I’ve found out something new today. It was something that some of my squad appeared to know and others, like me, had no idea about. Just in case you don’t know either, I wanted to write this blog to tell you what I found.
One of my teammates and I have been doing a daily bible study. We started in James and have moved on to 1 Peter. Today, we were in 2:13-20, but somewhere along the way we got sidetracked. I’m not quite sure how we got on the topic, but we ended up looking at the crucifixion and Jesus’ final words on the cross. There is some debate in the Gospels on what the final words actually were, but what I want to focus on is the words found in Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34. “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani,” which means “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” We were discussing if this is when people believe God turned His face away, and if that was biblical. In digging for that answer, she told me something that I had no clue about.
By Jesus saying “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” He was actually quoting scripture. He wasn’t crying out to God because God had left. He was telling those around Him that this was scripture coming to fulfillment. In old testament times, all Jews would have these passages memorized. By Jesus saying these words, He was basically calling them to see what was truly happening in the moment. Read Psalm 22 below and see what I’m talking about.
Psalm 22
1 My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Be not far from me
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet —
17 I can count all my bones —
they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O LORD, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
And stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 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.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the LORD!
May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people
yet unborn,
that he has done it.
See!!! How crazy is that? I always thought Jesus was really saying those words. To think that He was quoting scripture, that He was still teaching, still trying to save with his last breath. That blows my mind. One of my favorite parts of this story before was Jesus’ interaction with the other man on the cross. How He was saving him while hanging on the cross. Now, I’m hit with the knowledge that He was doing that until his final breath! Also, we did answer the question we started out with, at least as far as I could without internet to triple check. Nowhere in the gospels does it say that God turned his face away. It’s not in there in any of the gospels. I checked in 3 different translations just to be sure. That was another thing I learned today.
I know that some people already have this revelation and know about this scripture, but I didn’t. I asked my squad and it was divided in who knew and who didn’t. I wanted to know this. I got really excited when I found out about this, so I thought it was only right to share it here. Just in case someone reading it is like me and didn’t know about this awesome connection. There you go! Now you know what I’m learning about currently. Hope you enjoyed learning about it too!
