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The Seven Last Words from the Cross
For at least a century, at special three-hour services on Good Friday, it has been the custom in many churches to reflect on the Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross. In this tradition, Fleming Rutledge here presents seven eloquent meditations on these final sayings of Jesus.
Rutledge links the sayings from the cross with contemporary events and concerns, but also incorporates recent biblical scholarship and modern questions about the death of Christ, particularly in light of Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ . Rutledge shows how each word or saying from the Cross affords an opportunity for readers to gain a deeper understanding of the horrific death suffered by Jesus.
Intending for this book to lead readers into a genuine devotional experience, Rutledge has made every effort to evoke and preserve the contemplative atmosphere of the three-hour Good Friday memorial. The book includes frequent references to hymns associated with this special day, and each meditation ends with an appropriate hymn text for personal prayer and reflection.
Rutledge links the sayings from the cross with contemporary events and concerns, but also incorporates recent biblical scholarship and modern questions about the death of Christ, particularly in light of Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ . Rutledge shows how each word or saying from the Cross affords an opportunity for readers to gain a deeper understanding of the horrific death suffered by Jesus.
Intending for this book to lead readers into a genuine devotional experience, Rutledge has made every effort to evoke and preserve the contemplative atmosphere of the three-hour Good Friday memorial. The book includes frequent references to hymns associated with this special day, and each meditation ends with an appropriate hymn text for personal prayer and reflection.
91 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
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October 20, 2024Excellent. Read for Holy Week 2020
Read for a silent retreat in October 2024
Read for a silent retreat in October 2024
April 1, 2022
Excellent mediations on the words of Jesus from the cross.
Great read for Lent or Holy Week.
Full disclosure: I didn’t know who Rutledge was when I purchased the book, and I didn’t investigate until I was nearly finished. And while I am certainly not in alignment with all of her views theologically and practically, the words and ideas she offers in this volume transcend theological divides and get at the beautiful and terrible power of the Cross of Christ. I only bring this up because I imagine if I’d been more familiar with the author prior to picking up the book I might never have read it…and for this reason I’m glad I was blissfully unfamiliar - because this was a profoundly nourishing visitation to Calvary for me this year.
Great read for Lent or Holy Week.
Full disclosure: I didn’t know who Rutledge was when I purchased the book, and I didn’t investigate until I was nearly finished. And while I am certainly not in alignment with all of her views theologically and practically, the words and ideas she offers in this volume transcend theological divides and get at the beautiful and terrible power of the Cross of Christ. I only bring this up because I imagine if I’d been more familiar with the author prior to picking up the book I might never have read it…and for this reason I’m glad I was blissfully unfamiliar - because this was a profoundly nourishing visitation to Calvary for me this year.
February 28, 2023
A good, quick Lent read. Nothing too life changing but I appreciated the book nonetheless.
March 14, 2024
Amazing theology! Some profound ideas.
May 11, 2022
I only discovered Fleming Rutledge a few months ago and what a find!. Her output is not large but that means she's only publishing the Good Stuff. Several books are more or less reprints of her sermons which actually gives her chapters the advantage of good sermons : brevity, clarity, precision, pith. I can't wait to read her book, The Crucifixion. And just in time for Easter!
November 5, 2025
There’s good stuff in these sermons. Once again, I’m amazed at how seamlessly Rutledge weaves the news into her sermons, in a way which connects what is happening in people’s hearts today to the weight of scripture. If my memory serves me right, I think I prefer this volume to her more recent collection of Good Friday sermons…
April 2, 2021
In tune with the Holy Week of the Passion of our Christ, for this Good Friday I perused this fine little book from Fleming Rutledge to understand more about the Seven Sayings of our Lord from the Cross.
Rutledge eloquently reflected & preached each seven sayings in front of the pulpit, combining her bible reading with contemporary events at that time & her update of biblical scholarship, delivered with pastoral sensitivity.
Along times we learned about the seven traditional sayings of the cross:
- "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"
- "Verily I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me in Paradise"
- "Woman, behold thy son! ... Behold thy mother!"
- "My God, my God, why halt thou forsaken me?"
- "I thirst"
- "It is finished"
- "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit"
Rutledge guided us to see each sentence with its ties to the Old Testament, especially Psalms, the scriptural language that Jesus grew up with, & how he fulfills them in his lifetime & at the cross. She also brought social contexts at the time of Crucifixion along with the social contexts of her time, intending her delivery to be relevant with both the communal & personal struggles of the pulpit.
At the end of each meditation, we are asked to sing & ponder on hymns that can help us understand the meditations even deeper. It gave me deep refreshments, learning to understand His deep sacrifice, brought within my context of daily struggles & disappointment with myself.
Her meditations are often consisting of things I already knew, so there is not much of new informational insights. Rather, it is full of new devotional insights, on how to delve deeper, to relate one's understanding of the saying to the other, & learning to see that Crucifixion is the will of the Triune God, achieved in unison; evidence of Jesus's relentless obedience to His calling on this vain earth.
Reading this short book is a revelation, an invitation to deeper empathy with the context of the Crucifixion, & an invitation to live out our gratitude stemming from His sacrifice that completes everything.
Rutledge eloquently reflected & preached each seven sayings in front of the pulpit, combining her bible reading with contemporary events at that time & her update of biblical scholarship, delivered with pastoral sensitivity.
