Tag: crucifixion

Why Did Jesus Say, “My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”

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And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – Mark 15:34 (ESV)

Jesus is God. In fact, Jesus is the active agent in the creation of the universe. John 1:1-3 (NIV) says of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” At one point in human history, Jesus stepped into the world He created and “made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14, NIV) The main reason He did so was to die on the cross for our sins. That event presents a seeming mystery.

The question is, “If Jesus is God, why did He cry out on the cross before His death, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Since Christ is the second person of the Trinity, why did He – at the very least – feel that God had forsaken Him? How does this make sense?

We need to remember the main purpose of His death. Although Jesus died so that we can have eternal life, the reason we gain that inheritance is because our sins are taken away from us. The main mission of Jesus Christ on the cross was to pay the price for our iniquity. II Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) says it beautifully and precisely, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Did you catch the depth of this miraculous statement? God made Jesus to be sin on our behalf! Christ took upon His own body the sins of the world. 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV) declares, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” Clearly, Jesus became a sin offering so that He could bear the weight of our wrong.

Now let us consider the main consequence of sin – separation from God. We, like our progenitors, Adam and Eve, are naturally driven from the presence of God when we stand opposed to His righteousness because of our sin. After disobeying the Lord, Adam and Eve “hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God and among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8, ESV) In the same way, each one of us – as we stand in our sinfulness – is separated from the Only One who gives us true joy and meaning. Colossians 1:19-20 (ESV) proclaims, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” The purpose of Jesus shedding His blood on the cross was to cure our main problem – being separated from God. Jesus came to reconcile us with our Creator. Every human heart desires ultimately to be at peace with God, and that is exactly what we receive through Jesus and His cross. The apostle Paul reminds us, “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

Before we get back to the mysterious cry of Jesus on the cross, let’s bring home to our own hearts the theology discussed above. In a very real sense, true Christians discern the awful nature of sin. When we break God’s heart by sinning, we can hardly stand the weight of our own guilt. We know the pangs of conviction that remind us just how serious it is to defy the Almighty. And with the knowledge of the devastation of our own transgressions, can we begin to imagine what the weight of the collective sins of the world would feel like? Every wrong thought, word, and action of all sinners combined was placed on Jesus when He hung upon the cross. If my own sin produces such a terrible feeling, how must have the collective sin of the world felt falling on one Person, Jesus Christ?

Though He is God, Jesus also took on human flesh. Walking this earth as 100% God and 100% man, Jesus knew the pangs of fleshly emotion and distress. So, as He hangs on the cross being the sin offering for the whole world, He experiences on our behalf the outcome of sin – separation from God. His human nature endures a tragedy beyond description – the bearing of the penalty of the sins of the world. Suffering the separation we deserve, Jesus Christ calls out in deepest spiritual pain, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

For that unimaginable, paradoxical cry I am grateful beyond words. The truth is that I should have to wail, “My God, my God, you have good reason to forsake me.” But instead, perfect Jesus cries to His Father because of us. He willingly chose to be our sin offering so that we never have to know what it is like to be forsaken by God!

The barrier between us and God was torn when Jesus died. Mark 14:38 (ESV) “And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” That old, thick curtain that stood between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was ripped in half by God! I imagine He could not wait to get His fingers on that which stood between us and a full, unhindered relationship with Him. With joy, He tore that curtain, for Jesus had borne our separation so we could come close to our God!

The Weakness of God

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The God of the Bible is both all-powerful and unchanging. He is not, therefore, weak. Having created the universe and every system within it, He upholds the same universe. Our God is strong, for sure. Why then does the apostle Paul clearly say, “The weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength”? (I Corinthians 1:25, NIV)

Beginning at verse sixteen of the same passage, Paul begins to tell us the world system simply could not understand the death of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. While the Greeks saw the message of a god dying on a cross as foolishness, the Jews saw it as weakness. The Jews – as Paul points out – demanded miraculous signs, as they wanted their Messiah to come in power and take over the governments of the world to set His people free in the here and now. Therefore, Jesus was a “stumbling block to Jews” because they had their eyes fixed on an earthly ruler. While running after that kind of a deliverer, they tripped over the real Jesus who came the first time to earth to pay for our sins. The full redemption of the universe is yet to come. Priority at the first advent of Christ was His sacrifice for our sins, without which we are eternally lost. This mission was painful beyond imagination and was viewed by many as weakness, but – in reality – it was the most powerful thing ever done. Perfect God takes on human flesh to provide the way out of sin’s curse for people. Eternal deliverance for those formerly hopeless is brought to the forefront; that is power!

Let us go back to that beautiful phrase, “The weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” God is not weak – not even close. However, His power appeared as weakness to the world. The crucifixion did not make sense to the masses of unbelievers. Even today, we are largely taught to work it out for ourselves, to work hard, to be self-sufficient, and to get all we can. Antithetical to the selfish mind is this concept of a God who purposefully allows Himself to take on flesh and die for the sake of the world. Also antithetical to the sinful mind is the idea that we as humans can be truly forgiven and released from our sins because of God’s payment instead of our efforts. This kind of thinking – this amazing plan – appears to the world system as frailty. It is not – in fact – weakness, though many view it that way. It is – in reality – the ultimate power of a God both loving and holy.

