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「十字七言」指的是耶穌被釘在十字架上，臨死之前的最後七句遺言。許多偉大的音樂家、藝術家都從這七句話中得到靈感，將之放在他們的美術和音樂作品中。
海頓於1786年所寫的神劇── “Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze”（譯：“我們的救主在十字架上的最後七言”），算是他的巔峰之作。從序曲的第一個音開始，就充滿了悲傷的氣氛。接著，長達一個小時痛絕悲鳴的七個樂段，每個樂段分別唱出耶穌的其中一言。在七言全部唱完之後，海頓用“大地震”作為終曲，非常震撼。
另外，法英畫家──約翰 . 法斯托福（Sir John Fastolf）約於1430年畫了一幅畫叫做 “The Crucifixion and The Seven Last Words of Christ”（譯：基督受難及與七言）。在這幅畫裡，耶穌已垂死在十字架上，血從他頭至腳踝所有的傷口裡流出來。耶穌的母親馬利亞及其他一些聖徒站在他的腳下，抬頭用悲慟的神情仰望著他。耶穌口裡冒出七句話，每一句話都用七張白色紙條，如七條流水般，從他口中“吐”出來。畫家用拉丁文仔細地寫下耶穌所說的每一個字。除了海頓和法斯托福之外，還有許多藝術創作，都是受聖經十架七言之靈感而生的，不在此一一列舉。
其實除了聖經記載之外，歷史的事實是，我們不太可能知道耶穌被釘十字架時說了什麼話，因為當時沒有人在現場做筆錄，耶穌的門徒也早就溜之大吉了。可是今天全世界的人都想知道，如此關鍵性時刻，耶穌在世的最後幾分鐘，到底說了什麼要遺留給世人的話呢？
基督徒一般都認為，雖然當時沒有目擊者記錄下來耶穌的遺言，但是「聖經都是神所默示的，於教訓、督責、使人歸正、教導人學義都是有益的。」（提摩太後書3章16節）既然這些作者受到聖靈的啟示，即使沒有證人，聖靈保惠師即是最佳證人。
另有專家解釋，耶穌復活後（參部落格：殭屍啟示錄），在升天之前，用了四十天的時間向門徒顯現，「對他們講論神的國」（使徒行傳 1：3）。 在那四十天裡，耶穌有足夠的機會將他們不在時發生在他身上的所有事情都告訴門徒才會有此紀錄。
其實如果把四福音書分開來看，會發覺每一本福音書對耶穌在十字架上說的話都不盡相同；換句話說，沒有一個福音書紀錄了全部完整的「十架七言」。這七句話是後來的人將四位福音書作者零碎的句子結合在一起，才變成七個句子的。
「七」，這個數目字在聖經裡有一個特殊的地位：上帝在六天內創造天地，第七天休息（創世記 1；2：1-2）；上帝應許挪亞他不再用洪水毀滅世界，並用七色彩虹來紀念這個盟約（創世記 9：8-15）；亞伯拉罕將七隻母羊羔獻給亞比米勒王，彼此立約作為他挖井的證據（創世記 21：22-31）；上帝吩咐以色列人每逢七年的末一年要取消相互的所有債務，並釋放他們的奴隸（申命記 15：1-2, 12）； 約書亞和以色列軍隊圍繞耶利哥城遊行七天七次，在第七天，七位祭司吹號角後，城牆就塌陷至平（約書亞記 6：1-20）；先知以利沙指示亞蘭國元帥──麻瘋病人乃縵，在約旦河中沐浴七次以得到醫治（列王記下 5：9-10, 14）；大衛王描述神話語之純淨 「如同銀子在泥做的爐中煉過七次」（詩篇 12：6）；當彼得問耶穌我們要原諒別人多少次，耶穌回答說：「七十次七」次（馬太福音 18：21-22）；約翰在啟示錄寫七封信給亞西亞的七個教會：「但願從那昔在今在以後永在的神，和他寶座前的七靈。」（啟示錄1：4）；甚至還有人分析耶穌的主禱文共包含了七項祈求。「七」的例子在聖經裡不勝枚舉，因此「七」，通常象徵「完成」或「完美」(請參閱部落格耶穌家譜）。我們更可以理解，為什麼耶穌在十架上的最後幾句話被組合成「七言」。
以下是「十架七言」一般被公認的先後順序：
1.「父啊，赦免他們！因為他們所做的他們不曉得。」（路加福音 23：34）
2. 「我實在告訴你：今日你要同我在樂園裡了！」（路加福音 23：43）
3. 耶穌在十字架上對約翰說「母親，看，你的兒子！」 又對那門徒說：「看，你的母親！」（約翰福音 19：26-27）
4. 「以羅伊！以羅伊！拉馬撒巴各大尼？」翻出來就是：「我的神！我的神！為什麼離棄我？」（馬可福音15：34）；「以利！以利！拉馬撒巴各大尼？」就是說：「我的神！我的神！為什麼離棄我？」（馬太福音 27：46）
5. 「我渴了。」（約翰福音 19：28）
6. 「成了！」（約翰福音 19：30）
7. 「父啊，我將我的靈魂交在你手裡！」（路加福音 23：46）
因為現代聖經所有的書卷都裝訂在一起，所以讀者順理成章會像看小說一樣，一章章地照著順序往下讀。加上，四福音書的內容非常相像，尤其是介於馬太與馬可這兩部福音書。有人曾做過比較，發覺在馬可福音的 661 節經文裡，其中約 90% 的經文與馬太福音相同；約 65% 的馬可經文與路加福音相同。 此外，路加福音和馬太福音共有約 230 節經文沒有出現在馬可福音中（註：參 “Did Matthew, Mark and Luke Copy Each Other?” By Garrett Best）。也因如此，我們就更覺得如果把它們混合在一起，不但不會混淆事實，反而可以互補，讓它更完整；也就是說，馬可福音沒寫的東西，可以在馬太福音裡面找到，路加福音缺少的資料，從約翰福音那邊抓出來。其實這種唸法會產生很大的問題。我相信古今中外的作者，聖經不除外，每位作者都有他們的特點跟他們想著重的觀點，我們應該分開尊重每位作者，讓他們表達他們想要說的話，不要假設他是在說另一本福音書所說的話，要不然我們就沒有機會去認真理解、比較每位作者想要跟我們溝通的信息了。從不同的作者，我們可以看到他們不同的思考角度所寫出來的內容，可以讓我們有所學習。我相信如果今天你我各寫一篇小說，我們也都會希望讀者能夠獨立接受我們個人的說法，來評估我們所寫內容的價值，而不要把我倆寫的內容混為一談，然後另做結論。
