Why did Jesus quote Psalm 22:1 in Matthew 27:47? Canonical Setting: Matthew 27:46–47 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lemma sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He is calling Elijah.” Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my groaning.” --- Psalm 22 in its Ancient Context • A Davidic lament that moves from suffering to vindication. • Verses 16–18 describe pierced hands and feet, public mockery, and soldiers casting lots for garments—details uniquely fulfilled in Roman crucifixion, unknown in David’s day. • By Jesus’ era the psalm was already read messianically; Targum Psalms links it to “the King Messiah.” --- Fulfillment of Prophecy at Calvary • Casting Lots (Psalm 22:18; John 19:24). • Visible Ridicule (Psalm 22:7–8; Matthew 27:39–43). • Extreme Thirst (Psalm 22:15; John 19:28). • Pierced Hands and Feet (Psalm 22:16; John 20:25–27). Jesus’ quotation signals that the entire psalm is being enacted before their eyes. --- Theological Significance of the Cry a. Substitutionary Atonement • “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The forsakenness reflects judicial abandonment as Jesus bears the curse (Galatians 3:13). b. Full Humanity of Christ • He experiences the depths of anguish every believer may feel, fulfilling Hebrews 4:15. c. Trinitarian Harmony Maintained • The Father does not cease to love the Son; rather, the relational fellowship is eclipsed as wrath against sin is poured out. --- From Lament to Triumph: Jesus Signals the Whole Psalm • The psalm ends in victory: “He has done it” (Psalm 22:31). John 19:30’s “It is finished” echoes this. • By quoting the opening line, a common rabbinic method (remez), Jesus points hearers to the entirety, assuring ultimate vindication. --- Why the Bystanders Misheard • Popular Jewish expectation held that Elijah would precede the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). • Loud cry in deteriorating physical condition + Aramaic pronunciation led to confusion. • Their misunderstanding fulfills further mockery foretold in the psalm. --- Summary Answer Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 to declare Himself the prophesied Messiah, to reveal the spiritual reality of bearing sin’s curse, to identify with human anguish, and to direct observers to the psalm’s concluding victory—thereby turning apparent defeat into irrefutable evidence of God’s redemptive plan. |
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