From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About 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?" Matt 27:45-46 (NIV)

[video – Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?]

Have you ever felt God-forsaken? Have you ever felt like God had removed himself from you in your hour of greatest need? You’re in good company. Even Jesus felt that way…

First of all – let’s look at what was happening to Jesus.

Jesus did not deserve what happened to him.

They were not his sins – they were mine. They were yours.

Jesus did not ask for what happened to him.

In the garden, he said, My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Matt 26:39a (NIV)

Yet Jesus did not fight against what happened to him.

He concluded his prayer in the Garden with “Yet not as I will, but as you will” Matt 26:39b (NIV)

Jesus knew that there was a bigger picture than the present suffering

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb 12:2-3 (NIV)

How did Jesus know? Because he knew the Word of God! What you may not know is Jesus was actually quoting prophetic scripture when he said these words…

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? ² O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. Psalms 22:1-2 (NIV)

So – Jesus was quoting scripture… Why would this be a source of encouragement to him? David was often registering such complaints to God – why is it so significant that Jesus was re-using a phrase from the Psalms? Read the rest of Psalms 22. It is a vivid prophecy concerning the events of Calvary. Even as Jesus speaks these words, he is living out the whole of Psalms 22.

⁷ All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: ⁸ "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." Psalms 22:7-8 (NIV)

Isn’t it amazing that the rulers at the foot of the cross said these very words?

⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" Matt 27:41-43 (NIV)

Coincidence, you say? Let’s go on…

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. Psalms 22:14 (NIV)

This is a description of what was happening in Jesus body on the cross, as it did with any crucified man. Many of his bones were literally pulled out of their sockets…

Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. Psalms 22:16 (NIV)

Again, a description of the crucifixion process. This time, particular to Christ’s crucifixion (often men were tied to the cross – not nailed)

I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. Psalms 22:17 (NIV)

This is a remarkable prophecy. Remember how that they broke the legs of the other criminals, but did not break Jesus’ legs?

They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. Psalms 22:18 (NIV)

All of these together show that Psa 22 is an incredibly accurate prophecy about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. And Jesus was crying out the first line of this passage…

Have you ever felt that God had deserted you in your hour of crisis?

You may not have deserved what happened to you. And you certainly didn’t ask for it. I could not begin to tell you why… The truth is – when I hear some of your stories I have asked the same thing myself. “Why?”

We learn a lot from these words of Jesus on the cross.

• We discover the best place to take our complaint.
•  It is OK to express our frustration to God.
• He is still our God, whether we sense his presence or not.

We learn even more when we read the “unspoken” portion of his prayer, in Psa 22.

In our hour of crisis:

We must remember who he is

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. Psalms 22:3 (NIV)

We must remember what he has done in the past

In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. Psalms 22:4-5 (NIV)

We must remember our relationship to him

Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God. Psalms 22:9-10 (NIV)

God will not leave you hanging…

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. Psalms 22:24 (NIV)

The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him-- may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him - those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn - for he has done it. Psalms 22:26-31 (NIV)

… and when all is said and done – we will find that we were never actually forsaken.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Cor 13:12 (KJV)

Everyone needs to have a large room in their mind reserved for things they don’t understand (TF Tenney)

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jer 29:11-13 (NIV)

Everett McCoy - Pastor
ConnectPoint Community Church
Birmingham, Alabama

www.connectpoint.org

Everett McCoy pastors an independent church in Birmingham, Alabama, along with his wife Rhonda (www.rhondamccoy.com). Everett is a business owner, and passionate about motivating Christian businessmen to use their gifts to serve God's purpose around the world. His own business (www.macrim.com) enables him to travel frequently to India, where he also enjoys assisting in the work of indigenous churches.