The Eight Words of Jesus

Each of the gospels has its unique insights into the meaning of passion; each paints its own distinctive portrait of the man on the cross. We are used to meditating on the last seven words from the cross, drawn from all four gospels, but the gospels also record several sayings of Jesus on the way to the cross: words spoken to the crowd, to Peter, to the high priest, to Pilate, to his mother and his best friend. In John, these words seem imbued with a kind of universal significance beyond the immediate story itself. The meditations help us reflect on an evangelist whose story speaks of the coming into the world of the Word made flesh, for whom words and signs are linked throughout his gospel.