Words from the Cross

It's only a bit after the fact, but I thought I'd post this Good Friday confession I wrote for our Tenebre service last weekend. It's a confessional meditation based on the seven words of Christ from the cross.


The Seven Words of Christ
from the Cross:

The gospels tell us of seven things that our Lord Jesus Christ spoke from the cross as they crucified him. Let’s use his seven words from the cross to teach us true righteousness and to direct us in confessing our sin to him:

1. When they came to the place called the skull, they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
God, we confess that we have sinned against you. We’ve walked roads that led to death instead of to life with you. We sinned in ignorance: we really didn’t know what we were doing.
Please show us our sin today, so that we might turn to you and discover that we are included in Christ’s prayer for our forgiveness.

 2. One of the criminals hurled insults at him... but the other said: “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.”
God, we confess that so often we’ve lived like that first criminal: we’ve spurned your grace, we’ve rejected your love, we’ve made light of your salvation. We heaped insults upon you.
Remind us today that you promise the joy of paradise to the repentant. Enable us now to repent and receive your grace in this world, and in the world to come.

 3. When Jesus saw his mother standing there, and the disciple whom he loved standing near by, he said: “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”
God, in his hour of greatest suffering Jesus showed compassion for the sufferings of others. He made arrangements for his grieving mother’s care. We confess that so often we’ve not lived like that. Instead we’ve let the burdens of our own petty crosses turn us inward, and harden us, and blind us to the need of those around us.
Lead us out of ourselves. Turn our eyes outward. Enlarge our hearts and give us the compassion of Jesus.

4. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which means: my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
God, we confess that it was our own God-forsakenness, that Jesus tasted in that moment.
We confess those times we when we were blind You, because our grief and despair was so heavy. We thought you’d abandoned us.
We confess those times we’ve tried to pretend that things were all shiny and happy with you, when in truth our hearts were breaking. We didn’t believe you could handle our hurts.
We confess those times when we wallowed in our feelings of God-forsakenness, out of pride. Because what we really wanted was to have things our own way, even if that led us away from you.

 5. Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
God, Jesus taught us to quench his thirst by quenching the thirst of those around us. We confess that we have not been faithful in this: we have seen people hurt and not helped. We have seen people on the outside and not welcomed them in. We have seen people persecuted and not prayed. We’ve turned Jesus away thirsty.
O blessed saviour, who thirsted for our forgiveness, give us the water of life. Relieve our deepest spiritual thirst now. And lead us to bring this relief to others.

 6. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”God, we confess that we’ve tried to add to the finished work of the cross.
Those times when thought we had to earn your acceptance by our own merit. Those times when we thought we could make things right between us and you on our own. Those times when we doubted that what you did through the cross was enough. When we wouldn’t let your grace be sufficient for us.
We confess that now and turn to you in faith.

 7. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
Father, your Son Jesus Christ committed his spirit into your hands.
Through out our lives, in our joys and in our trials and at the moment of our death, grant that we too may entrust our lives into your loving hands. In the name of Jesus, who gave his life for us all we pray.
Amen.