Jesus Christ is undeniably a very powerful and holy entity in the religion of Christianity. His time on earth with humans was marked with wisdom and shared knowledge. People often see Jesus as the symbol of love, compassion, faith, and forgiveness. His followers often search for ‘Jesus Quotes’ on the internet. Certainly, these quotes can add a lot of value to your life, if understood properly. Every Christian individual should explore these quotes.
Many of the quotes by Jesus Christ appear to be almost cryptic and mysterious. However, believers are always eager to find out what Jesus wants to convey. According to experts, most of these quotes and sayings by Jesus teach important lessons. For example, forgiving one’s enemies. Stay tuned to explore a wide variety of Jesus Quotes. The most prominent sayings and quotes by Jesus will be explained here.
The 7 Sayings Of Jesus On The Cross
Jesus Quotes & Sayings | Bible Verse | Symbolism |
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” | Luke 23:34 | Forgiving Nature |
“Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” | Luke 23:43 | Redemption/Salvation |
“Woman, behold thy son! And, Behold thy mother!” | John 19:26 – 27 | Relationships |
“My God, my god, why hast thou forsaken me?” | Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34 | Abandonment |
“I thirst.” | John 19:28 | Distress |
“It is finished.” | John 19:30 | Victory/Triumph |
“Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” | Luke 23:46 | Reunion |
Number 1 – “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

- Easy Translation: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
- Origin: This first saying of Jesus on the cross comes from the Luke 23:34 verse.
- Interpretation & Symbolism: It symbolises forgiving the enemies.
- Meaning: This saying showcases that Jesus had forgiveness in his heart. Even though people tortured and crucified him, the wrongfully accused Jesus wanted to forgive them all. Consequently, praying for forgiveness “Father, forgive them”. He directly asks God to forgive his enemies, referring to him as father. The reason Jesus gives is that people were unaware of the sin they were committing.
- Moral/Reflection: Jesus teaches his followers that forgiveness matters a lot. Even for the enemies, they should pray for forgiveness. Simply put, the importance of mercy is reflected here.
- Context: Jesus quoted this prayer while being nailed to a cross. He was asking his father to forgive the Roman soldiers who did this to him.
Number 2 – “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

- Easy Translation: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
- Origin: It originates from the Luke 23:43 verse.
- Interpretation/Symbolism: This one symbolises salvation indeed.
- Meaning: While being accompanied by two criminals, Jesus tells one of them that they are going to be in paradise with him. The saying translates to “Truly I tell you, you will be coming with me to paradise”. He only gave one of them this assurance because the other criminal mocked Jesus. The one who believes in Jesus got the opportunity of going to paradise i.e., God’s beautiful kingdom.
- Moral Value/Reflection: The moral value behind this saying by Jesus is that faith is significant. Simply put, one can only receive salvation with the help of faith.
- Context: While being crucified, Jesus had two criminals alongside him. One of the criminals was being oversmart and laughed at Jesus. In contrast, the other criminal showed faith and belief. Consequently, being assured a place in Jesus’s paradise.
Number 3 – “Woman, behold thy son! And, Behold thy mother!”

- Easy Translation: “Woman, here is your son. Son, here is your mother.”
- Origin: It comes from the John 19:26 and 27 verses.
- Interpretation/Symbolism: This one is entirely about relationships and responsibilities that come with them.
- Meaning: While suffering from pain as Jesus was crucified, he says this prayer. The purpose was to take care of his mother’s and John’s future. Jesus asked them to take care of each other. He showcased how to take care of responsibility while showing love.
- Moral Value/Reflection: Jesus wants to convey the importance and value of family relationships. Also, he sheds some light on compassion and responsibilities that arise in hard times.
- Context: Jeses Christ sees his mother and John the disciples when he looks down from the cross. Having been crucified, he doesn’t forget his responsibility amidst the pain.
Number 4 – “My God, my god, why hast thou forsaken me?”

- Easy Translation: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
- Origin: This one exists in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34.
- Interpretation/Symbolism: Indeed, abandonment is signified by this saying.
- Meaning: In suffering and pain, Jesus cries and asks this question from God after being crucified. At this time, the whole land and Jesus was surrounded by darkness. This saying by Jesus showcases how abandoned he felt at that moment. According to sources, while asking this question Jesus was under the heavy weight of humans’ collective sin. This saying showcases that Jesus was suffering spiritually.
- Moral Value/Reflection: This whole scenario reflects the essence of spiritual suffering. Also, people believe that Jesus was abandoned by God so that none of the humans had to experience the same.
- Context: Jesus was crying in the darkness while being nailed to the cross. That’s when he asked this question as he felt abandoned.
Number 5 – “I thirst.”

- Easy Translation: “I am thirsty.”
- Origin: John 19:28 is the verse where you can find this saying by Jesus.
- Interpretation/Symbolism: It is clearly a symbol of distress and suffering.
- Meaning: As you may know, a part of Jesus was human. Well, Jesus suffered physically just like any other human would. This was a simple sentence said by Jesus but it carried a lot of weight. He also adds that he was given vinegar while being thirsty. Jesus was certainly under a lot of distress.
- Moral Value/Reflection: This suffering faced by Jesus shows that he is a man and a god. He didn’t give up while facing physical suffering due to thirst.
- Context: Jesus was crucified and left hanging on the cross for many hours. That is when Jesus made this statement and acknowledged the extreme thirst.
Number 6 – “It is finished.”

- Origin: You can find this specific saying by Jesus in John 19:30.
- Interpretation/Symbolism: This one is symbolic of triumph and Jesus’s end of time on earth.
- Meaning: The simple meaning of this saying is that Jesus declared that he died. After long hours of suffering on the cross, Jesus finally took his last breath and said “It Is Finished”. This was kind of a declaration that Jesus had completed his mission.
- Moral Value/Reflection: Jesus wanted his death to be a victory lap and not an admittance of defeat.
- Context: This was Jesus’s statement just before his death on the crucifix.
Number 7 – “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

- Easy Translation: “Father, into your hands I commit/rest my spirit.”
- Origin: The origin of this seventh and final saying by Jesus is in Luke 23:46 verses.
- Interpretation/Symbolism: It represents reunion.
- Meaning: This was the final prayer and saying by Jesus after his death. It means to show how Jesus surrendered his soul/spirit to the god he loves. This was his final act depicting the faith and trust that Jesus had for God.
- Moral Value/Reflection: This saying by Jesus teaches people to be faithful while looking directly in the face of death.
- Context: Jesus saying his final prayer to God and committing his spirit to the almighty.
Conclusion
Each of the above mentioned sayings/quotes by Jesus has a valuable lesson. That is why you should have a deep and clear understanding of these Quotes. Indeed, the 7 Sayings Of Jesus on the Cross express a variety of emotions and values. These are quite significant in Christianity and the holy book of the Bible.
FAQs
Which language was the Bible written in originally?
Greek (Then, translated by King James)
What does the “I thirst” saying signify?
It signifies distress
Where can I find the saying “My god, my god, why hast thou forsaken me.”?
Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34