馬可福音
從歷史的角度來看，馬可福音是最古老的福音書，它寫於公元70年，也就是耶穌死後約40年左右寫的。因此，一般聖經學者都同意，馬太福音或路加福音如果跟馬可有雷同之處，十之八九是後者“抄襲”或“參考”前者。而馬可福音被歷史學家視為最可靠的原因，不僅在於它在時間點上更接近於它所記錄的事件，而且是因為他寫的敘述，一般來說，最直接了當，最沒有修飾或涉及解釋內容的含義。在他的記錄裡面，走往各各他路上的耶穌，是一個緘默不語的耶穌。有人說這是因為他要說的話已經都說過了；有人說因為他身心疲憊，話說不出口；也有人說這是為了實現以賽亞53章7節的預言：「他被欺壓，在受苦的時候卻不開口。他像羊羔被牽到宰殺之地，又像羊在剪毛的人手下無聲，他也是這樣不開口。」更有人解釋說，當你充滿罪惡時，你無法聽到上帝的聲音，你也無法開口（以賽亞書6：1-8）。耶穌當時聽不見，也無法開口，因為在那一刻，他承擔了全人類的全部罪孽。也有人問，會不會是因為耶穌太訝異，自己竟然真的要走這一條路，驚嚇之餘，不知如何啟口？
依照馬可福音的記載，耶穌被釘上十字架後，從他身邊經過的人都嗤笑辱罵他，連文士、祭司長都戲弄他。而耶穌在十架上，快斷氣時只用亞蘭文喊出唯一的一句話：「我的神！我的神！為什麼離棄我？」這是一個非常撼人心魄的描繪。他的門徒們都逃之夭夭了，其中的一位門徒──猶大，出賣了他；另一個門徒──彼得，三次不認他。耶穌死的時候，全部的人都離棄他，甚至他自己都覺得被上帝遺棄了。馬可福音裡的耶穌，死的時候是孤單、是淒涼的。
路加福音
繼馬可福音15年後才寫的路加福音，改變了耶穌釘十字架的形象。可能對於路加福音作者而言，上帝遺棄耶穌不是一個好的結尾，所以在他的福音書裡，耶穌被描繪成甘願死去，願意去見他的父親。 耶穌往各各他的路上，並非像馬可福音形容的沉默，反之，他講了不少話。當時有些婦女在路邊為耶穌嚎啕痛哭時，「耶穌轉身對他們說：耶路撒冷的女子，不要為我哭，當為自己和自己的兒女哭。 因為日子要到，人必說：不生育的，和未曾懷胎的，未曾如養嬰孩的，有福了！那時，人要向大山說：倒在我們身上！向小山說：遮蓋我們！這些事既行在有汁水的樹上，那枯乾的樹將來怎麼樣呢？」（路加福音 23：28-31）耶穌被釘上十字架之後，在他腳下的兵丁官府都在嗤笑他，但耶穌仍然保有他一向有的慈愛心腸，就如他對路旁的那些婦女說的話一樣，完全無私，反倒向父神禱告：「父啊，赦免他們！因為他們所做的他們不曉得。」（路加福音 23：34）當跟耶穌同釘的兩個犯人其中之一譏笑耶穌時，耶穌都還能夠在十字架上很有智性的跟他們進行交談。其中一個囚犯說：「你不是基督嗎？可以救自己和我們吧！」另一個犯人就責備他說：「你既是一樣受刑的，還不怕神嗎？我們是應該的，因我們所受的與我們所做的相稱，但這個人沒有做過一件不好的事。就說：耶穌啊，你得國降臨的時候，求你記念我！」耶穌就對他說：「我實在告訴你，今日你要同我在樂園裡了。」（路加福音23：39-43）在這之後，耶穌並沒有說：「神哪，你為什麼離棄我！」他知道神並沒有離棄他，他知道他死了之後靈魂交在誰的手裡。所以他喊著說：「父阿！我將我的靈魂交在你手裡。」然後他氣就斷了（路加福音23：46）。
馬太福音
在四福音中，馬太福音最接近猶太基督教傳統。他比其它四福音更廣泛地引用舊約，並特別強調耶穌應驗的預言。因此跟馬可作者一樣，他在27：46引用了詩篇22：1「我的神， 我的神！為甚麼離棄我？為甚麼遠離不救我？不聽我唉哼的言語？」但在耶穌斷氣之後，不像馬可福音，只有形容天變黑及幔子斷裂；馬太福音的描述，相對顯得戲劇化許多：「忽然，殿裡的幔子從上到下裂為兩半，地也震動，磐石也崩裂，墳墓也開了，已睡聖徒的身體多有起來的。 到耶穌復活以後，他們從墳墓裡出來，進了聖城，向許多人顯現。」（馬太福音 27：51-53）對於那些從墳墓裡走出來的這件事，目前實在無法以科學或理性來解釋。至於他們還進了聖城，「向許多人顯現」之說法，死人活現更不是件尋常事，為什麼如此戲劇性的歷史性事件，在幾年前的馬可福音作者完全沒有紀錄（請參閱部落格: 殭屍啟示錄)？而在兩三年後寫作的路加福音和二十年後的約翰的作者，同樣，一字未提？確實令人不解。
約翰福音
在約翰福音中所敘述的耶穌是那位「太初有道，道與神同在，道就是神。這道太初與神同在。萬物是藉著他造的；凡被造的，沒有一樣不是藉著他造的。」的神（約翰福音1：1-3）。約翰福音作者把重點放在耶穌和上帝的平等性。他是自有永有，是先存共存的。因為他預先知道了一切，因此當他宣布他的受難已經「成了！」的時候，耶穌道成肉身的使命就成全了。
在馬可福音，十架上的耶穌是一個被遺棄的耶穌；在路加福音，十架上的耶穌清楚他的靈魂將之去處；在約翰福音，十字架上的耶穌成全了神要他在世上的履行的任務。整合了四個福音書之後，我們看到的是一幅完美的景象──希望，不是絕望。所有的基督徒都想要在耶穌身上找到希望，沒有人想要以悲劇收場。
就如海頓的神劇鉅作一樣，在他「十架七言」的最後一個樂章，耶穌一死，海頓曲風一變，奔放的音符毫不停頓地釋放出激烈的地震之怒，就是馬太福音所述的地震和磐石的崩裂。海頓一陣天搖地動，在強烈、錯愕、突擊的情緒中，銅管澎湃的高昂的齊聲，所用飛快和令人不安的交叉節奏，與之前所有沉思悲哀的樂章形成了強烈的對比。他以一個劇力萬鈞的快板終結。以下為此曲最後一段歌詞：
Er ist nicht mehr. 他不在世了。
Der Erde Tiefen schallen wider: Er ist nicht mehr! 地的深處發出聲響說：他根本不屬於這裡！
Erzittre, Golgatha, erzittre! Er starb auf deinen Höhen. 各各他，重重的震動！他就在高處上死了。
O Sonne, fleuch und leuchte diesem Tage nicht! 喔！太陽，那日遁逃不照耀！
