The Forsaken

Matthew 27:45-56
The Death of Jesus

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Reflection

In today’s reading we come to the pinnacle of the passion narrative. Jesus only has hours left on his life. As the sky over Jesus’ head continue to grow darker, it becomes harder and harder for Jesus to breathe.

What many do not realize about crucifixion is that one does not die of pain. Instead, they die of weakness, dehydration, and suffocation. The goal of the cross used by the Roman Empire was to keep the person alive as long as they could so that they would suffer further shame.

The reason Jesus dies so quickly was because of the pain, dehydration, and blood loss he suffered during this flogging.

Now Jesus hangs trying to lift his body to gasp at breath. Finally with what was probably one his last breathes, he shouts out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

This phrase is meant to make the reader pause and contemplate the fact that there is no other place in any gospel that Jesus says, “My God.” When referring to any member of the Trinity, Jesus uses the phrases “my Father,” the “Spirit,” or the “helper.”

At the same time, any good Jewish student would have known that this phrase comes form Psalm 22. In fact it is the first statement in that psalm. By saying the first phrase of the psalm, Jesus is drawing forth the meaning of the whole psalm and calling it to the listeners and readers mind.

There is one phrase in Psalm 22 that comes to mind: “But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.”

Many Biblical scholars believe that in this moment God turned his back on Jesus. At the point of Jesus’s death, God leaves Jesus alone. God is completely separated from God for the first and only time in history.

This occurs so that Jesus can die; so he can take on the shame and the reality of sin in the world. In this action Jesus takes our place. Jesus takes on our words, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus becomes the one who is forsaken so we don't have to be.

After Jesus’s cry to God, Jesus takes his last breath and gives up his spirit.

At this moment in time, a large earthquake shakes the world and the curtain between the Holy of Holies and the rest of the temple is torn in two. These physical actions denote a dramatic shift in the world; the end of the old world and the beginning of a new one.

Now, God’s people have direct access to God. They no longer need a priest to go to God for them. They can go to God in prayer, bring him an offering, show him their thanks, worship him freely, and find forgiveness.

Questions
1. Why did Jesus say, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” What does this tell us about what happened when Jesus died?
2. What does Jesus’s death take from us?
3. What does the earthquake and the tearing of the curtain in the temple tell us about the new reality that is present in the world?
4. What does Jesus’s death mean to you personally?
5. How can we reason in thankfulness for what Jesus did for us?