My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Thanks Morguefile.com

As Jesus hung dying on the cross, he cried out to His father God in heaven:

"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?' " (Matthew 27:46).

Did you know Jesus was actually quoting the words King David wrote in Psalm 22:1 around 1,000 years earlier? Here are the words of Psalm22:1:

"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?"

It is hard—no, it is impossible—for us to imagine or comprehend how the all-knowing, omnipresent God could abandon God the Son. (Tweet that!) The only way I can comprehend it is like this:

We know that God cannot or will not allow sin in his presence.

When Jesus died on the cross, he became sin as he took on the penalty of all the sin of all the people of all time who will accept him.

God the Father could not look upon this in that eternity and eternal moment when Jesus died. (Tweet that!)

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God," (2Corinthians 5:21, ESV). (Tweet that!)

Jesus' Life was Poured Out Like a Drink Offering

Thanks Morguefile.com

Part of the offerings God instructed the Israelites to giving during their worship and sacrifices was the drink offering. One of the first mentions of the drink offering that was to be poured out before the LORD is in Exodus 29:38-41:

"Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin* of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin* of wine for a drink offering. The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord" (ESV).

A drink offering that is poured out is gone forever. It cannot be recovered. It is a sacrifice, an offering to the LORD.

Jesus' life was poured out like a drink offering to pay for the sins of everyone who will accept it. (Tweet that!) During the Last Supper, Jesus said:

"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28, NIV 1984).

Yesterday as we looked at how Jesus was numbered among the transgressors, we looked at Isaiah 53:12. Take another look at this verse and notice how it predicts his life is “poured out,” as if a drink offering:

"Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12).

We looked at Psalm 22 on Day 21, "He was Crucified." Take another look at verse 14:

"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me," (Psalm 22:14).

Jesus' life was "poured out" for you and for me. He is the sin offering for us, to make atonement for us. He is our Scapegoat and the LORD’s goat. And he became our drink offering, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Tweet that!)

Have you accepted Jesus’ offering, his payment on your behalf for your sins? If not, do so today.

*A hin is about 1 quart or 1 liter.

He was Crucified

Thanks Morguefile.com

In the post on Saturday March 8, Day 37, in the article "Jesus Prophesied He Would Go Just As It Was Written About Him," we looked at Isaiah 53 and the many prophecies in that chapter that were fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus. This included verse 5:

"But he was pierced for our transgressions,

    he was crushed for our iniquities; 

the punishment that brought us peace was on him, 

    and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5, NIV 1984).

Another passage in the Old Testament that is very prophetic is Psalm 22:14-17, which was written by King David who lived about a thousand years before Jesus was born. David lived from about 1040 to 970 B.C.

Here is Psalm 22:14-17. How many details do you see in these verses that describe a crucifixion and were fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus? (Tweet that!)

"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. 

"My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. 

"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. 

"Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. 

"I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me" (Psalm 22:14-17, NIV 1984).

Jesus' words, and God's Word in the Old Testament, spoke of the crucifixion of the Messiah. When Jesus died on the cross, he fulfilled all these prophecies.

Jesus is the one all of Scripture points to. There is no other. (Tweet that!)