Matthew 27:45-46

Matthew 27:45-46

And from the sixth hour, darkness became upon all the land until the ninth hour.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out by a great voice while saying, “Eli, eli, lema sabachthani.”  This is: my God, my God, why did you forsake me?

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The three hours of darkness is an incredibly symbolic note.  We know that Jesus is the Passover Lamb.  During the plagues in Egypt just before the first Passover celebration, the ninth plague was a plague of darkness so deep that people couldn’t see their hand before their face.  It was a supernatural darkness.  Back in Jesus’ time, just before the true Passover Lamb dies on the cross there is another supernatural darkness.  Here we have creation asserting to the control of the Father.  Even when His Son is upon the cross and it appears that the enemy has won, the Father is in control.  The darkness is an incredible sign that things are happening as the Father desires.  The true Passover Lamb is about ready to be sacrificed.  Darkness spreads as a sign that the time has come.

Do you see this darkness as a sign from God?  How does this darkness heighten the anticipation of the moment of redemption?  Why would this be an important element in the story – especially to a Jew?

Second Thought:

This middle point is a simple one.  Jesus cried out in a great voice.  He cried out loud enough for people to hear.  Here was a man who had been hanging on the cross for six hours.  He knew pain.  He knew suffering.  It was time for the sacrifice to come.

Can you even imagine the agony of crucifixion?  Would you have what it took to cry out in a loud voice, drawing all eyes upon you as you died in the midst of your suffering?

Third Thought:

The cry of Jesus is a very interesting cry.  In the Greek translation of the Hebrew phrase, Matthew intentionally chooses the aorist tense.  Matthew doesn’t say, “Why do you forsake me” or even “why have you forsaken me!”  Matthew translates Jesus’ words as “Why did you forsake me?”  This is a simple past tense verb.  We really need to make sure that we understand the significance of this verb.  Jesus is not complaining about being actively forsaken!  Nor is He complaining about being forsaken in the past while the effects of that action linger into the present.  Jesus is wrestling with the decision by the Father in the past to send Him to the cross.  Jesus is recognizing what that past decision meant for the present.  But we should not take this to mean that Jesus is wrestling with the Father on the cross.  Jesus went obediently to the cross knowing what it would mean in His life.  Jesus is obedient to the point of death.  What He is doing on the cross is remembering the decision in the past to send Him to the cross and mourning the pain that such a decision is currently bringing about.

What does it say about Jesus that He can be obedient in going to the cross?  Do you find this example inspiring, especially since He knew what it would cost Him?  How can you learn to imitate such sacrificial behavior?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 27:47-50