Jesus uttering his last words and drawing on his final breath: reflecting on Luke 23:46

Abstract

The last words and final breath of any human being in the wake of death is a moment in time one should not underappreciate. The death of Jesus certainly falls into the category of a human being taking a final breath while uttering last words. If these statements are afair assessment, then it is reasonable to reflect on the existential value and significance of Jesus’ last words and final breath. To state the obvious, his death, as a central figure within Christianity, holds potential theological value and significance for how millions interpret their final moments. His death also possesses existential value for obvious reasons. There is thus a substantial theological burden on what his death means, the impact
it has on those “believing” in him, and the consequences for all those who consider their death as dying “in him”.  This study does not overburden Jesus’ last moments with theological concerns but aims to reflect on Luke 23:46 and parallels from an existential-anthropological point of view. It deliberately accentuates the mundane, “human” character of Jesus’ “last” moments on this earth. The purpose of this reflection is to come to a deeper appreciation of his death, with the hope that it might mean something to someone struggling to breathe while dying.