Eloi, eloi, lema sabachthani? My God, my God why have you forsaken me?
According to the gospel accounts of Matthew and Mark, this is what Jesus cried out from the cross.
The opening words from Psalm 22.
As he hung on the cross Jesus continued to fulfil and to quote scripture.
Psalm 22 is one of lament and more than any other psalm it vividly describes the suffering of the Lord Jesus on the cross.
In the garden of Gethsemane prior to his arrest Jesus had prayed to his Father to take the cup of suffering from him. But God could not do this and achieve his mission of reconciling us to himself. The whole reason God had sent Jesus to live – was to die that we might be forgiven and our relationship to God restored. Jesus finishes his prayer in the garden by submitting to the Lord’s will and to walk the road of suffering, even unto death on the cross.
As Jesus hung on the cross, he felt physical pain like no other; he had been whipped, beaten, had a thorny crown pushed down on his skull, his hands and feet nailed to a piece of wood from which he was hung. We can only begin to imagine the agony.
But the physical agony was perhaps nothing compared to the emotional and spiritual agony he felt. His cry to his Father “my God why have you forsaken me?” illustrates the utter abandonment, the utter aloneness he felt. His disciples, his friends had abandoned him. Judas had betrayed him; Peter had denied even knowing him 3 times. And now he felt cut off from his father.
Just imagine what that felt like…
Jesus knew what suffering was to come as he wept tears in the garden the previous night. And yet he chose to be obedient to his father. He knew it was the fathers will and the only way to defeat sin and death. The only way for his loved ones to be able to live an abundant life of freedom, both now and forever.
God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.
So out of his love for us Jesus chose to die.
The writer to the Hebrews put it like this; For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down on the right hand of God.
Jesus had to keep his eyes on the end game, he endured because he knew that this was not the end. Something joyfully glorious was coming because of his death.
But that doesn’t mean that while he hung there that Friday, he didn’t feel every bit of pain and abandonment.
Psalm 22 continues to speak directly into Jesus’ experience that day. From verse 6; scorned by everyone, despised by the people. The same people who 5 days ago had praised him with shouts of Hosanna as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, now cry out Crucify him, Crucify him.
From verse 7; All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”
All the gospel accounts speak of the mocking Jesus receives that day; the laughter, the insults, the sneering. From Luke’s account we read that the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “he saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen one.”
Matthew’s version uses almost the same phrases from the psalm; He trusts in God; Let God rescue him now if he wants him…
We move on to other imagery in this psalm and can picture it so clearly relating to Jesus’ being surrounded by his enemies as they taunt him;
Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me.
Picture the religious elders opening their mouths against Jesus, accusing, the soldiers circling him, the whip tearing at his flesh.
His mouth is dry like a potsherd as they offer him wine vinegar to drink.
The prophetic words in this psalm continue. It is hard not to believe in prophesy when you read words like this;
Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.
That is exactly what happened as Jesus was crucified on a cross. His hands and his feet were pierced with nails.
And then verse 18. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.
The casting lots for his clothes is recorded in all four of the gospels.
I have been focusing on psalm 22 today as we have been journeying through the psalms during lent.
However, we can also draw clear links from the prophet Isaiah and the description of the suffering servant to Jesus and his crucifixion. There we also read of pain and disfigurement, of his being despised and rejected, pierced for our transgressions, pouring out his life unto death.
Jesus knew that he was the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies and promises. He knew that suffering was part of his journey on earth.
But…he also knew the joy that was to come. Today is called Good Friday for a reason.
While the rulers taunted him with, He trusted in God, let God rescue him, he saved others, let him save himself…the truth is Jesus did trust God as he submitted to his will in the garden and as he called out on the cross, ‘Father into your hands I commit my spirit.’ ( A quote from psalm 31)
From verse 19, psalm 22 turns from lament to a prayer and message of hope.
But….You are my strength, deliver me, rescue me. I will declare your name…For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
The crowds, the religious rulers and the soldiers may have despised and rejected Jesus, but his Father did not!
We gather here again on Sunday to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, God raised him from the grave, death was not victorious. The cross was not the end, but it was all part of God’s mission to save us.
Some of us gathered here for a Passover style meal of remembrance last night. Thankfully, Jesus put an end to the need for animal sacrifices. He was the one perfect Passover lamb who died once and for all that we may be forgiven. This is the good news of Good Friday. The good news that we should share.
Psalm 22 finishes with these words,
Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
John’s gospel has Jesus’ final words as being It is finished! He has done it! Mission accomplished.
Jesus did feel forsaken by his father as he hung on the cross, but he was not abandoned and left in the grave. He was rescued by his Father, and we have been rescued by Jesus.
There are many throughout the world in pain and sorrow and suffering, feeling abandoned and forsaken; Jesus has compassion on all who suffer. Maybe you feel forgotten by your heavenly Father at times. Look to Jesus and know that he understands how you feel. Look to Jesus and put your trust in him as he put his trust in the Father.
On this Good Friday may we reflect on the amazing love of God shown to us through his son Jesus and be oh so thankful. Let us kneel at the foot of the cross, confessing our sins and receiving his forgiveness. It’s never too late to turn to Jesus. Jesus forgave the criminal who hung on the cross beside him. Because of Jesus’ great love for you and me, when we turn to him and put our trust in him, then we too can be assured that we will not be abandoned but we too will live forever with Jesus in paradise.
Let us pray: Thankyou God for sending your son Jesus to bring to fulfilment your promise of rescue that was foretold by the prophets. Thankyou that through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice we can be reconciled to you, not through anything we do, but through faith in Jesus. When we feel forsaken and abandoned may we look to Jesus and be comforted. May we put our trust in the one who loves us and defeated the darkness of sin and death. Thankyou for the cross, may we declare the good news of Good Friday to the world.
In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.