The Cry

The Cry

Matthew 27:45-49, NLT

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” 47Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 48One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. 49But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”

Setting the Scene

Jesus was crucified at 9:00 a.m. Death by crucifixion was slow and excruciating, and sometimes could take days. For three hours, Jesus put up with abuse from bystanders. Then, “at noon, darkness fell” over the land for three hours, and an earthquake shook the ground (Matthew 27:51). The darkness on that Friday afternoon was both physical and spiritual as all nature seemed to mourn over the death of God’s Son.

Then Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Jesus was quoting the first line of Psalm 22, not asking in surprise or despair. The psalm is a prayer of expectation for deliverance, not a cry of abandonment, and the whole psalm is a prophecy expressing the deep agony over the Messiah’s death for the world’s sin.

In becoming sin for us, Jesus was temporarily separated from his Father because God cannot look on sin (see Habakkuk 1:13). This was the “cup” that Jesus had agonized over in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39).

Some of those standing nearby thought Jesus was “calling for the prophet Elijah.” Because Elijah had ascended into heaven without dying (2 Kings 2:11), a popular belief held that he would return to rescue the righteous from great trouble (Malachi 4:5). Elijah was associated with the final appearance of God’s Kingdom, and in the annual Passover feast, Jewish families still set an extra place at the table for Elijah in expectation of his return.

One of the bystanders put a wine-soaked sponge on a long stick and held it up to Jesus’ lips, probably to help ease his pain. The others told him not to give Jesus any relief for his thirst but to wait and see if Elijah would come to rescue him.

Getting Personal

What does this passage teach about what Jesus endured for you?

How does remembering Christ’s suffering highlight the reality of our sin?

In what ways can you express your gratitude to Jesus for taking your place at the Cross?

The physical and emotional agony suffered by Jesus during the whole process of crucifixion was horrible, almost unimaginable—being flogged, having nails driven through hands and feet, hanging from those nails, enduring insults and ridicule, being abandoned by his disciples, and more. But being ripped from his Father—the spiritual alienation from God—was the ultimate torture. Separation from God is “hell,” and Jesus experienced this, a double death actually, so that we wouldn’t have to.

We can easily read over words such as “the Crucifixion” and “hell” because we have heard them so often. But as we focus on Jesus’ agony on the cross and consider his cry of incredible pain, we begin to understand the depth of his suffering. And he did this for us.

Talking to God

Bring to Jesus the whole mixture of emotions stirred up by considering his crucifixion—sympathy and sorrow, remorse and repentance, and gratitude for the depth of his grace. “Thank you” seems far less than adequate, but thank God anyway, and ask him to help you thank him with your whole being—heart, soul, mind, and strength.