Last Words of Jesus, Part Four

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?"

Matthew 27:46

The first three things Jesus said reveal His outgoing love for those around Him, despite all that He was suffering.  Today, we look at the spiritual pain Jesus was experiencing on the cross.  This fourth saying is a quote from Psalm 22:1.  Some scholars think that only the first line was recorded, but Jesus may have quoted the entire Psalm.  However, all we know for certain is that He said this line.  I believe that Matthew specifically included the Hebrew lines in order to draw attention to the Psalm, which was originally written in Hebrew.  Jesus also spoke this line in Hebrew instead of Greek, for those around Him heard "Eli" and thought He was calling Elijah.  They did not understand the relation to the Psalm. (In both Hebrew and Greek, the name Elijah begins with "Eli.")  It is significant that Jesus quoted the Psalm, both to fulfill prophecy and to connect to the message of the Psalm, for Psalm 22 is the message of the cross.  Perhaps Psalm 22 reveals Jesus' heart and mind while He was on the cross.

Looking at this statement alone, we see some tremendous happenings in the spiritual world.  The Father, the Son, and the Spirit have existed in absolute harmony for eternity.  Their love for each other existed before the universe was created (John 17:24).  Together, they were eternally glorious (John 17:5).  It is hard for us to understand the Trinity, but we can be certain that the harmony, love, fellowship, and glory was greater than we could possible imagine. It had no beginning, and it will have no end, but here, it appears there is a breaking of the fellowship.  Only Jesus, who had experienced the absolute glory of the Trinity, could feel the pain of that separation.  But painful it was.  More painful than we can fathom.

The reason Jesus cried out was because He was bearing our sins (1 Peter 2:24).  2 Corinthians 5:21 says that Jesus, who knew no sin, actually became sin on our behalf.  His holy person was infected and tarnished, and He did this willingly.  How He loves us!

He cries out to the Father, and the Father does not answer.  Make no mistake, the Father loved the Son.  But Isaiah 53:10 says, "But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Him as a guilt offering.."  God loved the Son, but He was willing to crush the Son, pouring out His wrath on the Son, forsaking the Son, because He loved you too.  Isaiah 53:8 says, "That He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of My people, to whom the stroke was due?"

Jesus' agony should have been ours.  Jesus' death should have been ours.  We deserved the suffering, and pain, and punishment for our sins.  But Jesus is our substitute.  He experienced separation from God, so that we could be reconciled to God.  God's wrath was poured out, God's just demands were met, our debt was paid, and now we are offered life.

Life.  That's what Jesus' death brought.  At a heavy cost, through unimaginable pain, the Father traded your life for the life of Jesus.  That is the message of the cross.  That is the meaning of the Gospel.  That is Christianity.

Far dearer than all that the world can impart

Was the message that came to my heart;

How that Jesus alone for my sin did atone,

And Calvary covers it all.

Calvary covers it all,

May past with its sin and stain;

My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there,

And Calvary covers it all.