Seven sayings which Jesus spoke while on the cross have been recorded in the New Testament. The last four were spoken between noon and 3:00 p.m. (Luke 23:44) when darkness was over the land. We shall consider His fourth saying.
Matthew wrote Jesus’ words in the Hebrew language: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” (Matthew 27:46), while Mark recorded the saying in an Aramaic dialect: “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” (Mark 15:34). This question is translated as, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Some people erroneously thought He was calling for Elijah (Mark 15:35).
Two things about this question deserve our attention. First, as the bona fide Messiah, Jesus would fulfill every Scripture concerning Himself. The Savior’s words from the cross are a quotation from Psalm 22:1, which is a Messianic Psalm of David. Jesus was thoroughly acquainted with Old Testament Scripture. Remember how He freely used quotations in defense against the temptations of Satan (Matthew 4:1-11)? After His resurrection He said to His disciples, “all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me” (Luke 24:44).
Second, there is a deeper significance to His question. No one needs to be told that our Lord suffered from the physical trauma to which His body was subjected. Even before the horrible crucifixion began, He was “scourged,” which was a brutal flogging that left the back lacerated and bruised (John 19:1). What can there be that was worse than the physical suffering?
The Lord’s question to His heavenly Father (Why have you forsaken me?), indicates that in some way He felt abandoned. The prophetic words penned by Isaiah might shed some light upon this difficulty. “Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief…” (Isaiah 53:10). The Father obviously did not enjoy seeing His Son suffer, but He was pleased with the bruising and grief that would provide opportunity for mankind’s redemption. The punishment we deserve as payment for our sins is separation from God (Roman 6:23; cf. Isaiah 59:1, 2). It just may be that Jesus, in some sense, felt a separation from the Father. Such would certainly be a mental and a spiritual agony too terrible for us to imagine. The fact that “Jesus cried out with a loud voice” is indicative of extreme anguish of soul. The first Messianic prophecy was being fulfilled – the seed of woman (Christ) was being bruised (see Genesis 3:15). What gratitude are you showing for this suffering that was endured for you?
