How can we find comfort in Jesus' expression of abandonment in Matthew 27:47? Hearing the Cry: Matthew 27:46–47 “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, ‘He is calling Elijah.’” Why This Cry Brings Comfort - Jesus does not hide His agony; He voices it. Our own cries are therefore welcomed before God. - The Son of God entered the darkest human experience so none of our darkness is foreign to Him. - His apparent abandonment secured our eternal acceptance—suffering with a saving purpose. Jesus Fully Identifies with Our Pain - Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses…” - Isaiah 53:3: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” - Because He felt forsaken, no believer’s loneliness is outside His understanding. The Cry That Fulfills Prophecy - Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” • Jesus’ words link His cross to a song that ends in triumph (Psalm 22:24, 31). • What sounded like defeat was in fact the unfolding of foretold victory. Abandonment for a Purpose—Our Adoption - 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” - Galatians 4:4–5: “God sent His Son… to redeem those under the Law, that we might receive adoption as sons.” • Jesus was treated as sin so we could be treated as sons and daughters. • The Father turned His face away from the Son so He could forever turn His face toward us. Assurance for When We Feel Forsaken - Hebrews 13:5: “I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you.” - Romans 8:38–39: Nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” • Our feelings may fluctuate; God’s promise stands. • The cross proves that God’s silence is never indifference but often part of a larger redemption story. Living Out the Comfort - Pour out your honest emotions in prayer—Jesus did. - Anchor your feelings to facts: the cross, the empty tomb, the promised presence. - Encourage fellow believers who feel deserted; remind them of Matthew 27:46–47. - Worship with Psalm 22: begin in lament, end in praise—just as the psalm itself does. |
    |