45At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.46At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Jesus said many things while on Earth, but few if any say so much in so few words. There are so many different possible ways to understand this one sentence, and it is likely in my mind that ALL of them are correct.
- Jesus felt completely abandoned by his Father. At this moment Jesus is taking on all our sins. God is completely holy. There had to be complete separation and Jesus had to die for all of us. God has so often portrayed marriage as a sign of his unity and of Christian unity. I believe that as a child’s DNA is an indivisible unity of its parents, so is the unity of God and Jesus. Now imagine dividing a child’s unity. That is the separation pain that I think Jesus felt on the cross at this moment. I think this pain was far worse than the whips, or the nails, or the cross. And he suffered this for us.
- This is also obviously the first line of Psalm 22. I have inserted that Psalm below for your reference. This Psalm was likely written 1,000 years before Christ and yet it reads as if it were written the day after his resurrection. This is an incredible testimony to the authority and inspiration of the Bible. It is hard for me to imagine any open-minded person reading these two passages and not coming to the conclusion that the Bible was inspired by someone who knew and controlled the future. These words of Christ on the cross calls us to incredible faith in his word.
- Lastly, this was a merciful invitation by Jesus to the Jewish religious leaders to repent and recognize him as the true Messiah and their Savior. Any good Pharisee, Sadducee or Scribe of the time would have had the 22nd Psalm memorized. If they were standing there mocking Jesus and celebrating their victory, these words of his should have struck them to the core. They surely would have recited them in their heads. They had to have known they were watching it’s fulfillment before their eyes. He could have just ignored them and left them die in their sins. But not our merciful Lord. Jesus, in the midst of his misery calls out to the people who hated him the most.
Lord, please bless me with one millionth of the compassion, mercy and love. *obbs*
Psalm 22
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Doe of the Dawn.”
1My God, my God, why have you gabandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
2Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.
3Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4Our ancestors trusted in you,
and you rescued them.
5They cried out to you and were saved.
They trusted in you and were never disgraced.
6But I am a worm and not a man.
I am scorned and despised by all!
7Everyone who sees me mocks me.
They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
8“Is this the one who relies on the Lord?
Then let the Lord save him!
If the Lord loves him so much,
let the Lord rescue him!”
9Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb
and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.
10I was thrust into your arms at my birth.
You have been my God from the moment I was born.
11Do not stay so far from me,
for trouble is near,
and no one else can help me.
12My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls;
fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!
13Like lions they open their jaws against me,
roaring and tearing into their prey.
14My life is poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
melting within me.
15My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.
16My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;
an evil gang closes in on me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
17I can count all my bones.
My enemies stare at me and gloat.
18They divide my garments among themselves
and throw dice for my clothing.
19O Lord, do not stay far away!
You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!
20Save me from the sword;
spare my precious life from these dogs.
21Snatch me from the lion’s jaws
and from the horns of these wild oxen.
22I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
I will hpraise you among your iassembled people.
23Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!
Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!
Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!
24For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.
25I will praise you in the great jassembly.
I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.
26The poor will eat and be satisfied.
All who seek the Lord will praise him.
Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
27The whole earth will kacknowledge the Lord and areturn to him.
All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
28For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations.
29Let the rich of the earth feast and worship.
Bow before him, all who are mortal,
all whose lives will end as dust.
30Our children will also serve him.
Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.
31His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.
They will hear about everything he has done.
