What God Can’t Do
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli lama Sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46 NASB
Eli, Eli – It is common Christian interpretation to view this verse as the cry of Jesus when Sin (with a capital S) fell upon Him. Christians often suggest that at this moment God the Father abandoned the Son because “God cannot look upon sin.” Jesus goes to the cross to act as our substitutionary sacrifice. He takes on the Sin of the world. God leaves Him at that terrible moment. Therefore, He cries out as He becomes Sin for us.
Sorry, but I am not buying it. We looked at this verse several times because of its implications about the language Yeshua spoke. We also looked at it as a declaration of victory, not defeat. But perhaps we need to address the typical Christian view about sin and death on the cross. Morris captures the point:
“We should not forget that these are the only words from the cross recorded by the first two evangelists. They must have selected them for a purpose. As they stand the words can scarcely be taken as anything other than a declaration that in this manner of His death Jesus was cut off from the Father.”[1]
But Morris’ position depends entirely on ignoring the Jewish context of this recital. Why should we take the words as a declaration of abandonment? We only read them in this fashion if we exclude the common practice among Jews in the first century of citing a psalm, a whole psalm, by referring to its opening verse. That’s the way the books of the Pentateuch are named. Not Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus but Bere’shiyt, Shemot, Va-yikra, the words that open those books. There were NO chapters, verse numbers or Greek names. If you wanted to remind someone of a book or a psalm, you had to give them someplace to start. And Psalm 22 is a psalm of vindication, not abandonment.
Furthermore, Morris admits that claiming the Father abandons the Son at this moment causes all kinds of problems for doctrines like the Trinity, for claims about the divine person of the Christ and for understanding how God could be excluded from this event. We might add that if David can legitimately say that God is present in Sheol, why do we think He can’t be present here? Peter Green claims that “the cry of dereliction shows that the price of sin has been paid in full.”[2] But if the Lamb is slain before the foundation of the world, then how can this cry be about paying for sin? Are we to ignore the statements of the author of Hebrews and of Peter because we have a theological paradigm that claims Jesus dealt with Sin on the cross?
What makes more sense to you? That the Father walked away from the Son in the moment He took on our sin or that Yeshua was pointing all His detractors to a psalm so that they would recognize His vindication? What would the Jewish audience at the cross have understood?
Topical Index: Eli, my God, Psalm 22:1, Matthew 27:46, sin, cross
Very good. Makes complete sense. Enjoyed your plane experience also. By the way, who do you think wrote Hebrews? Thank you again for all your “digging”.
The Greek is transliterated Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani, but the Peshitta and Psalm 22 read: Eli, Eli lama azbatani.
The AENT says: “If Hebrew eyewitnesses were not sure of what he was saying, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Greek transliteration was also wrong, putting “lama sabacthani” rather than “lemana shabakthani”.
Perhaps the reason Y’shua says “why are you sparing me” is because he has proven his commitment by laying down his life and has already endured about six hours of the execution! So it’s not a matter of being “forsaken” but that he literally means, “Father, I’m ready, why can’t we finish this?” In a matter of moments from saying this, he dies, which fully supports this interpretation.”
I believe the Peshitta is Aramaic and so this helps, but since Yeshua spoke Hebrew, we still must consider the Hebrew language issue. By the way, the parallel passage in Mark has the other alternative you suggest. As you note, this means the translators were confused.
Food for thought, very good insight!
Good points about Psalms 22. Notice in that psalm that God does NOT abandon the oppressed, but delivers him (ie the resurrection) Hence His name will be praised in the congregation. Interesting that the last sentence of the psalm indicates that “He has done it/It is finished”.(6213 Asah)….the He is in reference to YHWH, the author of the plan and all of its details.
Christians often suggest that at this moment God the Father abandoned the Son because “God cannot look upon sin.” Jesus goes to the cross to act as our substitutionary sacrifice. He takes on the Sin of the world. God leaves Him at that terrible moment. Therefore, He cries out as He becomes Sin for us.
I choose to agree simply because HE looked upon me when I was in sin and undone and in need of the Saviour.
When you visualize the honky-tonk rooms where men are sin and carry sin, CHrist is in their midst.
Christ came to save SINNERS and for some reason we forget that HE must come to US before we can come to HIM.
Thanks for clearing that one up. Makes alot more sense than the christian version.
Once again, looking past what our generation sees in the words; the context and history reveal deeper truth of the love of the Father and His victory in all creation. Thanks for the challenge.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli lama Sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”- Matthew 27:46
Yes, Yeshua was quoting (in further prophetic fulfillment of the scriptures) Psalm 22. What appears to begin as a terrible tragedy ends in absolute total triumph. Maybe we might visualize Arnold saying “I’ll be back!!”- Does anyone recall during this dark time, His promise of rebuilding the Temple within three days? ~ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” Uhh.. what Temple was He referring to?
What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days? ~ But He was speaking about the temple of His body ~
(John 2.20,21)
This is the decided difference between the shadow of the insufficient sacrifices for sin offered year after year on the Day of Atonement and the fulfillment of the Final, Full and Free Sacrifice of the Lamb of Calvary. (~ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again – John 10.18) In the O.T. God had a Temple for His people and because of the death,burial and resurrection of the Chosen One, God today, has a people for His temple. ~ Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? ~ (1 Corinthians 3.16) ~ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you have been bought with a price; be glorifying God with your body and with your spirit, which are God’s ~ We are His “purchased possession” and we (who are His) now belong to the (always) Good Shepherd. ~ My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow me. “And I am giving them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them from my hand.” My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ~ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ~ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us ~ ( and loves us still, today!)
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that left Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom.
~ Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends ~ (John 15.13)
~ But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us ~
~ This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins ~ (1 John 4.10)
~ But this Man, after offering one Sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. ~
(Hebrews 10.12)
Once for all, O sinner, receive it,
Once for all, O brother, believe it;
Cling to the cross, the burden will fall,
Christ has redeemed us once for all.
~ For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him ~
~ 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)
Thank you for the cross, LORD
Thank You for the price you paid
Bearing all my sin and shame
In love You came
And gave amazing grace
Thank You for this love Lord
Thank You for the nail pierced hands
Washed me in Your cleansing flow
Now all I know
Your forgiveness and embrace
Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne
we crown You now with many crowns
You reign victorious
High and lifted up
Jesus Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
-Worthy is the Lamb