What appears to be God’s inadequacy is actually the thing that saves us! In other words, God’s “weakness” is actually more powerful than the greatest strength of humans. People can accomplish many things, and our greatest efforts do contribute to the course of life. However, when it comes to the most essential areas of reality, our greatest strengths mean nothing. No person can save himself from sin. No person can overcome sin’s power in her life. No person can escape the curse of sin. No person can overcome death. We are doomed – despite our greatest accomplishments – unless the “weakness” of God rushes in. What appeared to make no sense – the crucifixion of Jesus Christ – powerfully pays for our sin!

The weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. May we also remember this in everyday moments of life. Metaphorically speaking, God has more strength in His pinky finger than all the collective power of every human being who has ever lived. I need not worry about my life if He is my Lord. Furthermore, whatever part of God’s plan appears powerless or foolish is actually stronger than anything I can imagine. What God is currently “up to” in my life may not make sense to me, but at the times He seems to make the least sense, He is up to something incomprehensibly effectual! “The weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”

When your strength seems gone, remember that the veritable weakness of God is more than enough for you. God works in paradoxes; He takes pleasure in turning things inside-out. The greatest story He has written is that of our salvation, and though it has often been interpreted as foolishness and weakness; it is the supreme work of an all-powerful God.

How will He now work when you feel weak and confused? We can only imagine!

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” – I Corinthians 1:25 (NIV)

Tracing God’s Heart through Geography and History: The Mount of Olives

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Today in the Middle East, just to the right of Jerusalem, stands the Mount of Olives. This mountain is separated from the great city by a narrow area called the Kidron Valley. The Mount of Olives is approximately one mile long and rises to 2,680 feet above sea level. This mountain tells us much about the heart of God. For, God is the God of geography and history. Too many people today think the true God is “spiritual only,” but He is God over every realm! He is Lord over geography because He made this terrestrial ball and the entire universe (Psalm 121:2), and He is Lord over history because He stands outside of time as the “Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13).

What does this actual, geographical location reveal to us about the heart of God? Let’s look at three things:

    1) In Luke 21:37, we learn that Jesus would actually rest on the Mount of Olives following long days of teaching disciples. Our Savior would close His eyes and sleep on the mount at night. This amazes me, because Matthew 26:38 reveals that at this same place – the Mount of Olives – Jesus was nearly overwhelmed by the weight of the sacrifice He would make for the sins of the world. You see, the Garden of Gethsemane – where Jesus prayed right before His arrest and crucifixion – lies on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. Our Savior commenced His unimaginable suffering at the very place He rested so many other days before. I am ashamed to say that there have been times I can hardly sleep at night if I know I have an impending difficult time ahead; yet, Jesus rested in the very place He knew He would carry the weight of human sin. Jesus Christ could rest because He knew that His plan would prevail in the end, no matter how dark the time at hand.

    The Mount of Olives reminds us that we can rest in the midst of difficult circumstances and while facing an unknown future because God is in control.
    2) The words of Acts 1:9-12 tell us that Jesus Christ left this earth from the Mount of Olives. After instructing the disciples that they should concentrate on spending their lives as a testimony to God by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, Jesus was taken up into a cloud and was drawn out of sight. The disciples no doubt stood dumbfounded. They had finally wrapped their minds around His divinity because He had risen from the dead just as the Scripture promised, and He had walked on the earth for forty days following His resurrection. Now, after those seemingly short forty days, He was leaving! Their mouths probably hung open as they watched Him go. Perhaps they were thinking, “Why is He leaving us after rising from the dead?” and “Why is He not fixing this world system right now; why is He allowing the Romans to continue in their plot?” and “When will we see Him again?” As those disciples stood there, two angels informed them that “this Jesus” will come back the same way He left.

    I love it! “This Jesus”! Not another Jesus, but the very same One who walked with them, hugged them, ate with them, was nailed to a cross for them, resurrected for them, walked with them again in His new, glorified body; and ate fish with them in His new, glorified body – this Jesus would return to this earth! The Jesus that was put in the tomb is the Jesus that came out of the tomb and is the Jesus who will return on day. Similarly, the same me that dies physically is the same me that will rise physically and enjoy what Jesus prepares one day. Because of Him, we live too!

    The Mount of Olives reminds us that a very real Jesus is coming back to this earth to make a home of righteousness for us to enjoy with Him in very real, glorified bodies.
    3) The prophet Zechariah declares in Zechariah 14:4 that one future day the feet of Jesus will stand again on the Mount of Olives. At some point before the second coming of Christ, great armies will go to battle against Jerusalem. The city will be captured, and the end of Jerusalem and its inhabitants will seem inevitable. But, just when things seem hopeless – and not before – Jesus will descend on that mount. His feet will cause the Mount of Olives to split in half, producing a valley between the newly formed northern and southern halves of the mountain. That valley will be the way of escape for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Zechariah goes on to explain that the inauguration of the millennial reign of Christ will mean the people of Jerusalem will dwell securely, with no more curse (Zechariah 14:11).

    Just as God provided a way of escape for His people when they were caught between the Red Sea and the approaching Egyptians, so He will provide a way of escape when the Antichrist and all the godless armies seek to destroy God’s remnant of people. Nothing stops God’s plan. In a real and tangible way, Jesus will once again be seen on the Mount of Olives.

    The Mount of Olives reminds us that Jesus is in charge of this world and all of history. He will provide the way of escape for His people and usher in the beginning of His, perfect kingdom.

Allow the God of all history and geography to strengthen your heart with the truths about one, particular location in the Middle East. The Mount of Olives is very important to Jesus, and it should be very important to us, too.