Why do the Gospels report different last words of Jesus?
Have you ever wondered why the Gospels seem to disagree about Jesus’ final words on the cross? Matthew and Mark report one thing, while Luke and John report something completely different! What’s going on here?
The answer lies in understanding how ancient writers handled cultural references. Let’s break it down!
The Different Accounts
- Matthew and Mark record: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani’ (‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’)
- Luke records: ‘Father, I leave my breath in Your hands’
- John records: ‘It is finished!’
But here’s the key: Jesus wasn’t expressing despair when he said ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani’ - he was making a profound cultural reference that his Jewish audience would have immediately recognized!
Understanding the Reference
You see, Jesus was quoting the opening line of Psalm 22 - a well-known song that every Jew would have known by heart. It’s like if someone today said ‘Like a candle in the wind’ - you’d immediately get the reference to a song about the fragility of life; you would know we weren’t really talking about a candle.
Psalm 22 isn’t just any song - it’s a prophetic psalm that describes:
- The manner of Jesus’ execution
- The casting of lots for his clothing
- His ultimate victory and vindication
So the psalm ends with triumph, not despair! The speaker isn’t really abandoned at all.
Why the Different Versions?
Luke and John weren’t being inaccurate - they were just keeping their audience in mind. Here’s why:
- Luke was writing to a Greek audience who wouldn’t have understood the Psalm 22 reference.
- John was writing decades later, focusing on the meaning rather than the exact words.
- Both authors chose to convey what Jesus meant rather than his exact words.
This was completely normal in ancient storytelling. Unlike today’s emphasis on exact quotes, ancient writers often focused on conveying the meaning of what was said rather than providing word-for-word transcriptions.
The Bigger Picture
When we understand this cultural context, we see there’s no contradiction. Each Gospel writer captured a different aspect of Jesus’ final moments:
- Matthew and Mark preserved the cultural reference for Jewish readers.
- Luke conveyed Jesus’ trust in God for his Greek audience.
- John emphasized the completion of Jesus’ mission.