My God, My God, Why...?

Jesus faced his accusers and executioners in total silence. It was a notable silence. Considering the circumstances, it was an unexpected silence.

Isaiah 53 verse 7 says:

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth."

Even the high priest seemed a bit baffled by Jesus' silence. In Mark 14:60 it says:

"And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?" And the next verse says:

"But he held his peace, and answered nothing..."

Here is the high priest, trying to get the "criminal" to say something --anything. After all, even the high priest knew that the so-called witnesses were lying and falsely accusing Jesus. Yet Jesus had nothing to say? Strange.

So, the high priest, wanting to make sure he had the right man, asked Jesus,

"Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

Verse 62 says: "And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."

Finally! Jesus spoke! Now they had something to accuse him of! BLASPHEMY!

BUT. The high priest had no authority to condemn a man to death and Rome didn't care whether or not a Jew blasphemed against God. It wasn't their God.

Anyway, Jesus was crucified. He spoke a few words directly afterwards. Luke recorded it in chapter 23:34:

"Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots."

Just before his death, Jesus spoke again. Matthew 27:46 says:

"And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Those standing nearby may have thought that Jesus was crying out to God because He felt God had forsaken him. And, I often wondered about that myself. Jesus had so little to say, why would He have said such a negative thing in such a loud voice? Wouldn't that have cast doubt on people, making them think that God had forsaken Jesus?

If you know the Word of God, you have the answer! If you know the words of King David, you know that Jesus was quoting his own namesake! He was, with his last words, directing all of us to Psalm 22! Why?

Because Psalm 22 contains the prophetic words of David, concerning the death of our Saviour!

I believe that David had been experiencing some of the same agony as our Lord, when he wrote these words.

Psalm 22

1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring?

2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

(Verses 6-8)

6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

(This is what the people were saying. "You saved others, so come down from the cross!")

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

(This is probably exactly how Jesus felt.)

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws: and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

19 But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

Then, verse 27 says:

"All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

28 For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations."