Jesus on the Cross (Part 2)

Introduction

Last week we looked at the first three times Jesus spoke while He was hanging on the cross.

He prayed to forgive those who were carrying out His crucifixion.

Then He provided salvation for one of the thieves who was being crucified with Him.

Finally, we looked at how Jesus provided for the care of His mother, Mary.

So far we have looked at three of the seven sayings Jesus spoke while hanging on the cross.

Today we want to look at two more of the sayings of Jesus. If you have your Bibles and want to follow along, turn with me to Matthew 27, and we’ll begin reading with verse 45.

Background

Matthew 27:45 NIV

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.

The Greek text says from the sixth hour to the ninth hour. Since the first hour of the day was at 06:00, six hours later would be 12:00 noon, and then we run to the ninth hour that would put us at 3:00 p.m. (15:00).

This darkness is spoken of in several place in the Old Testament (cf. Amos 8:9; Isa 13:10, 34:4; Joel 2:10). In Isaiah 13:10 we read:

Isaiah 13:10 NIV

The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.

And In Joel 2:10 we read:

Joel 2:10 NIV

Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.

Then in Amos 8:9 it says:

Amos 8:9 NIV

“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.

Now both the Isaiah and Joel passages associate the sun being darkened during the Day of Yahweh. Jesus referenced this when He taught about the apocalyptic signs in Matthew 24:29.

Matthew 24:29 NIV

“Immediately after the distress of those days “ ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

So it should come as no surprise that as Jesus hung on the cross to die, the sun would refuse to shine!

Being Forsaken

Now we come to the next saying of Jesus. Look at verse 46.

Matthew 27:46 NIV

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?”).

This brings us to phrase that was spoken by Jesus as he was hanging on the cross. The text gives us the Aramaic phrase along with an interpretation.

The Aramaic phrase is “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani.” Mark records it as Eloi, Eloi which is the same basic Aramaic phrase.

The translation is then provided in the text for us, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Can you imagine? For the firsts time EVER Jesus experienced a complete separation from the Godhead.

While it is true that during His entire time here on earth Jesus experience a partial separation from God (cf. Philippians 2), nothing could compare to the separation He felt while He hung on the cross!

If you read the phrase carefully, you can feel the agony of the separation, total isolation, and rejection that Jesus endured when God--the Father and Spirit turned their back on the Son. I can only imagine the agony that Jesus must have felt!

Calling for Elijah

Matthew 27:47 NIV

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

There are a couple of reasons why those standing around the cross might have thought that Jesus was calling for Elijah.

There was the belief by religious teachers of the day that Elijah (who did not die) would come and rescue the righteous in their distress. While there is NO Biblical evidence for this, it was a thought and teaching in Jesus’ day.

Since the Aramaic world Eloi translated My God actually sounds a lot like the Greek word for Elijah, they may have thought Jesus was calling for him, because of Jesus’ difficulty in speaking on the cross.

No matter why they thought He was calling for Elijah, they wanted to watch and see if Elijah really came or not, or perhaps they were still waiting for Jesus to do some kind of rescue miracle Himself.

Still they sat, waited, and watched.

Physical Suffering

When I read about the Crucifixion of Jesus I often find myself void of feelings. I know that having nails driven into your hands and feet would be extremely painful. But I don’t like thinking about it. I know that being scourged with a cat-of-nine-tails often resulted in death, so there was extreme pain--but I don’t like to think about it. I know carrying a heavy cross through the crowded streets of Jerusalem was hard and painful--but I don’t want to think about it. I know having a crown made of thorns pressed deep into you forehead and scalp was painful--but I don’t like to think about it.

Yet Jesus endured physical pain and suffering for you and for me. Some was unimaginable while other pain, like our story today, may seem rather simple and mundane.

John 19:28 NIV

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

I am thirsty. One of the physiological things that happened during crucifixion was the onset of thirst.

Hypovolemic shock often causes the lips, mouth, and throat to dry out. Thus, feeling parched and thirsty often occured.

Why did Jesus say He was thirsty? Scholars have long speculated on why Jesus spoke of thirst:

Fulfillment of Prophecy (Psalm 69:21; 22:15).

Psalm 69:21 NIV

They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

Psalm 22:15 NIV

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.

John 19:29 NIV

A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.

One of the soldiers gave him a sponge on a hyssop plant and lifted it up to Jesus’ mouth--The mention of hyssop may have simply been a passing remark of an eyewitness account. But it could be more significant. Hyssop was used as part of the Passover celebration (cf. Exod. 12:22). Thus the mention of it here by John may actually point to Jesus being THE sacrificial Lamb of God.

Jesus has two more key statements to make! His acknowledgment of thirst (and perhaps a desire to have His lips moistened) was a preparation, of sorts, for Jesus to speak His final two phrases.

Extreme thirst would have made the suffering much more pronounced and points to the humanity of Jesus especially at his death!

So What?

Today, we see Jesus experiencing two kinds of suffering.

He suffered spiritually, when He experienced total and complete separation from God the Father!

Like Jesus, there are times when I experience separation from God!

Unlike Jesus, my separation is caused by my disobedience. When I sin, I experience separation from God. When I seek to accomplish my will and plan rather that God’s, I experience separation from God.

John told His disciples the night He was betrayed:

John 14:15–17 NIV

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Like Jesus, we struggle physically. Sometimes with pain, sometimes with illness. Physical suffering is part of life here on earth.

And physical suffering can effect our relationship with God. In John 16.33, Jesus told His disciples:

John 16:33 NIV

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

In Romans, Paul told us to glory in our sufferings.

Romans 5:3–5 NIV

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Later, in Romans Paul tells us that he considered our present sufferings are really not worth comparing with the glory that God shows us.

Romans 8:18 NIV

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Here’s the thing, God promises that He will NEVER leave or forsake us. In Psalm 94:14 we are told:

Psalm 94:14 NIV

For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.

An in the last part of Hebrews 13:5 we’re told

Hebrews 13:5 NIV

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So today, no matter what you are facing, God is there with you!

You may feel like you are separated from God—but God is there with you!

You may feel overwhelmed or consumed by suffering—But God is there with you!