Zerreiße, zerreiße, Land, worauf die Mörder stehen! 裂開，裂開，土地，在殺人兇手之上裂開！
Ihr Gräber, tut euch auf, ihr Väter, steigt ans Licht! 墳墓，開口，先祖都復活！
Das Erdreich, das euch deckt, ist ganz mit Blut befleckt. 大地上的寶血，覆蓋了我們。
海頓的做法引發了這兩百多年來驚駭聽眾的沉思：基督的受難莫非不是故事的終結？人們不希望以馬可福音的絕望做結束，因為他們相信耶穌生命結束帶來的勝利，才是基督教教導的核心。希望讀者不要忘了，「十架七言」是四位不同的作者在三十年之久的間隔所結合的創作。如此完整的結合，終究將勝利的信息帶出來了。但是我們是不是應該自問，這個訊息正確嗎？
The Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross
"The Seven Last Words of Jesus" is referred to as Jesus' final seven words before dying on the cross. Many great musicians and artists have been inspired by these seven words and incorporated them into their works of art and music.
For example, Joseph Haydn's oratorio written in 1786, "Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze"( translated as "The Last Seven Words of Our Savior on the Cross") contains seven main meditative sections based on seven words attributed to Jesus during his crucifixion. This hour-long composition sets the stage for a profound, contemplative drama. The sorrowful atmosphere emerges in this magnificent piece from the very first note on in the prelude. The following seven segments are presented in accordance with one of Jesus' seven words. Haydn then used "Great Earthquake" to end with a powerful finale.
Around 1430, French/English painter Sir John Fastolf created "The Crucifixion and The Seven Last Words of Christ". In this painting, Jesus is dying on the cross, his wounds oozing blood from head to ankles. Mary, Jesus's mother, and several other saints stand at his feet, mournfully looking up at him. Seven sentences were "spit out" of Jesus' mouth, each one like seven long white sheets of paper or seven streams of water. Every word Jesus said in Latin was meticulously crafted by the artist.
Truthfully, apart from the Biblical records, we are unlikely to know what Jesus said when he was crucified (Please refer to my blog post: Zombie Apocalypse) because Jesus' disciples had already fled, and no one was there to take notes. But today, people all over the world want to know exactly what Jesus said at such a critical moment in those last few minutes of his life.
Although no eyewitnesses were present at the time to record Jesus' final words, Christians generally believe that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16). Even if there were no witnesses, they believe that the Holy Spirit is the best witness, and because the writers were inspired by the Holy Spirit, the biblical account must be reliable.
