Saturday, March 31, 2018

Last words of the cross (4)




Matthew 27:46

CRY OF THE SOUL



It was the 9th hour and darkness covered the land. Spurgeon comments, “Our Lord was then in the darkest part of His way. He had trodden the winepress for hours, and the work was almost finished. He had reached the culminating point of His anguish.[1] At this point came the cry of His soul: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” It declares the feeling of rejection. There are three reasons the Son was rejected:

            It was the moment our sin became His. It is not the result of any corporeal pain being endured. He bore at that moment the wrath of God on account of our sins. God rejecting God—who can understand this? It was the ingredient of His atoning sufferings. He was taking on our sin that was may be righteous before God (2 Cor. 5:21).

            God did not interfere on Christ’s behalf to terminate those sufferings and rescue Him from the hands of His enemies. His plan and will had to be carried out. The payment had to be paid. It was the manifestation of God’s regard for the honor of His law and will.

            The Son was left destitute of the sense of His Father’s care and protection. God’s comfort may be withdrawn, but not His presence! The will of men was free to carry out Satan’s desires. It was allowed of God, but not His doing.

How should this endear the Redeemer of the world to us, who was willing to suffer such things for our sakes. In this cry we see the completeness of Christ’s obedience. He paid it all!  



[1] Charles Haddon Spurgeon, CHRIST’S WORDS FROM THE CROSS, [Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1965], 51

1 comment: