Why Have You Forsaken Me?

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 27:45–46 NKJV

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

MESSAGE

The Events of Holy Week

Reverse and Fast-Forward

It was Friday. Jesus had been crucified and was hanging on the cross. But if we pause and hit the rewind button we can go back to where we left off last week. It was Sunday. Palm Sunday. Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. The crowds were shouting hosannas and praises and were calling Him their King and Messiah.

In order to understand how Jesus ended up on the cross on Friday, we have to fast forward past Monday when Jesus entered into the Temple, overturned tables, and drove out the money changers. We have to fast forward past Tuesday when Jesus taught so many things to His disciples, including the Olivet Discourse where Jesus taught about what would happen in the end times. We have to fast forward past Wednesday when Judas made a deal with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. We have to fast forward through most of Thursday when Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples, washed His disciples feet, and went out to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.

The Garden of Gethsemane

That’s where we need to hit the play button and pick up the story again. Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with 11 of the 12 disciples. Satan had already entered Judas and he left to follow through with his plans to betray Jesus. Jesus then took 3 of His disciples, Peter, James, and John, a little further into the Garden with Him. But he even separated from them and found a place to be alone and pray to the Father. And this is what He prayed:

Matthew 26:39 NKJV

39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Matthew’s Gospel tells us that Jesus prayed this same prayer three times while His disciples slept.

Matthew 26:45–46 NKJV

45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

Jesus’ Arrest and Trial

Judas arrived in the Garden with a multitude with swords and clubs to arrest Jesus. Then Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. As Jesus is arrested, the Bible says that all of His disciples forsook Him and fled.

Peter followed Jesus at a distance in order to see what would happen, but He didn’t want to be recognized as a disciple of Jesus. Jesus was taken before Caiphas the High Priest to be questioned and accused of blasphemy. They couldn’t get any witnesses to agree. But finally, they brought in two false witnesses who charged Jesus with saying that He was able to destroy the Temple of God and build it back in three days. Caiphas then asked Jesus to answer whether He was the Christ and:

Matthew 26:64 NKJV

64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Caiphas and the other leaders charged Jesus with blasphemy for saying that He was God. They sent Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, in order to sentence Jesus to death by crucifixion. While all this is going on, Peter denied that he knows Jesus.

In the Hands of Pilate

Pontius Pilate questioned Jesus, but found nothing He had done deserving of death. But the religious leaders stirred up the crowd against Jesus and demanded He be sentenced to death. Finally, Pilate gave them a choice to either save Jesus or another prisoner named Barabbas, who was a murderer. The crowd picked Barabbas and demanded that Jesus be crucified. They shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

The Scourging of Jesus

They stripped Jesus of His clothes and they put a purple robe on Him. They twisted a crown of thorns and pressed it into His head and mocked Him as the King of the Jews. They spit on Him. They mocked Him. They scourged Him. The Roman scourge consisted of a wooden handle with 18 to 24 straps of leather. The ends of those pieces of leather were equipped with sharp, jagged pieces of metal, glass, and bone. This was one of the most feared deadly weapons in the Roman world. They scourged Jesus. Each whip He recieved tore the skin from His body and shredded his muscles and sinews. Veins were laid bare. His body was marred beyond recognition.

The Crucifixion

But this was just the preparation for the actual crucifixion. They tried to force Jesus to carry His cross through the streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha. But Jesus had been so severely beaten and whipped that He was unable to bear it. So the Roman soldiers compelled a man by the name of Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross for Him. When they arrived at Golgotha, they nailed Jesus to the cross through his hands and His feet. As Jesus hung on the cross, the weight of His own body made it harder and harder to breathe. He had to push up on the nails in His feet in order to pull another breath into His lungs. The soldiers offered him wine mixed with myrrh in order to dull the pain, but Jesus refused. He felt and experienced every bit of pain.

Jesus is Mocked

The soldiers mocked him and cast lots over His garments. The crowds mocked Him and said, “If you are the Christ, come down off of the cross.” He was crucified between two thieves. One mocked Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, save yourself and us.” But the other thief said, “We deserve our punishment, but this man has done nothing deserving death. Lord, when you come into your Kingdom, remember me.” And Jesus said, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus on the Cross

3 Hours of Darkness

This is where we arrive at our Scripture Text for today. At the sixth hour of the day (noon) the sun was darkened and remained dark until the 9th hour (3PM). During these 3 hours, Jesus hung on the cross. Essentially alone. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that there were a few there with Jesus: His mother, His aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene, and we also know John the disciple was there also. But no one could help Jesus in this moment. For all intents and purposes, Jesus was alone.

The Most Dreaded Moment

This was the moment that Jesus dreaded the most. It wasn’t the mockery. It wasn’t the beatings. It wasn’t the scourging. It wasn’t the physical pain and torment. In this moment, Jesus experienced something much more painful. In this moment Jesus had to experience separation from the Father. Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world: past, present, and future. He became sin who knew no sin. And He drank from the cup that He prayed in the Garden that the Father would take from Him if He was willing. The cup He drank from was the cup of the wrath of God against sin. On the cross, the full, undiluted wrath of God was poured out on Jesus who was nailed to that cross in our place.

Jesus’ Prophetic Cry

Feeling the heaviness of that moment, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” This is a quotation from Psalm 22, which is a Messianic psalm. In it the psalmist declares:

Psalm 22:11–19 NKJV

11 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. 13 They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. 19 But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

What About You?

Have you ever felt all alone? Forsaken? Abandoned? Forgotten? Have you ever felt like there was no one that could understand what you were going through? No one to care? No one to help you bear the burden? Well the Bible tells us that we never have to feel that way.

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 NKJV

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—

Why?

Hebrews 4:15–16 NKJV

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The Power of the Cross!

Jesus is our High Priest!

Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses!

Jesus understands what we’re going through because He’s faced it too!

Jesus allowed Himself to be temporarily separated from the Father, so that we do not have to be eternally separated from the Father.

Jesus took upon Himself our sins so that we could be justified!

Jesus endured the cross so that we do not have to die for our own sins!

Jesus tasted death so that we can experience eternal life!

Jesus took the penalty for our sins in Himself so that we do not have to experience the wrath of God!

When Jesus said, “It is finished” and gave up the ghost and died, He paid the price for our sins and provided us a way of salvation!

That’s the Gospel! That’s good news! But that’s not the end of the story! It’s Friday! Sunday’s coming!

The Resurrection

His Burial

The soldiers pierced His side and Luke’s Gospel tells us that out of His side flowed both blood and water. This proves that Jesus was dead. They took Him down from the cross and placed Him in a borrowed tomb that was donated by a man by the name of Joseph of Arimathea. There was not much time to prepare His body for burial, so they would have to come back later after the Sabbath and finish the task. Jesus would remain in the tomb for 3 days. Jesus had said, “destory this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” Jesus wasn’t talking about the temple in Jerusalem. He was talking about His life.

What Happened During Those 3 Days?

Where did Jesus go and what did He do? It is important to know that Jesus did not have to become a sinner and suffer in Hell for 3 days to pay the penalty for our sins as some teach. Jesus accomplished the plan of salvation at the cross of Calvary. So what happened during those 3 days? Jesus told the thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Paradise was Abraham’s Bosom. The place of death had two compartments: hell and paradise. And a great gulf was fixed between them so that souls could not pass from one side to the other. So we know that Jesus did not go to the torment side of hell in order to be punished for sins.

The Bible also says that Jesus went and preached to the souls in prison (1 Peter 3:18-20). Jesus proclaimed the good news! Salvation has come! The Kingdom of God is come! And then Paul says:

Ephesians 4:8–10 NKJV

8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” 9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

Up to this point, the souls of everyone who died either went to hell or Paradise. Sins had been covered temporarily under the Old Covenant. But now the blood of Jesus completely destroyed the power of sin and brought total and eternal forgiveness. I believe that when it says, “He ascended and led captivity captive” that Jesus brought the souls of those in Paradise with Him and led them to Heaven.

Resurrection Sunday

It’s Sunday! On the third day. Early on Sunday morning. The earth began to shake. The Romans guards were frightened. And suddenly the stone at the entrance to the tomb of Jesus was rolled away. The King of Glory conquered death, hell, and the grave and rose from the dead. And the Bible says:

Matthew 27:52–53 NKJV

52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Jesus led captivity captive. And Jesus brought with him some keys:

Revelation 1:18 KJV 1900

18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

The Power of the Resurrection

The power of sin was destroyed! They power of death was destroyed! The works of the devil were destroyed! He got up! Jesus walked out of the tomb victorious over sin, death, and the devil! The veil is rent! We have access into the presence of God! We can come to the throne of God boldly through prayer and worship and find grace to help in time of need! Jesus is alive! And He has promised to never leave us or forsake us! Child of God, you don’t have to say, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” You are not forsaken! You will never be forsaken by your God! He is with you wherever you go! Trust in Him! Depend on Him! Love Him! Serve Him! Follow Him! Don’t ever give up on Him! Because He’ll never give up on you!

CLOSING