Jump to content

Matthew 27:46: Difference between revisions

Line 40: Line 40:
=What the Bible teaches=
=What the Bible teaches=


The Bible contains nothing that could be interpreted as Jesus screaming for help or crying for mercy while He was on the cross.
As can be seen from the scriptures above, the Bible contains nothing that could be interpreted as Jesus screaming for help or crying for mercy while He was on the cross.


The words "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" are taken directly from the opening of Psalm 22,15 to which we have already seen allusions in vv. 35–36, 39, 43; the psalm expresses the spiritual desolation of a man who continues to trust and to appeal to God in spite of the fact that his ungodly opponents mock and persecute him with impunity. In the end, the psalm turns to joyful thanksgiving for deliverance in vv. 22–31, and some interpreters have suggested that it is the latter part of the psalm that Jesus has in mind as well as its traumatic beginning, so that this is in effect a shout of defiant trust in the God whom he fully expects to rescue him
==''My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?''==


R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 1075–1076.
The words "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" are taken directly from the opening of Psalm 22; a psalm which expresses the spiritual desolation of a man who continues to trust and to appeal to God in spite of the fact that his ungodly opponents mock and persecute him with impunity. In the end, the psalm turns to joyful thanksgiving for deliverance.


The expression “my God,” while of course it is already provided by the psalm, nonetheless draws attention as a unique utterance by Jesus, who elsewhere in Matthew frequently refers to God as his Father but never as “my God”, and who in prayer has used “Father” to address God (11:25, 26; 26:39, 42; cf. 6:9). It thus marks a change of mood from Gethsemane, where, even though the cross was in view, Jesus could still address and trust God as his “Father.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus reveals His remarkable ability to say in very few words incredible wisdom. This is one of these cases.


R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 1076.
Jesus is dying on the cross and is surrounded by soldiers, onlookers as well as some people who are very close to him (including his mother, Mary and John the beloved). When Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", he was not questioning God. No!  But then what does this phrase mean?


as the Logos, Jesus was never abandoned by GodJesus, who was God, suffered no damage to his divine nature on the cross.37 Scholastic theology reduced this to the formula that Christ was abandoned by God neither with regard to the union of the two natures nor with regard to divine grace but only with regard to his own experience of suffering.38 However, the ancient church was at least in agreement that Christ’s cry was not to be understood as an expression of deepest despair but was to be interpreted in terms of the victory to which his death on the cross leads
In our view, He was very clearly stating to those at the foot of the cross something very profoundHe was telling them, ''"If you want to understand what is really going on here, go and read Psalm 22. I told you that I would have to die but this is not the end!  Victory is approaching!  Read Psalm 22 and you will see what is coming next!  Triumph!"''


Ulrich Luz, Matthew 21–28: a Commentary, ed. Helmut Koester, Hermeneia—a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2005), 545.
It is the latter part of the Psalm 22 that Jesus has in mind as well as its traumatic beginning, so that this is in effect a shout of defiant trust in the God whom He knows will rescue him.


“Why was it necessary, I implore you, for Christ to beg for God’s help so much, if he himself was the highest God? Why does he say: ‘My God!’?
Why is it that throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus frequently refers to God as his Father but never as “my God”? Why does he always in prayer use “Father” to address God (Matt 6:9; 11:25, 26; 26:39, 42). Even though the cross was in view in Gethsemane, Jesus could still address and trust God as his “Father.”<ref>R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 1075–1076; and Barclay Moon Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 863.</ref>


Ulrich Luz, Matthew 21–28: a Commentary, ed. Helmut Koester, Hermeneia—a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2005), 547.
The simple explanation is that Jesus was clearly referring to Psalm 22 and that is the only reason that He did not refer to His Father. We was clearly telling the disciples to look at Psalm 22 in order to understand what was going on.


Others take into consideration the entire Psalm, especially verses 24 and 26, and see here the prayer of one who still trusts in God to vindicate him.
===Psalm 22===
 
Barclay Moon Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 863.
 
One way of doing this is to point out that the Psalm that begins in this way goes on to praise God for deliverance as the Psalmist says, “From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me … in the midst of the congregation I will praise you” (vv. 21–22). The suggestion is made accordingly that in his hour of need Jesus was reciting a psalm that brings comfort and that we are to understand from the words quoted that he went through the whole psalm.
 
Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992), 721.
 
==Psalm 22==


My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  
Line 98: Line 90:
   
   
17 I can count all my bones — they stare and gloat over me;  
17 I can count all my bones — they stare and gloat over me;  
            18       cthey divide my garments among them,
      and for my clothing they cast lots.


            19       But you, O LORD, ndo not be far off!  
18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
      O you my help, dcome quickly to my aid!  
 
             20       Deliver my soul from the sword,  
19 But you, O LORD, ndo not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!  
      my precious life from the power of ethe dog!  
              
             21       Save me from fthe mouth of the lion!  
20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!  
                  You have rescued3 me from the horns of gthe wild oxen!  
              
21 Save me from fthe mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!  
 
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:


            22       hI will tell of your name to my ibrothers;
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!  
      in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
              
            23       You who jfear the LORD, praise him!  
24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and '''he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.'''
      All you offspring of Jacob, kglorify him,  
      and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!  
             24       For he has not despised or abhorred  
      the affliction of lthe afflicted,  
                  and he has not mhidden his face from him,  
      but has heard, when he ncried to him.  


            25       From you comes my praise in the great ocongregation;  
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.  
      my pvows I will qperform before those who fear him.  
              
             26       rThe afflicted4 shall seat and be satisfied;  
26 The afflicted shall seat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever!  
      those who seek him shall praise the LORD!  
      May your hearts tlive forever!  


            27      All uthe ends of the earth shall remember  
27 '''All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.'''
      and turn to the LORD,  
              
                  and all vthe families of the nations  
28 For '''kingship belongs to the LORD''', and he rules over the nations.  
      shall worship before you.  
             28       For wkingship belongs to the LORD,  
      and he rules over the nations.  


            29       All xthe prosperous of the earth eat and worship;  
29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, '''even the one who could not keep himself alive'''.
      before him shall ybow all who go down to the dust,  
      even the one who could not zkeep himself alive.  
30 Posterity shall serve him; '''it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation''';  
            30       Posterity shall serve him;  
              
      it shall be told of the Lord to the coming ageneration;  
31 '''they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn''', that '''he has done it'''.  
             31      they shall bcome and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet cunborn,  
      that he has done it.  




The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ps 22:1–31.<ref>Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ps 22:1–31.</ref>
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ps 22:1–31.<ref>Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ps 22:1–31.</ref>
==Did God "abandon" Jesus?"==
As the Logos, Jesus was never abandoned by God.  Jesus, who was God, suffered no damage to his divine nature on the cross.  Christ was abandoned by God neither with regard to the union of the two natures nor with regard to divine grace.  It is true that he went through the experience of suffering. However, the ancient church was in agreement that Christ’s cry was not to be understood as an expression of deepest despair but was to be interpreted in terms of the victory to which his death on the cross leads.<ref>Ulrich Luz, Matthew 21–28: a Commentary, ed. Helmut Koester, Hermeneia—a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2005), 545.</Ref>


=Quotes=
=Quotes=