Why Have You Forsaken ME?
Today we heard the fourth out of seven messages on our trek to Easter. Today the fourth message on the cross comes from Matthew 27:45-46 which says:
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Here we see a troubling picture of Christ nailed to the cross. He's lifted off the ground and in much pain and anguish. At this momment in time, he's us. At this moment in time the wrath of God is poured out on him for us. For me. More than the physical pain he's enduring is the total abandonment of his Father. He is totally forsaken in this moment in time. He is totally alone.
The word for Forsaken in the GK is "egkataleipo" which means "to leave helpless" "leave behind by ceasing to care for him." His relationship with his father was intense. They were one so this separation was totally painful. Beyond anything we can even imagine. Or maybe we can to some extent. The loss of a child to death or anyone that we have a very close intense relationship would give us some idea of what was happening here for death is a separation.
I remember the grief on my sister-in-law's face at the funeral of her three month old baby. Her arms physically ached to hold him. The pain etched on her face is something I'll never forget. The dazed look in her eyes held a sorrow I have never known myself. Her grief was such she could barely function. I had no words to say to her. I imagine this grief we see here in Matthew was even greater than any grief we experience here on earth. His separation from his heavenly father was for us. He willingly took on all our sin to redeem us from death he was now experiencing on that cross. He was totally innocent yet he became guilty for our sake. For my sake.
We see there was a darkness for three hours. What was this darkness? Some say it could have been an eclipse. But that can't be. This was during Passover and Passover was during a full moon. An eclipse at this time would be scientifically improbable. A solar eclipse is seen during a new moon, not a full moon.
I believe this darkness was a supernatural event . We can see it is singled out here as an unusual darkness surrounding the area. Why? Lamentations 1:12 says:
"Is it nothing to you, all you that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done to me, wherewith the Lord has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger."
Wow, spoken in the OT by Jeremiah the Prophet. Could this darkness be a picture of God's wrath on his only son? The wrath that was meant for us? Eph 6:12 says:
"For we wrestle not aginst flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Darkness is indicative of the sin nature of the rulers of this world. Are we seeing a judgment on the world here? In Amos 8:9-10 it says that darkness is a sign of God's judgment.
"And it shall come to pass in that days, says the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son and in the end as a bitter day.
Wow! Amos hit it head on almost 800 years before this day actually happened. Remember this crucifixion happened during the anticipated festive celebration of Passover. For a select few it was not a very festive time at all. Instead they spent the time in mourning in the death of God's only Son.
In Exodus you may remember the ninth plague just before the firstborn were killed. Any significance here? Well let's see. We see first that darkness covered the whole land for three days, Exodus 10:21-22. After that, came the last plague and all the firstborn that were unprotected died as a judgment from God. Only those protected by the blood of the lamb escaped this wrath of God. As that first Passover was celebrated, it looked forward to this exact day when the last lamb, Jesus Christ, would be sacrificed for all mankind. All those covered by the blood of this lamb would never ever be subject to the wrath of God to come.
Now back in Matthew imagine this great darkness, and all of a sudden out of the darkness came this loud voice "anaboao" which means to exclaim emphatically with a loud voice; megaphone. These words must have pierced thru the darkness. Those around must have jumped out of their skin as they heard him say, "ELI, ELI LAMA SABACHTHANI? My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?"
In his darkest hour of extreme and intense agony we see Christ is quoting scripture. If you go back to Ps 22:1 you'll see these same words prepared back in time for this very moment. What example can we get from this? Where do we turn in our darkest hour? Time and time again, Christ went back to the scriptures to teach and draw comfort from.
In the gospel of Matthew we see Eli, Eli and in Mark we see Eloi, Eloi. What's the difference? They both say, Theos, Theos but one is Aramaic and the other Hebrew and the explanation (My God, My God) in v46 we see and understand is in the Greek and translated for us in English.
Because there is so much more to say here, I feel I will have to come back and give part two and address the questions we are left with. If Jesus and God the Father had such a close relationship, why did one feel forsaken by the other? What got in the way of their relationship ? Did this have to happen? What other choice could there have been?
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