Along times we learned about the seven traditional sayings of the cross:
- "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"
- "Verily I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me in Paradise"
- "Woman, behold thy son! ... Behold thy mother!"
- "My God, my God, why halt thou forsaken me?"
- "I thirst"
- "It is finished"
- "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit"
Rutledge guided us to see each sentence with its ties to the Old Testament, especially Psalms, the scriptural language that Jesus grew up with, & how he fulfills them in his lifetime & at the cross. She also brought social contexts at the time of Crucifixion along with the social contexts of her time, intending her delivery to be relevant with both the communal & personal struggles of the pulpit.
At the end of each meditation, we are asked to sing & ponder on hymns that can help us understand the meditations even deeper. It gave me deep refreshments, learning to understand His deep sacrifice, brought within my context of daily struggles & disappointment with myself.
Her meditations are often consisting of things I already knew, so there is not much of new informational insights. Rather, it is full of new devotional insights, on how to delve deeper, to relate one's understanding of the saying to the other, & learning to see that Crucifixion is the will of the Triune God, achieved in unison; evidence of Jesus's relentless obedience to His calling on this vain earth.
Reading this short book is a revelation, an invitation to deeper empathy with the context of the Crucifixion, & an invitation to live out our gratitude stemming from His sacrifice that completes everything.
June 16, 2021
This book is the published fruit of a series of Good Friday meditations that Rutledge preached in 2002 and 2003, and it was a welcome companion for a sermon series I preached through the Seven Sayings.
In her meditations, Rutledge vividly captures the crucifixion scene, showing how “the Cross in reality is, by a very long way, the most irreligious, unspiritual object ever to find its way into the heart of faith” (6). She mingles first-century description with contemporary illustrations, drawing from the vocabulary of lynchings and the abuse of prisoners of war to reinforce the deep realities of Golgotha. And there are personal anecdotes to show the enduring relevance of the sayings too.
Although these are short homilies, there is still a close engagement with the actual text of the crucifixion accounts, including occasional mentions of Greek. She carefully shows how the third saying (“woman, behold your son”) is not just a Mother’s Day text and how the fifth saying (“I thirst”) points to the Son’s sovereignty as well as his humanity.
Through all of this, Rutledge’s aim is to lead us to a greater sense of wonder and worship, and that’s exactly what these meditations do—with a hymn at the close of each chapter for good measure. This is an excellent book for people who are familiar with the seven sayings but want to experience them afresh.
In her meditations, Rutledge vividly captures the crucifixion scene, showing how “the Cross in reality is, by a very long way, the most irreligious, unspiritual object ever to find its way into the heart of faith” (6). She mingles first-century description with contemporary illustrations, drawing from the vocabulary of lynchings and the abuse of prisoners of war to reinforce the deep realities of Golgotha. And there are personal anecdotes to show the enduring relevance of the sayings too.
Although these are short homilies, there is still a close engagement with the actual text of the crucifixion accounts, including occasional mentions of Greek. She carefully shows how the third saying (“woman, behold your son”) is not just a Mother’s Day text and how the fifth saying (“I thirst”) points to the Son’s sovereignty as well as his humanity.
Through all of this, Rutledge’s aim is to lead us to a greater sense of wonder and worship, and that’s exactly what these meditations do—with a hymn at the close of each chapter for good measure. This is an excellent book for people who are familiar with the seven sayings but want to experience them afresh.
April 14, 2024
I cannot commend this book highly enough. Short as it is it is full of deep theological and spiritual truth that will reward and nourish anyone who reads and meditates through it. Journey through the Gospels’s depictions of Our Lord’s crucifixion in the seven final sayings from the cross and see afresh hoe much the Author and Sustainer of life has done for you.
April 2, 2018
I love Rutledge's take on pretty much everything that pertains to faith, and this book is no different. I used it as the basis to write seven devotionals for our Good Friday prayer. Wonderful resource!
March 18, 2022
This is an excellent primer to get one thinking and reflecting on the meaning of Good Friday and Christ’s sayings on the cross.
“Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
The slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered;
For our atonement, while we nothing heeded, God interceded.”
“Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
The slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered;
For our atonement, while we nothing heeded, God interceded.”
January 21, 2024
A collection of seven brief sermons (or essays) on the last seven words of Christ. Easy to read but profound in the depth of the meaning of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. References to current events also make it relatable. Read this again!
March 30, 2018
Thank God for Fleming Rutledge. Reading this might well become a Good Friday tradition. Wise, learned, affecting, faithful.
January 1, 2020
Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!
November 10, 2020
Seven sermons on the seven final words of Jesus on the cross. These were briefer than I was hoping but otherwise this is the Rutledge we have come to expect and appreciate.
March 25, 2021
Good, simple, but meaningful study of the seven words of Christ from the cross.
March 16, 2023
Will be reading this every year leading up to Easter. What an important contemplation about what we’ve been given IN Christ.
April 7, 2023
Wonderfully thoughtful and grounded Good Friday read.
November 8, 2016
A wonderful meditation for Good Friday or Holy Week. Fleming Rutledge is masterful!
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July 26, 2017A timely book to read during Holy Week. This is the first I've read of Rutledge; it certainly won't be my last.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews