"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Mark 15: 33 – 39

Introduction

Have you seen our church 's television commercials on Suddenlink Cable and KTRE?  So far, we have produced three commercials.  
The first commercial with “This Little Light of Mine” basically shows our church people going through our Sunday morning routines—Sunday School, worship and lots of smiles.  

Post by GHM George Hooker Media Group.

The second commercial focuses on Wednesday nights and shows what happens on Wednesday nights—supper, choirs, Bible studies and lots of smiles.  

Post by GHM George Hooker Media Group.

The third commercial is an invitation to Easter Sunday worship.

Post by GHM George Hooker Media Group.

In the next couple of weeks, we are going to get you some printed invitations to give away to your friends, neighbors, family, co-workers, etc…  I want you to invite them to come to church with you on Easter Sunday.  In East Texas, most people will be planning on coming to church on Easter Sunday.  Even people who are not members of a church will try to find a church to attend on Easter.  The way I look at it…if they are looking for a place to go to church, it might as well be First Baptist Church!

We are going to get those invitations to you soon, because Easter Sunday is only three weeks away (that is four Sundays counting today—March 30, April 6, April 13, and April 20).

As we approach Easter Sunday, I have been preaching on Jesus’ words from the cross.  According to the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—Jesus spoke seven times while he was on the cross.  So far, we have read the first three of Jesus’ sayings from the cross.    “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing;” “Today you will be with me in Paradise;” “Woman, this is your son, and this is your mother;” and our Scripture this morning: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Mark 15: 33 – 39… 33 At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ""Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? ""--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 

35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah." 

36 One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said. 

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. 

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

I had lunch on Monday with a representative from one of our ministry partners.  This man traveled from Dallas and was trying to connect with several East Texas churches.  He wanted to come by the church and see our church before we went to lunch.  When he came in my office, I was studying for this sermon.  He asked a question: “How long do you typically study for your sermons?”  I answered that this was not a typical sermon and would not be a typical week of study.  This is a hard sermon about a hard Scripture.

Just think about the words we just read together…My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  These are hard words to hear.  It would be hard to hear anyone speak these words.  But this is not just anyone speaking…These words were spoken by Jesus of Nazareth…Jesus the Christ…Jesus the Only Begotten Son of God.

This is one of those places where the Bible is brutally honest.  When we read the Bible, we are reading the true story of how God worked out his salvation plan in the world through the Nation of Israel and the Person of Jesus of Nazareth.  One of the ways we know this is a true story is the fact that the Bible never glosses over the difficult facts and details of the story.  Our heroes of faith don’t always look like heroes in the Bible.  And, we hear words from the mouth of Jesus the Son of God that don’t sound very Godlike.

One of the first rules of reading and interpreting the Bible is the rule of context.  We should not read a Bible verse or a biblical story out of context.  So, to help us interpret Jesus’ words from the cross, let’s read his words in context.  Specifically, I think we need to pay attention to three contexts: Theological Context, Narrative Context and Scriptural Context.

Theological Context

The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels.  This is one of the reasons why I chose to do my doctoral work on the Gospel of Mark!  There are only 16 chapters in Mark; the book can be read in one sitting (approximately one hour); and the story moves quickly.  One of Mark’s favorite expressions is, “And immediately…”  This is how Mark connects stories and events together.  For example, Jesus fed the five thousand and immediately Jesus made the disciples get in the boat to go to the other side of the Lake (Mark 6: 45). 

In other words, Jesus was constantly on the move in the Gospel of Mark.  And, since Jesus was constantly on the move, Mark didn’t spend a lot of time writing about unnecessary details.  AND, Mark certainly didn’t spend any time interpreting the events he recorded in his Gospel.  Mark told the story of Jesus and asked his readers to interpret and apply the story.

Therefore, we cannot look to the Gospel of Mark for any theological interpretation of the life, crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus.  One of the best places to look for theological reflection and interpretation of the Gospel is the writings of the Apostle Paul.  One of Paul’s interpretations of Jesus’ crucifixion is found in 2 Corinthians 5: 21…

2 Corinthians 5: 21…  21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Paul does not specifically mention Jesus’ words from the cross, “My God, my God…”  But, this verse does help us to understand what Jesus was saying.

Paul’s words about Jesus are shocking…Jesus (who was sinless) actually became sin on the cross! 

Some of our English translations try to take the sting out of Paul’s word by saying that Jesus became “a sin offering.”  And that is a theologically true statement about the death of Jesus on the cross.  Jesus died as an offering for our sins…to atone for our sins…to wash away our sins…to take away our sins…so that we might be forgiven.  This is a theologically true statement, but it is NOT what Paul said about Jesus and his death on the cross.

Paul said that Jesus became sin.  In other words, all the sins of the world (past, present and future) were placed on Jesus.  And all the wrath and judgment those sins deserve were also placed on Jesus.  While Jesus was hanging on the cross, Jesus experienced the excruciating physical pain of crucifixion and he experienced the excruciating spiritual pain of wrath and judgment.

Theologically we can say that Jesus defeated death by experiencing death and coming back from the grave.  We can also say Jesus defeated sin by experiencing the full wrath of God’s judgment on the cross.  The One who had no sin actually became sin in order to take God’s judgment on himself…So that you and I do not have to experience God’s judgment!

