KNOWING GOD – THE GOD OF LOVE
[With Reference to the Events Concerning Jesus’ “Passion,” note how Jesus’ love is amazingly displayed throughout and therefore ‘stand in awe of God, the Most High.’]
Lesson Thirty-seven
At Golgotha (Calvary) – Cont’d. – Matthew 27:45-49 (Mark 15:33-36; Luke 23:44-45; John 19:28-29)
Matthew 27:45-49 – 45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
V.45 – Luke’s account: Luke 23:44-45 – 44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
For the sun stopped shining – This was symbolic of the fact that the Light had been rejected. (John 3:19 – This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.)
Note: John 3:14-21 – 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
Compare: Acts 26:12-15 – 12“On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, `Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15“Then I asked, `Who are you, Lord?’
“`I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
Note: Exodus 10:21-23 – 21Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt–darkness that can be felt.” 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. 23No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.
Ephesians 5:8-15 – 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
15Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise,
V.46 – “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” – See Lesson Thirty-four, Matthew 27, verse 32, Aramaic.
“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This is the Fourth of the “Seven Statements from the Cross.”
(Note Psalm 22:1 – My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?)
This was toward the end of three hours of darkness. It is inferred that during that time Jesus had been experiencing Psalm 22:15, and had been supernaturally strengthened in order to utter the “statement,” thus fulfilling Psalm 22:19, 24.
Psalm 22:15 – My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
Psalm 22:19 – But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
Psalm 22:24 – For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
V.48-49 – John’s account: John 19:28-29 – 28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.
“I am thirsty.” This is the Fifth of the “Seven Statements from the Cross.” It is the fulfillment of Psalm 69:21 – They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
General Application: Let us continue to ask the GOD OF LOVE to help us to heed Hebrews 12:3 – Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.