Matthew 27:45-50 The Triumph of the Cross

Tommaso Laureti's Triumph.of.Christianity, 1585

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  Jesus’ cry while on the cross, Matthew 27:46, quoting Psalm 22:1

’Tis mystery all: the Immortal dies.  Who can explore His strange design?  In vain the firstborn seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine. (Charles Wesley, “And Can it Be” 1738)

“And on that day,” declares the Lord GOD, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.…I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.”  (Amos 8:9-10 ESV)

Now from the sixth hour, (twelve noon) there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour, (v. 45).  Two other times in Scripture God has used darkness as a sign of judgment. The first was in Exodus 10:21 as the ninth plague was visited upon Pharaoh and Egypt by Moses.  The second time is mentioned in 24:29.   When our Lord returns, darkness will accompany the Day of Judgment (see also Joel 2:10, Isaiah 13:10, 34:4, Ezekiel 32:7 and Amos 8:9)

Judgment is a dominant factor at Christ’s crucifixion.  For on Him our sin has been cast; He has taken our place.  The judgment of God due us is now being visited upon Him.   Romans 5:9 says we are “saved by Him from the wrath of God.” 

Sin against an all-holy God cannot be merely dismissed or glossed over by diligent human effort.   The full cost of sin is death, separation from God.    And at this moment, as He is impaled, suffering and dying, Christ is bearing that cost.  God the Father has turned His back in righteous judgment on the cross.  Our sin has been fully imputed to the Lamb.

It is no wonder then that at about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (v. 46).  The injustice, the beatings, the spit, the mockings, the abandonment, the floggings, did not make our Lord cry out. But being forsaken by the Father, THIS is what made our Lord cry out.  The greatest pain for our incarnate Lord, more so than the tortures, was to be separated from His Father.  

Arthur Pink in his book, Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross, said it very well: “Surely this is a cry that ought to melt the hardest heart.”   Jesus’ cry was not merely the pious prayer of a dying man. When one surveys the cross, he comes up short if he believes Jesus’ death by crucifixion goes no further than to set an example for the rest of us to follow.  Yes, we must be willing to take up our cross and lay down our lives for His sake (see 16:24-25).   But what Jesus did was much more than lead by example: He paid the full price of our sin and our rebellion, a price no man could take upon himself.  “The wages of sin is death,” says Paul in Romans 6:23, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

And some of the bystanders, hearing His cry, said, “This man is calling Elijah,” (v. 47).   Maybe these bystanders, knowing the Scripture that says Elijah is to return “before the great and awesome day of the Lord” (Malachi 4:5), thought they were witnessing the Judgment Day. After all, some of His day thought that Jesus was Elijah (see 16:14).  Maybe they heard Jesus cry “Eli” and mistook that for Elijah.   In an act of compassion one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, (v. 48).   

But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him,” (v. 49).  Perhaps this was a statement of faith; perhaps some at the foot of the cross were seeking entertainment as a man was dying before them.    And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit, (v. 50).  It is finished.  The immortal has died. 

The Passover Lamb :slain. God and sinners: reconciled.   Our sin: atoned for.  Justice: satisfied. Jesus: victor.  His name is exalted above all names!  The greatest act of love in history is now complete. I pray that one day you will be part of the myriad of voices gathered around the throne, worshiping, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth, and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”  (Revelation 5:12)