Good Friday 2023

Introduction

“Eli, Eli, lema sebachthani?” These are the last, haunting words of Jesus recorded by Matthew. Aramaic for “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Indeed, on the cross, the Father DID forsake Jesus. But why?

The Cry for Deliverance v. 1-21

To any first-century Jew, these words would have been to them like the first bars of a well-known jingle is to us. It would have immediately reminded them of Psalm 22, which begins with these words exactly: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

In the Psalm it is David talking. He lived 1,000 years, or about 5 histories of the United States, BEFORE Jesus. And yet it’s hard to tell if this psalm is about David or Jesus - which is exactly the point.

Psalm 22:1–2 ESV

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

V. 1, David . . . Jesus asks Why are you so FAR from saving me, from the words of my groaning - and certainly Jesus groaned as he hung there.

V. 2, from the night in the Garden of Gethsemane, to the day of the cross, the Father had been utterly SILENT to His Son.

And there in the Garden, Jesus did not resent his Father, but instead said not MY will, but YOURS be done, because, v. 3-5

Psalm 22:3–5 ESV

Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

God is holy, and He delivers those who trust in Him.

There are two ways to live in this life. Shamelessly, or unashamed. The shameless live life their own way, justifying themselves as they go. But God’s people trust Him, and by this we can live UNashamed.

How, Jesus hung there, on that cross, v. 6-8,

Psalm 22:6–8 ESV

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

he was shamed and treated like a worm, and not a man. He was despised by the people. They mocked him and taunt him. All of this reads like the gospel accounts.

But David, Jesus, was UNASHAMED to trust in God, even in this darkest moment. Because God had always been his God, v. 9-11. From the womb onwards.

Psalm 22:9–11 ESV

Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

Even while surrounded ravenous, murderous men, v. 12-13,

Psalm 22:12–13 ESV

Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.

he is unashamed to cry out to God. Even while his very life is drained away, v. 14-15

Psalm 22:14–15 ESV

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.

. From all his torment, and beatings and abuse, and having no place to lay his head.

These dogs of men, v. 16-18,

Psalm 22:16–18 ESV

For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

they encircle David/Jesus and pierce his hands and feet, v. 16, and then stare and gloat over him v. 17, as he hangs there. And the soldiers, v. 18, they throw dice to see who gets Jesus’ garment.

And this King cries out, v. 19-21:

Psalm 22:19–21 ESV

But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

do not be far off; deliver my soul, from the sword that will soon pierce my side.

So what was Jesus saying, on the cross?

First, that he IS being forsaken. God IS turning His back on His Son.

But that is only the first part of the Psalm. First the suffering, but then comes GLORY.

The Deliverance

There are four outcomes of the cross. For the JOY set before him, the writer to the Hebrews tells us, Jesus endured the cross.

Hebrews 12:2 (ESV)

. . . looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

There were FOUR parts to the JOY that Jesus looked forward to.

1. God hears the afflicted, v. 22-24

Psalm 22:22–24 ESV

I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.

Yes, the Father turned his back, but He could still hear the anguished cries of His Son. And certainly they caused the Father His own anguish. While mankind abhorred Jesus, the Father delighted in Him, and raised him from the dead, v. 22.

And God’s people, v. 23, would stand in AWE of God. And now WE can know, that this God, He HEARS the cries of the afflicted, v. 24, who run to Jesus for refuge. The Father may have turned His face away, but He HEARD it all, and so will he do for all who are know IN His Son.

In the same way, we are all stained by sin, which God abhors. He turns His face away from it. And yet, as we feel the very real pain of sin, and groan under the weight of it, God hears that groan. And when we cry out TO HIM underneath that weight, he doesn’t despise us, and say, you made your bed, now lie in it. We welcomes us with mercy and grace - IN JESUS.

Faith is realizing that Jesus went before us, under the weight and pain of our sin. And he suffered for it, and God heard his cries, and raised him from the dead. And so he will do for all who trust in Him. So do that - trust in Him.

2. God restores the afflicted, v. 25-27

Psalm 22:25–27 ESV

From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.

Not only does God forgive, He also welcomes us. He gives us a seat at His table, v. 26, like privileged children of the King. And He satisfies us, with rich foods, that satisfy us forever. Those who seek Him will praise Him, because, v. 26, they will live forever, in the eternal life of Jesus.

3. God brings in the afflicted from all the nations v. 27-28

Psalm 22:27–28 ESV

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

God does this, not just in you, but in ALL the nations. He is no local deity. Kingship belongs to HIM, v. 28, and the resurrection proves it. He is the LORD; and he rules over the nations.

The greatest thing in Jesus’ life is the glory of God. And the fruit of His labor will be that voices from all the nations will gather around His throne. It will take all the languages of all the families of the world to properly praise the glorious grace of God.

4. Everyone will serve him - whether the quick or the dead, v. 29-31

Psalm 22:29–31 ESV

All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

All of us will serve Him, v. 29 - all who go down to the dust. We will all serve Him for His glory. It’s inescapable. The only question is whether we will serve Him in judgment or in joy. But for those who trust in Him, he makes them a PROSPEROUS POSTERITY - even those who were so poor in this life that they could not keep themselves alive - they too enjoy the fruits of Jesus’ sacrifice.

And on it goes - and it has been, through history - one generation proclaims Him to yet another generation, v. 30-31. And each one will proclaim a simple message, v. 31:

He has done it. Done what? Broken the very power of guilt and death, and won for us life eternal life, life abundant, in God.

This all Jesus could see, with the eyes of faith. And it was this joy that propelled him to endure the suffering of being forsaken by God, in our place, so that WE would never be. By means of this Psalm, even while he hung there on that cross, Jesus could see his offspring, Isaiah 53:10

Isaiah 53:10 (ESV)

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

He could see generations of offspring - born again, to a living hope, and he was satisfied.

My father, my father WHY have you forsaken me? So that generations not yet born might praise your name. The purest expression of faith and hope, in the darkest moment in all history.

Conclusion

So now, in the few moments we have left, I’d like you to consider four things:

1. Our God restores the afflicted who come to Him.

Are you afflicted? Cry out to Him. Go to Him. He will not despise your pain. Jesus was forsaken, so that you would never be.

2. There is more mercy in Him than there is sin in us.

So to remind ourselves of this, I invite you to take a piece of red paper, and write on that paper a sin, that you find difficult to believe that you’re forgiven of. And come down and nail it to the cross. This doesn’t do anything; Jesus did it all. It’s only a reminder. A reminder that He loves you. He hears, and He forgives.

And thirdly,

3. Remember what it took for you to be cleansed.

Sin is serious; the cross proves it. Leave here tonight more determined to suffer now, for the sake of faithfulness to God and holiness to His royal law. And the way we do that is by faith, that on the other side of that suffering, He richly restores, and rewards, for the glory of His own name. Leave here tonight with all your life, given over to your King. He has earned our loyalty; we are bought with the most precious price.

4. Go, tell the story - He has done it.

Let’s pray.