My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Scripture:-

⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). ⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” ⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

Observation:-

As Jesus hung on the cross, the heavens suddenly darkened at noon and Mount Golgotha remained in darkness for three hours. About three in the afternoon, the Lord suddenly cried out in a loud voice “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Those standing there thought he was calling Elijah, and one of them immediately ran and got a sponge, filled it with vinegar and offered it to Jesus on the cross. The rest, though alarmed at the change in the elements above, still admonished the man to leave Jesus and see if Elijah really came to see Him. But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice and gave up His spirit.

Application:-

What was the significance of the eclipse that brought this darkness? Why did Jesus cry out that way to God?  The darkness in the skies mirrored the darkness of the sins of the world piled onto Jesus, and at that moment, God the Father who detests sin could not help but turn His face away from His beloved Son, causing the grieved Lord to cry out in great grief to His Father who had always been with Him even before the beginning of Creation.

Why did the people think Jesus was calling Elijah? Eli means “My God”, and the crowd standing by could have misinterpreted Jesus calling “Elijah” instead of Eli. Due to the torture of the cross, the Lord’s cry may not have been clear. The crowd could also have been fearful of the darkness and wondered if the day of the Lord had come, and since Scripture prophesied that Elijah would come first, they might have been expecting Elijah.

As we meditate on this passage, we are touched yet again by the great sacrifice of the Lord in bearing the sins of the world. He who was sinless was made sin that we might receive forgiveness. How terrible it was for the Lord to experience that moment when the Father turned away. How deep that sacrifice, even deeper than the physical pain of Jesus body. May we always appreciate the great and wonderful thing the Lord did for us that we might be saved.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we praise You and thank You for You saved us with such great sacrifice. To have the Father turn away from You, to have You who are sinless made sin. We cannot comprehend the depth and pain of Your sacrifice. We can only thank You and serve You for the great thing You did for us. Forgive our sins, and heal us we pray. Let the vision of the cross ever be before us. Let us never forget the great sacrifice You gave for us. May Your name be praised forever, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.