A LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS
Kendra Intihar
Today’s Scripture: “And 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?’” Matthew 27:46, ESV
Theme: In Jesus’ darkest moment, He remained faithful.
LOVE SAVES THE WORLD
The earthly ministry of Jesus was an ongoing indictment against worldly power. From the Beatitudes to the healing of society’s outcasts, to eating with sinners and tax collectors, to the story of the Good Samaritan, to the woman at the well, to the woman caught in adultery, to the cleansing of the temple, to His defiant silence in front of Caiaphas: Every story echoes Jesus’ teachings that love – not power or money – is what saves this broken world.
It should come as no surprise to us that He continued to speak this kind of Truth, even in His darkest moment on the cross.
ALLUSION
In the time of Jesus, Jewish people learned Scripture (our “Old Testament”) from infancy. Observant Jews would know it backwards and forwards and have it memorized, like you and I memorize song lyrics. Just hearing the first verse would call to mind the rest of the passage. On the cross, at the hour of His death, about 3 pm, Jesus cries out, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” or “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, ESV). This question used to give me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The thought of God abandoning His Son is heartbreaking.
Brothers and sisters, Scripture is beautiful, fertile, rich soil in which we can plant ourselves to grow. Come dig with me for just a moment – let’s get some dirt under our nails. The twenty-second Psalm, which would’ve been intimately familiar to Jesus, begins, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1, ESV). Sound familiar? It would’ve sounded like desperate gibberish to the Romans present, but to any Jews at the foot of the cross, a cascade of verses would have suddenly flooded their minds. Verses like:
“I am…scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me…” (Psalm 22:6b-7a, ESV). Jesus was, indeed, being scorned and mocked on the cross.
“He trusts in the Lord, let him deliver him; let him rescue him for he delights in him.” (Psalm 22:8, ESV). These were the very words of those mockers in Matthew 27:43.
“…a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet…they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” (Psalm 22:16b, 17b, 18, ESV). Yes, this is exactly what was happening to Jesus on the cross in Matthew 27:35.
All of these verses were written centuries before Jesus endured the cross, including the ones that help me understand the entire passage: “…You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!” (Psalm 22:21b, ESV). “For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him” (Psalm 22:24, ESV).
JESUS CHOSE US
Jesus’ friends at the cross would have heard this message loud and clear. They would have seen Jesus’ shocking faithfulness in that dark, bleak moment. They would have heard Him silently imply that God had already rescued Him; that God had not hidden His face from His beloved Son, but had heard His afflicted cries. Do you think any of this was an accident or coincidence to the Lord? He knew! Jesus knew. He knew God was there. His allusion to Psalm 22 was for His followers, and it’s for us.
The end of Psalm 22 reminds us that Jesus was in despair and pain that we cannot imagine. But with His final breaths, He tells us that He wanted to be there – chose to be there – for you and for me. His harkening to the Psalms is our divine reassurance that, through the suffering of Jesus, “it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn…” (Psalm 22:30b-31a, ESV). God’s glorious plan for us was in motion. Jesus said so in His final words.
Jesus was enduring the mocking and the scorn on purpose, doing what He had to do to make a way for us: “a people yet unborn.” In Matthew 26:53-54 (NIV), Jesus said, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” He could’ve chosen the legion of angels to dramatically rescue Him, but instead, He stayed. He is so faithful, even unto death!
Make It Personal: Today, try to make time to read through both Matthew 27 and Psalm 22, and imagine what Jesus’ words would have meant to those around Him at the cross. If you can, put yourself in the shoes of His friends, His mother, the centurion, the other Roman soldiers, and the religious elite. How would His quoting of Psalm 22 have hit differently to each of those audiences? How do His words affect you today?
Pray: Jesus, in Your darkest hour, You stayed faithful. You remained on the cross so that we could, generations hence, proclaim God’s glorious plan for our salvation through Your selflessness. Good Friday is only good because You chose the will of the Father – You chose us. Thank You that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Thank You for continuing to pierce the dark places in my life. In Your beautiful Name I pray, Amen.
Read: Philippians 2:5-11; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:6
Weekly Memory Verse: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4, ESV