Reading the Word

Matthew 27:45–50 (ESV)

45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

Understanding and Applying the Word

Each of the four Gospels give us different details about Jesus’ last moments on the cross. We will look at each over the next few days. Matthew tells us that Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This is a direct quote from Psalm 22:1 Many misunderstood Jesus’ words and thought he was calling out for Elijah (the words in Aramaic sound similar). The crowd continued to mock Jesus by saying “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” After crying out again, we read that Jesus died.

What was it like for Jesus? We get a sense as he quotes from Psalm 22:1. He felt abandoned and forgotten by God. He was innocent, but he was suffering as if he were guilty. How could God allow such a thing? Psalm 22 was written by David who, on at a certain level, felt the same. God had abandoned him to his enemies. As we read on in Psalm 22, we also see that David continued to trust in God for his deliverance. As Jesus quoted from David’s psalm, we should take the time to read it all, knowing that Jesus was also trusting in the Father even in the midst of his suffering.

Psalm 22:1–31 (ESV)

1  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.

3  Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4  In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5  To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6  But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7  All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8  “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

9  Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
10  On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11  Be not far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.

12  Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13  they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.

14  I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15  my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.

16  For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
17  I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
18  they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.

19  But you, O LORD, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20  Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog!
21  Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

22  I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23  You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24  For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.

25  From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26  The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the LORD!
May your hearts live forever!

27  All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28  For kingship belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations.

29  All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30  Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31  they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.

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