Narrative Context

We also need to place Jesus’ words from the cross in the context of Mark’s narrative.  Specifically, Mark tells us two remarkable things that happened after Jesus cried out “my God, my God…”

Mark 15: 38 – 39…  38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" 

I believe Mark tells us about the curtain of the Jerusalem Temple to make a theological point about the crucifixion of Jesus.  Again, Mark does not waste any words in his Gospel, so it is no surprise that he does not interpret the significance for us.  Mark simply presents the facts of the story and allows us to interpret and apply for ourselves. 

I think we need to pay special attention to Mark’s detail that the curtain was torn “from top to bottom.”  According to Josephus, there was a curtain in the Jerusalem Temple separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple.  That curtain was 80 feet tall.  No one could reach the top of that curtain without some kind of assistance.  If the curtain was torn “from top to bottom,” then we can safely say that Mark saw this as an act of God.  When Jesus died on the cross, God tore the curtain.

What is the significance of the torn curtain?  According to Jewish Theology, the Holy of Holies was the place where the presence of God dwelt.  No one was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies on a regular basis.  In fact, only the High Priest was allowed to enter, and he was only allowed to enter one time a year—Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

When God tore down the curtain dividing the Holy of Holies, God tore down the dividing wall between God and humanity.  Because Jesus died on the cross, humanity now has direct access to God.  There is no need for a priest.  There is no need to wait until the Day of Atonement.  Jesus gives us access to God.

There is a second interpretation that I have never actually thought of before this week.  According to Jewish theology, the presence of God was confined to the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple.  It’s as if that 80 foot curtain was holding God back from the rest of the world.  When God tore the curtain, the presence of God was set loose on the world!

On one hand, this demonstrates that God can be experienced anywhere and everywhere.  We do not need a Temple or a priest to experience God.  Jesus makes God available and accessible to all.

On the other hand, this demonstrates that the presence of God has left the Jerusalem Temple!  Jesus cries out on the cross, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?”  But, Jesus is not the one who has been forsaken / abandoned by the presence of God. God has left the Jewish Temple.  God has forsaken the Jewish way of religion and access to God.

One of the ways we know Mark wants us to see the presence of God leaving the Jewish Temple is the fact that the first person to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God is the Roman Centurion.  Because of the crucifixion of Jesus, the presence of God has left the Temple, and Gentile sinners can be saved.

Scriptural Context

A third way to interpret Jesus words is to look at how they fit into the rest of Scripture.  In this case, I think it is obvious that Jesus is quoting Psalm 22.

Psalm 22: 1 – 2 …  1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. 

When Jesus quoted the first line of Psalm 22, he was basically using that first line as a title.  When the Bible was first written—including the Psalms—there were no chapters and verses.  In fact, the Psalms existed as independent writings without chapters and verses until they were eventually organized into the Book of Psalms as we know it today.  To make reference to a specific Psalm, Jesus could not say “Psalm 22” as we do.  It didn’t have a number!  Instead, Jesus would say, “The Psalm that begins with ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”

If we read Psalm 22 while thinking about the crucifixion of Jesus, we will discover two remarkable things.  First, notice how the words of the Psalmist were fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus.  Second, notice how Psalm 22 begins with a cry of abandonment but ends in a shout of victory over enemies and praise to God, who never leaves us or forsakes us.

Psalm 22: 7 – 8 …  7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 8"He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." 

These words are almost exactly the same as the words spoken by the thief on the cross and the crowds gathered at the foot of the cross (Luke 23: 35 – 39).

Psalm 22: 14 – 18 …  14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. 

We can compare these words to what we read about the crucifixion in the Gospel of John.  John describes the way the soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothes and that Jesus cried out in thirst.  And, all of the Gospels tell us that Jesus’ hands and feet were pierced when the Romans nailed him to the cross.

Psalm 22: 22 – 24 …  22 I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. 23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. 

Psalm 22 begins with a confession of abandonment…Gives a prophecy of the way Jesus would be crucified…Then it ends with a triumphant note / victory…

Some people say we are not supposed to read the entire Psalm.  We are only to focus on the words Jesus quoted from the cross.  We are not supposed to think of the triumph and the victory at the end of the Psalm.  We are only supposed to think of the abandonment at the beginning of the Psalm.

I disagree for two reasons.  The fact that the middle section of Psalm 22 is obviously a reference to / prophecy about the crucifixion tells me we are supposed to read the entire Psalm.  I think Jesus wanted us to understand his crucifixion in the context of Psalm 22.  It begins with abandonment but ends in victory. 

Second, a person who died by crucifixion usually died by asphyxiation.  The weight of their body cut off their ability to breathe.  Jesus didn’t have enough breath to quote the entire Psalm.  He quoted the first line of the Psalm to remind us of the entire Psalm.

Conclusion

Jesus’ words on the cross demonstrate the importance of reading, knowing and memorizing Scripture.  The Scriptures encourage us to be brutally honest with God.  When all of Jesus physical / human resources were depleted, he turned to the Word of God.  Where will you turn?

What sounded like a cry of abandonment was actually a confession of God’s sustaining presence.  When we feel abandoned, God is still there.  In fact, the cross of Christ teaches us that God is present in suffering.