Why have you forsaken me?
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46)
Are these words of defeat or desperation? Are these words of anger or despair? Are these the words of a hurting or a weary man? Are these words of a fallen leader with a lost cause? What are these words?
For me they are words of great strength and encouragement. I know I have a tendency to want to see the best in every situation, but you may be thinking I’m nuts on this one. But don’t divorce these words from their context. Jesus uses them in a time of great agony, a literal “hell on earth” moment, and yet the original context of these words comes from Psalm 22 verse 1.You cannot read Psalm 22 without seeing the crucifixion. You cannot see Psalm 22 without seeing the agony, despair, and the shame of the cross. But keep reading Psalm 22 and you will find triumph over tragedy. Keep reading Psalm 22 and you will find the vanquished becoming the victor. We need to read Psalm 22 from beginning to end to see the middle as a means to an end. Maybe I can say it a little more clearly: We need to finish the Psalm to see the strength and encouragement of such a statement.Ps 22:30 Posterity will serve him;future generations will be told about the Lord.31 They will proclaim his righteousnessto a people yet unborn—for he has done it.Let us not forget the end of such a beautiful statement about what the Lord was accomplishing on this day!…because He still lives,Jason
17.03.2008. 11:37
Brian Enz on 16.05.2008. 07:08
Jason,
Great article! We are studying 1 Peter in Class 9. In chapter 3 Peter talks about how we are to persevere through unjust suffering and he uses Jesus as our main example. Sometimes we lose sight of the rewards and consequences of living out our faith through tough times. Christ has shown us.
Thanks,
Brian
Write a comment