Was He Left Alone?

Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22

Matthew 27:46

• 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?”).

Two Familiar Views • Nature of God vs. Nature of sin• God’s nature is holy

– “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.” (Psalm 99:9)

– When Jesus was crucified – He took the sins of the world upon Himself

– God abandoned Jesus because of the sin.

• Nature of God vs. Nature of humanity

• God is still holy BUT is Able to stand in the presence of sin– “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where

have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it’” (Job 1:7)

– God did not abandon Jesus– Jesus – abandoned by all others

felt (in His human-ness) that God left Him.

A New View• What if His cry was not one of abandonment, but a plea to the Jews

around the cross that He was the Messiah? – Take a look at the beginning of this Psalm

• “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.” (Psalm 22:1-2)

– This poem is a Messianic Psalm• Psalm meant to be a prophecy for what the Messiah would go through.• As it is broken down, you can see that Jesus could have been quoting this to those

around Him so that the people would know, and have hope!• Scholars believe that Christ could have been quoting this Psalm, some parts unheard

because of the beating He has received, and blood loss because of it.

Praise for God• “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel

praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” (vs. 3-5)– Psalmist declares God is holy and worthy of all praises.

• Does that sound like one whom God would abandon?– He reminds the people their fathers trusted in God.

• Abraham, Isaac, Jacob• Moses• The Prophets

– Again, the Psalmist reminds them that God had never let them down.• If Jesus was quoting this Psalm, wouldn’t this be the ideal way to draw people in?• Perhaps we can use this same technique to reach those who feel abandoned by

God?

His Torment Equals That of Christ!

• “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 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.” (vs. 6-8)

• View images from the cross, and see the parallels.– Like the Psalmist, Jesus is ridiculed by the crowd

• “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.” (Matthew 27:42-44)

• Ridiculed like a worm, not a man.• He was despised by those around Him.• We can see that Christ could have been using this to draw people to Him and to the

Father.

Faith in God• “Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you,

even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.” (vs. 9,10)– He acknowledges that God has been with Him since birth.– He looks to God as his only helper

• “Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.” (vs. 11) – Jesus talked many times about faith in God

• “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” (John 16:32)

• “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30)

• Again, does this sound like One abandoned by God, or using familiar words to reach the hearts of men?

His Suffering Described• No other portion of Scripture helps this idea more than this:• “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that

tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” (vs. 12-18)

• Look at the scenes of the cross found in this Psalm:– “Bull of Baschan” = crowds that gathered around the cross– Bones are out of joint – Sometimes arms would be stretched to make breathing more

difficult – often dislocating shoulders.– Dry mouth - “They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the

Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it. When they had crucified Him, they divided up His clothes by casting lots" (Mt. 27:33-35).

– Casting lots – All these are scenes from the cross – Christ was drawing them back!

A New View with a Familiar Ending

• “All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. 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!” (Psalm 22:29-31)– The last clause of verse 31 should be translated a bit differently.

• The pronoun “he” should be “it,” so that the psalm closes with the words, "for it is finished.“

• Jesus Christ knew that, and in the final agonizing moments of his life had the presence of mind and the love for all men, including those who were killing him, to once again hold forth to them the Word of Life.

• He quoted the very first clause and the very last clause of a section of Scripture that they knew very, very well.– “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

Conclusion

• With his dying breaths he affirmed one more time that he was who the Word of God said he was—the Messiah, the Son of the living God, the Redeemer of Israel and all who in the future would believe on him. What a man! What a Savior!

• He took our sins upon Himself. • He was man & God.• He was always drawing people to the Father, perhaps even to

the very last!