I was a seeker wondering if Christ was real when I read Christ’s words from the cross:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46
I was deeply troubled. If God had forsaken Jesus, what did that mean for me?
Fortunately, I had a believing mother who explained that this sad cry from Christ's lips marked the point in time when the Father looked away from Jesus because He bore the full weight of our sins – my sins.
Soon after, I committed my life to Christ.
Forty-some years later with a masters from seminary and many years of Bible study, I still don’t understand Christ's separation from His Father, nor does anyone else.
Some things are too great for us to understand (1 Corinthians 13:12).
But we know Christ suffered this terrible separation so that we might never experience it ourselves.
Christ's desperate cry reveals an incredible love that is beyond our grasp intellectually, but given freely to all who believe.
Amazing!
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This question from Jesus is a quote from Psalm 22, a Messianic Psalm. (See An Incredible Prophecy of Christ's Death.) Many have speculated about the meaning and purpose of Christ's words, but we need to admit that we cannot fully understand what happened in the spiritual realm when Christ died for the sins of the world. For that reason, I'm hesitant to accept explanations that say these words were merely Christ's reference to a prophetic psalm.
We must admit that all human explanations fall short, but I find this explanation by Billy Graham helpful:
These words of Christ "point to the fact that when Jesus died on the cross, all our sins—without exception—were transferred to Him. He was without sin, for He was God in human flesh. But as He died all our sins were placed on Him, and He became the final and complete sacrifice for our sins. And in that moment He was banished from the presence of God, for sin cannot exist in God’s presence. His cry speaks of this truth; He endured the separation from God that you and I deserve." Billy Graham
I love this, thank you. I struggled a long time with this.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that still nags me (and has nagged me for YEARS, no matter how much I try to just let it go) is, why did Jesus ask why?? Didn't he know already?
That's a good question, Fayelle. I can't claim to know the answer, but these are my thoughts: Hell is separation from God, something worse than anyone, believer or unbeliever experiences fully here on earth.
DeleteAnd in some mysterious way, Christ was human as well as God.
Was this his human side crying out in total despair and confusion caused by complete separation from God?
I think back to Christ's prayer in the garden in Luke 22:42: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." I think we see Christ's human side in this prayer as well.
He never sinned, but He experienced temptations and other aspects of being human.
I hope this is helpful, but the bottom line is that it's one of those mysteries that one day we will better understand.
I believe our confusion comes in the separating of what he went through with the soul and the spirit reigning in the end, the soul questions whether God is there for us because Satan put that question in, but one thing that bolstered my faith was realizing that Shadrach Meshach and Abednego never wavered! There are mistranslations out there that say even if God does Deliver us! That is a lie! They have just stated God can and will Deliver Us! They were talking about the Kings other option to not throw them in the fire and try some other method, in the King James that reads... If it be so,... But if not! Those are two sides of the coin! If you throw us in or if you don't... two things that prove this is the fact that if they had wavered they would not have come out!... the other quite simply that a king would have seen through that silly ruse,😁 crispy Critters in the bottom of a fire don't worship anything, you guys are correct! If he doesn't deliver you you are toast!
DeleteGood morning Gail and HAPPY THURSDAY TO YOU! I am so glad that you didn't give Fayelle some knee-jerk answer to his question. Rather, in humility, pointed him back to God’s Word. Indeed, any theologian is not to construct doctrine (of their own) beyond Scripture. Likewise, Luke is a great place to see and understand that Christ understands our suffering; for Christ suffering on the Cross was greater than any suffering we can endure. The hardship Christ endured (at Calvary’s Cross) ensures every believer in God that we are more than able to endure our suffering in this world too. For “in this world we will have troubles. But take heart I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV) What a beautiful thing to know that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, NIV)
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Candy
Jesus was also referring to Psalms 22. In this psalm David gives an amazing accurate description of the suffering the Messiah would endure hundreds of years later.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think he was actually asking God why He was forsaking him as much as he was referring to this passage in the Bible. The Jews there would have known this verse by the first line not Psalms 22.
Hi Katie, you're correct. Christ did referrenced the 22 Psalm. You can find the the biblical Scripture, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me," in both Matthew 27:24 and Mark 15:34. Below is an excerpt from the following Bible Study Tools (biblestudytools.com) website. I used the site during divinity school for certain scriptual insight. The site is a very reputable one. Thus, the following link (https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/my-god-my-god-why-have-you-forsaken-me.html) provides a break-down of this passage of Christs' lamentation to God, His Father.
Delete"This Psalm is held to be a messianic psalm and one where the author (King David) appears to be sharing in some vision of what will happen to the Lord’s Messiah. Jesus only shares the first verse of the Psalm, but because of the scriptural literacy of Jesus’ day, most people would have assumed he was referring to the entire Psalm. We can examine it and find tie-ins to the crucifixion narrative."
"But wait, there’s more. Psalm 22, though a Messianic Psalm, is also classified as a lament (another category of Psalm). Laments are notable in that not only do they describe an unbearable situation in which the author finds himself, they also declare a universal dependence upon the Lord and gratitude is offered for the grace of God. When Jesus cried out the first verse of this Psalm, he was also calling out his dependence upon God and his gratitude for the benevolence of God (Psalm 22:3-5, 9-11, 19-31). He recognized the desperation of humanity that suddenly hung upon his shoulders and even in that agonizing moment, his voice called out to show that only God can deliver us."
Blessings,
Candy
Katie and Candy,
DeleteWe can speculate about the full meaning of this passage, but I think we are wise not to go beyond what is written in Scripture. I don't doubt the reputation of the site you mention, and it has good content, but these are a man's explanations about the passage, explanations not contained in Scripture.
Part of our problem comes in wanting to know the answers to things beyond our comprehension. As I wrote in this devotion: "Some things are too great for us to understand (1 Corinthians 13:12). But we know Christ suffered this terrible separation so that we might never experience it ourselves."
You can read scores of reputable commentaries and find varying explanations.
Some believe these were the cries of Christ's human side, showing the full extent of his terrible suffering.
Some, like your resource believe he was referring to the prophecy of Psalm 22.
And, as I said, there are other scholarly explanations as well.
We did not die for the sins of the world. Christ alone did that. As Christians, we don't even die for our own sins. Christ did that. If we are fearful that God will forsake us because of this passage, then we are ignoring passages that assure us He never will forsake us and comparing our human experience Christ's atoning death.
I think we try too hard to explain mysteries and in the process depend too much on the words of men. Christ felt no need to explain His Words on the cross when He spoke them or in any Scriptures after His resurrection. These words He spoke give me a deeper love for Him and for His suffering, no doubts about His love for me.
If everyone was asleep in the garden that night how do we know whatt Jesus prayed ? Who was the witness? I thought it was a private prayer. Did He tell someone? A mystery as well!
ReplyDeleteGreat question. I'm sure that Christ told the disciples details that helped them write the Gospels. But they also may have received it as direct revelation from the Holy Spirit. The books of the Bible were penned by men, but they only wrote what the Holy Spirit spoke to them.
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