Was Jesus forsaken by God on the cross? A study of Psalm 22

QUESTION:

Posted by Ben on September 17, 2011 at 11:43 am

btw, what can explain about the ‘man-on-the-cross’ (e.i. Jesus — according to you who believe it was him) has said:

*”Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

* And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

– Matthew 27:45-46

imagine this —>>> Jesus was forsaken by God! Huhuwahuwahahahaha! can’t help my self but —- Laugh Out Loud! hwahahahahaha! :-)

RESPONSE:

 Quirino M. Sugon Jr on September 17, 2011 at 7:50 pm

Ben,

Jesus is speaking the words in Psalm 22:

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish?” (Ps 22:2)

If you read the psalm carefully, you will see how the psalm describes the suffering of Christ:

But I am a worm, hardly human, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 8 All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me: 9 “You relied on the LORD–let him deliver you; if he loves you, let him rescue you.” (Ps 22:7-9)

This is fulfilled when the following verse of Matthew 27:

Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads 40 r and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, if you are the Son of God, [and] come down from the cross!”41 Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. So he is the king of Israel!* Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. 43 * s He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he wants him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” (Mt 27:39-43)

Here’s another verse that describes his ordeal as he hung on the cross:

Like water my life drains away; all my bones grow soft. My heart has become like wax, it melts away within me. 16 5 As dry as a potsherd is my throat; my tongue sticks to my palate; you lay me in the dust of death. 17 Many dogs surround me; a pack of evildoers closes in on me. So wasted are my hands and feet 18 that I can count all my bones. (Ps 22:15-18)

His garments were divided by lots as predicted by the Psalm:

19 They divide my garments among them; for my clothing they cast lots. (Ps 22:19)
After they had crucified him, they divided his garments* by casting lots;36 then they sat down and kept watch over him there. (Mt 27:25-26)

You can laugh out loud, but the Psalm does not end in death, but in a prayer of hope for God’s deliverance:

“You who fear the LORD, give praise! All descendants of Jacob, give honor; show reverence, all descendants of Israel!25 7 For God has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch, Did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out. (Ps 22:24-25)

In the end, Christ rose from the dead in the fulfillment of Scriptures.