I'm learning more and more

[Songstress]

removed by me

Edited May 23, 2010 by Songstress

[Believer1997]

Wow - I've been reading this chapter and the scriptural analysis of it today. I believe He was as well - there are too many comments of this prophecy to be anything but. Christ knew He would suffer God's wrath and God had prepared His Son to do so.

He said these things as a reference key for us to unlock the words of the prophets and the psalms that spoke of these things. Christ is revealing to us by these comments that "He" was the God-Man prophesied to come as the Saviour of Israel. In other words, God is exhorting His people to search the scriptures and compare scripture with scripture. And therein we will "see" what these words He spoke signifies and pertains to.

Psalms 22:1

* ..My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?" When Christ called out to God in this manner, clearly He was consciously quoting this Psalm as an illustration to all that would come after. Look at this Psalm and see how it answers the question Christ begged - Psalms 22:3 "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel."

That is why God had forsaken Him. Because to a holy God, that all sin is unacceptable to, this is a great offense. And as Christ hung on the cross, He was laden with our sins. So in Christ quoting this Psalm, He was revealing that it prophesied of Him and how He would atone for the sins of man against a holy God. Christ knew and spoke of the work of the atonement. He knew He had to die for mankind's sin. He was prepared all along for this sacrifice. His entire ministry would have been an empty shell if He had not known it - but He did.

John 5:36-39

* "But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

* And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

* And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

* Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

When I think of Christ's dying for me on that cross.... I used to just weep - How could a loving father allow a child to suffer thus? Then I began to read the Psalms and search for reason and God led me to a point of understanding. I do not think I will ever be able to fully comprehend the Love which was poured out for us. It is amazing - and still leaves me in awe.

Thank you for your post, Songstress ... during this time of year when all things become new and fresh again - I realize that I am also new ... because of Christ.

[wyguy]

IMO, at that moment The Father separated Himself from Jesus. Just as unbelievers are separated from God and will be for eternity in hell because of unforgiven sin, when Jesus took all of our sins upon Himself, He felt that separation from the Father for the first and only time. Jesus bore that judgment of separation for us.

[nebula]

Could it be that He wasn't accusing God of turning His back on Him, but rather trying to show the Jews that this was a fulfillment of prophesy?

I heard someone explain that it was common for rabbi's to teach a Scripture by quoting the first part of it. Because the Jews were taught to memorize the Scriptures from their youth, they would be able to recall the entire Psalm from the first line.

Thus, in essence, this is what Jesus was doing.

[Isaiah 6:8]

I think it's possibly both.

It does show a fulfillment of prophecy!

[Fez]

(36) And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible to You. Take away this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.

I have always thought that this is the crucial verse. Even Jesus, as the son of God, in his "humanness", understood that God's will be done, not ours. And it was a lesson to us even while He was dying.

[georgedrw81]

When I think of Christ's dying for me on that cross.... I used to just weep - How could a loving father allow a child to suffer thus? Then I began to read the Psalms and search for reason and God led me to a point of understanding. I do not think I will ever be able to fully comprehend the Love which was poured out for us. It is amazing - and still leaves me in awe.

Thank you for your post, Songstress ... during this time of year when all things become new and fresh again - I realize that I am also new ... because of Christ.

Right. Everyday we are new and fresh when Christ is followed. That is why everyday is a wonderful day of celebration of Christ.

Blessings

[Hawkins]

To me, it only shows that Jesus died a normal mortal's death. All people die that way at their last moment, they all have the strong feeling of being abandoned. Perhaps you and me at our last moment will yell the same like 'God don't foresake me', or 'God why foresake me'.

And my theory is that, Christianity is about witnessing, and Jesus's death can thus be witnessed/proven by everyone, as long as you are willing to memorized what is written about when He's in the cross. After you experiencing the process, you will wonder why is it so much like what is written down. And you start to wonder if He didn't come back, who wrote it so clearly the process of a typical human death in the Bible. Only a dead man returning back can write down such a process so clearly.

Edited March 29, 2010 by Hawkins

[wyguy]

To me, it only shows that Jesus died a normal mortal's death.

Actually, it wasn't "normal" at all. Not only was Jesus separated from the Father for the first time, but he took upon himself the Father's wrath for every single sin of mankind, past, present, and future. Jesus suffered more than any man in history.

[EricH]

I posted this on another site. I was just kind of processing my own thoughts. Thought it would be nice to hear what others have to say about it. So let me know. Once this was brought to my attention I perked up and I'm not fascinated by looking at something in a whole new light that I had never thought of before.

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Matthew 27:45-46

45 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,