According to some explanations, Jesus appeared to his disciples and spoke to them "about the kingdom of God" for forty days after his resurrection before ascending to heaven (Acts 1:3). During those forty days, Jesus had numerous opportunities to tell them about everything that had happened to him while they were not present, hence, the account was later recorded firsthand in a sense.
If you examine the four Gospels individually, you will notice that each Gospel says something different about what Jesus said on the cross; in other words, none of the Gospels records the complete version of "seven last words of Jesus on the cross". These “seven words” were formed later by combining fragmented sentences from the four Gospels.
"Seven" is a very significant number in the Bible: God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day (Genesis 1; 2:1-2); God promised Noah that he would never destroy the world with floods and commemorated this covenant with a rainbow of seven colors (Genesis 9:8-15); Abraham swore his oath by giving Abimelech seven ewe lambs as a witness to the treaty they had agreed upon (Genesis 21:22-31); God commanded the Israelites that they shall grant a release of all debts and free their slaves every seven years (Deuteronomy 15:1-2, 12); Joshua and the army of Israel marched around the city of Jericho seven times in seven days, and on the seventh day, the priest blows the trumpet, and the whole army gives a loud shout, and the wall collapses to the ground (Joshua 6:1-20); Prophet Elisha instructs the commander of King Aram's army, Naaman, to bathe seven times in the Jordan River to be healed from his leprosy ( 2 King 5:14); King David described the flawlessness of God's words as “like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times (Psalm 12:6); When Peter asked Jesus how many times we must forgive others, Jesus replied, "Seventy times seven times" (Matthew 18:21-22); In the book of Revelation, John wrote seven letters to the seven churches in Asia: God “who is, and who was, and who is to come, as well as the seven spirits who stand before his throne” (Revelation 1:4). Some even argue that Jesus's “Lord's Prayer” contains seven petitions (Luke 11:2–4; Matthew 6:9–13) .There are many more examples of "seven" in the Bible. Because "seven" usually symbolizes "completion" or "perfection”(Please refer to my blog post: Genealogy of Jesus), it helps us to better understand why the last words of Jesus on the cross were combined into "seven” words.
