Matthew 27:46
Around the ninth hour, Jesus shouted in a loud voice, saying "Eli Eli lama sabachthani?" which is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
A nearly identical verse is given in Mark 15:34.
I clearly remember Father Jim saying this line with gusto. This line is given by Jesus on the cross just before he dies. The people around Him misunderstand and think that He is calling for the prophet Elijah to save Him. Many people today misunderstand and think that He is crying out in despair of His situation and impending death.
For the longest time, I believed that second misunderstanding and for that reason didn't believe that Jesus was divine. How could God forsake Him when He IS God? How could He be forsaken by Himself? Ironically, it was the examination of this verse that led to me truly believing in God's hand in the Bible. It was here where I saw how prophecy could be a real force in the world. The truth is that Jesus wasn't crying out due to despair; He was praising God by quoting the first line of a psalm.
It's Psalm 22. It is attributed to King David himself and, if so, was written around 1000 B.C. I'll let you look up for yourself. Note that the middle of the psalm deals with elements specifically dealing with Jesus's crucifixion (piercing of hands and feet, tongue cleaving to His mouth, His garments being divided). Most importantly, the last half of the psalm is a psalm of praise, showing how all nations will come together through God's plan. Jesus, in His last painful breaths, was showing people where to look for proof that He was fulfilling prophesy.
I just reread the last half of the psalm and it sent shivers through me once again.
Not lamentation and defeat, but rejoicing and fulfillment.
Around the ninth hour, Jesus shouted in a loud voice, saying "Eli Eli lama sabachthani?" which is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
A nearly identical verse is given in Mark 15:34.
I clearly remember Father Jim saying this line with gusto. This line is given by Jesus on the cross just before he dies. The people around Him misunderstand and think that He is calling for the prophet Elijah to save Him. Many people today misunderstand and think that He is crying out in despair of His situation and impending death.
For the longest time, I believed that second misunderstanding and for that reason didn't believe that Jesus was divine. How could God forsake Him when He IS God? How could He be forsaken by Himself? Ironically, it was the examination of this verse that led to me truly believing in God's hand in the Bible. It was here where I saw how prophecy could be a real force in the world. The truth is that Jesus wasn't crying out due to despair; He was praising God by quoting the first line of a psalm.
It's Psalm 22. It is attributed to King David himself and, if so, was written around 1000 B.C. I'll let you look up for yourself. Note that the middle of the psalm deals with elements specifically dealing with Jesus's crucifixion (piercing of hands and feet, tongue cleaving to His mouth, His garments being divided). Most importantly, the last half of the psalm is a psalm of praise, showing how all nations will come together through God's plan. Jesus, in His last painful breaths, was showing people where to look for proof that He was fulfilling prophesy.
I just reread the last half of the psalm and it sent shivers through me once again.
Not lamentation and defeat, but rejoicing and fulfillment.
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