity to preach on all of the words already in my young career as a pastor. Who knows if I will have the chance to preach in such a service again in the future. If I do, I will gladly accept. And maybe I'll start a new set.