The sequence of the last seven words is generally understood as follows:
1. "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
2. "I tell you the truth: you'll be with me in Paradise today!" (Luke 23:43)
3. On the cross, Jesus said to John, "Mother, behold, your son!" and to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" (John 19:26-27)
4. "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" Which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me." (Mark 15:34)
"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? Which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
"(Matthew 27:46)
5. "I'm thirsty," (John 19:28)
6. "It's completed!
" (John 19:30)
7. "Father, I commit my spirit to Your hands!
" (Luke 23:46)
Because the books of the modern day Bible are bound together, it makes sense for readers to read each book in a sequential order, chapter by chapter, as they would a novel. The contents of the four Gospels are strikingly similar, particularly between Matthew and Mark. A comparison was conducted, and it was discovered that approximately 90% of the 661 verses in the Gospel of Mark are the same as Matthew; approximately 65% of the verses in Mark are the same as the Gospel of Luke. Furthermore, approximately 230 verses in Luke and Matthew do not appear in Mark's Gospel (Note: see "Did Matthew, Mark, and Luke Copy Each Other?" by Garrett Best). As a result, Christians believe that combining them will not only clarify the facts, but these Gospels also complement each other and hence, more “complete”; that is, what is not written in the Gospel of Mark can be found in the Gospel of Matthew; and what is missing in the Gospel of Luke is taken from the Gospel of John. Unfortunately, this way of thinking is problematic. I believe that any authors, whether in ancient or modern times, including the Bible, have distinct characteristics and points of view they wish to emphasize. We should respect each author separately and allow them to voice themselves rather than imagining they are saying the same thing. If we mix them up like potpourri, we would not be able to seriously understand and compare what each writer wanted to communicate to us, and see what each Gospel wrote independently. We should learn from each author and look at what they wrote from their own various angles and perspectives. I believe that if you and I each wrote a novel today, we would surely hope that readers accept our personal statements independently to evaluate the worth of what we wrote, rather than combining our contents and drawing a new conclusion.
The Gospel of Mark
Historians regard the Gospel of Mark as the most reliable because it is the oldest and closest in time to the events it records. It was written around AD 70, 40 years after Jesus' death. As a result, most biblical scholars agree that if there are any similarities between Mark, Matthew, or Luke's Gospel, it is the latter two that "plagiarized" or "referenced" the former nine times out of ten. The narratives written in Mark are also, in general, the most straightforward and rational, with the least modification or elaboration. In Mark’s accounts, Jesus on the road to Golgotha is a silent Jesus. Some believe it was because he had already said all he wanted to say; others believe it was to fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah 53:7: "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." Some even claimed that when you are full of sin, you cannot hear God's voice or open your mouth (Isaiah 6:1-8). Jesus couldn't hear or speak because he was carrying all of humanity's sins at the time. Some speculated that it could be because Jesus was so overwhelmed that he had to take this path, and he was terrified and didn't know what to say.
According to Mark's Gospel, after Jesus was crucified, passers-by laughed at him, even scribes and chief priests mocked and insulted him. When Jesus was about to die on the cross, he only said one sentence in Aramaic: "My God! My God! Why have you abandoned me? " This is a horrifying scene. One of his disciples, Judas, betrayed him, and the other, Peter, denied him three times. When Jesus died, everyone abandoned him, and he even felt that God abandoned him. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus died alone and desolate.
The Gospel of Luke
Luke's Gospel, written 15 years after Mark's, altered the image of Jesus' crucifixion. Perhaps the writer of Luke's Gospel felt that God abandoning Jesus was not a desirable ending, so Jesus is portrayed in his Gospel as someone who was willing to die and go to see his father. Jesus was not as silent on the way to Calvary as described in Mark's Gospel. On the contrary, he spoke out. When some women were weeping for him by the side of the road, "Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and your children. For there will come a time when you will exclaim, “Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed! " "They will then say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry? " (Luke 23:28-31) After Jesus was crucified, the soldiers and government at his feet mocked him, but Jesus maintained his composure and compassion, just as he did earlier when he spoke to the women by the side of the road. He was completely selfless, praying to God, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) Two other men, both criminals, were led out to be executed alongside Jesus. When one of the criminals hurled insults at Jesus, he was still able to speak intelligently to them from the cross. "Aren't you the Christ? " one of the criminals asked. "Help yourself and us! " "Don't you fear God because you're serving the same sentence? " said the other criminal. We are punished fairly, as our actions deserve to be punished. "However, this man has done nothing wrong." "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom! " he exclaimed. "Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise," Jesus said. (Luke 23:39-43) Following this, Jesus did not cry out, "God, why have you abandoned me! " He knew God had not abandoned him, in fact, he knew where his soul would go after death. So he cried out, "Father, I commit my spirit into your hands," and died (Luke 23:46).
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew's Gospel is the most closely related to Judeo-Christian tradition of the four Gospels. He cites the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) more than the other Gospels and focuses on the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecies. In Matthew 27:46, like Mark, he cited Psalm 22:1. "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far from rescuing me, so far from my anguished cries? " But right after Jesus died, unlike the Gospel of Mark, which only describes the darkening of the sky and the tearing of the veil in the temple, the description in Matthew's Gospel is far more dramatic: "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth trembled, the rocks split, and the tombs collapsed. Many holy people who had died were brought back to life. They emerged from the tombs after Jesus' resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to a large number of people." (Matthew 27:51–53). There were neither scientific nor logical explanations for what happened to the “saints” who emerged from the grave, entered the holy city and "appeared to many people ". It is unfathomable for the dead to resurrect. So, who are these people who have been witnessed to? Why is there no other record of such a dramatic historical event besides the Bible? Why did the Gospels of Mark, written only a few years earlier, Luke, written two or three years later, and John, written twenty years later, never mention it? It is perplexing, to say the least. (Please see my blog post: Zombie Apocalypse)
The Gospel of John
Jesus described in the Gospel of John is the one who "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was with God from the beginning. He created everything, and nothing was created that was not created by him." (John 1:1-3) The author of John's Gospel likes to focus on Jesus and God's equality; Jesus exists independently, prior to, and concurrently with God. Because Jesus knew everything, his mission on the cross was completed when he declared, "It is finished! "
The Jesus depicted on the cross in Mark is an abandoned Jesus; the Jesus depicted on the cross in Luke knows where his soul will go; and the Jesus depicted on the cross in John completes the mission God has assigned to him on earth. We see a perfect picture after combining the four Gospels—hope, not despair. No one wants the story to end in tragedy, and all Christians want to find hope in Jesus.
In the finale of Haydn's masterpiece, "The Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross," the music changed dramatically after Jesus died, just like the author of Matthew's Gospel, the unrestrained notes unleashed the fierce earthquake wrath and shattering rocks without stopping. In a strong and startled sudden mood, Hayden's music surged with high-pitched unison in the brass, the rapid and disturbing rhythm formed a strong contrast with all the previous contemplative and mournful movements. He concludes the work with a powerful allegro. The final verses are as follows:
Er ist nicht mehr (He is no longer present)
Der Erde Tiefen schallen wider: Er ist nicht mehr! (The earth's depths swell: The depths of the earth echo: He is no longer present!)
Erzittre, Golgatha, erzittre! Er starb auf deinen Höhen. (Twist, Golgotha, twist! He was killed on your ledges.)
O Sonne, fleuch und leuchte diesem Tage nicht! (Oh, sun, don't run away and shine these days!)
Zerreiße, zerreiße, Land, where the murderers lurk! (Rip, rip, land of the murderers!)
Ihr Gräber, tut euch auf, ihr Väter, erhebt euch! (Come to the light, ancestors! Open your graves!)
Das Erdreich, das euch deckt, ist ganz mit Blut befleckt. (The ground beneath you is stained with blood.)
Haydn's approach prompted audiences who had been horrified for more than two centuries to ponder: Isn't the crucifixion of Christ the end of the story? People don't want to end with Mark's Gospel's despair, because the victory that comes from the end of Jesus' life is central to Christian teaching. However, we should remember that “The Seven Last Words of Jesus” was written over a thirty-year period span by four different authors. So, even though a perfect combination did finally convey a victorious message that Christians desire, we must ask ourselves, is this message accurate?
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