Finding Hope in Jesus' Cry of Despair
Summary
In today's reflection, we delved into the profound moment of Jesus' crucifixion as recorded in Matthew 27:45-47. This passage captures Jesus' cry of despair, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This cry is not just a theological statement but a deeply emotional expression of feeling abandoned. It is a moment that resonates with the human experience of suffering and alienation. Jesus, in his humanity, felt the weight of isolation, a feeling that many of us can relate to in our darkest times.
The narrative in Matthew is unique in its portrayal of Jesus' solitude. Unlike other gospel accounts, Matthew emphasizes Jesus' isolation, highlighting that this path to the cross was one that only He could walk. This moment is a powerful reminder of the depth of Jesus' sacrifice and the loneliness He endured for our sake.
We also explored the significance of Jesus quoting Psalm 22. This Psalm, often recited by those facing death, begins with despair but ultimately transitions to hope and trust in God's deliverance. Jesus, even in His agony, was teaching us to look beyond our immediate suffering and trust in God's ultimate plan and vindication. This duality of despair and hope is a profound lesson for us, encouraging us to trust in God's character and promises, even when we feel abandoned.
In our own lives, we may face moments of deep suffering and alienation. Yet, Jesus' experience on the cross assures us that He understands our pain and walks with us through it. We are reminded that suffering is a part of life, but in Christ, we find hope and the promise of God's presence and vindication.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Cry of Despair: Jesus' cry on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" is a profound expression of human suffering and alienation. It reminds us that Jesus fully identifies with our darkest moments, offering us comfort in knowing that He understands our pain. [09:25]
2. The Unique Perspective of Matthew: Matthew's account emphasizes Jesus' isolation, highlighting that His journey to the cross was one He had to walk alone. This solitude underscores the depth of His sacrifice and the unique role He played in our redemption. [07:41]
3. Psalm 22 and the Duality of Despair and Hope: By quoting Psalm 22, Jesus points us to a narrative that begins in despair but ends in hope. This teaches us to trust in God's ultimate plan and vindication, even when we feel abandoned. [18:04]
4. The Teaching in Suffering: Even in His suffering, Jesus was teaching us. His reference to Psalm 22 encourages us to look beyond our immediate pain and trust in God's promises and character. This is a powerful reminder of the hope we have in Christ. [24:29]
5. Finding Hope in Suffering: Suffering is an inevitable part of life, but in Christ, we find hope and the assurance of God's presence. Jesus' experience on the cross assures us that He walks with us through our darkest times, offering us comfort and hope. [29:58]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Opening Prayer
- [01:09] - Reading from Matthew 27
- [01:54] - Jesus' Cry of Despair
- [02:31] - Different Gospel Perspectives
- [04:21] - The Journey to Golgotha
- [06:07] - Mockery and Insults
- [07:01] - The Darkness Over the Land
- [09:04] - The Unique Verb of Jesus' Cry
- [10:03] - Personal Story of Suffering
- [12:26] - Theological Debate on Abandonment
- [15:26] - Feeling Alienation and Despair
- [18:04] - Psalm 22 and Jesus' Teaching
- [22:11] - The Righteous Sufferer
- [24:29] - Despair and Hope in Psalm 22
- [29:58] - Finding Hope in Suffering
- [30:16] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Matthew 27:45-47
- Psalm 22:1-5
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Observation Questions:
1. What is the significance of Jesus' cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" as recorded in Matthew 27:45-47? How does this reflect His emotional state? [01:09]
2. How does Matthew's account of the crucifixion differ from the other gospels in terms of emphasizing Jesus' isolation? [07:41]
3. What elements of Psalm 22 are echoed in the crucifixion narrative, and how do they enhance our understanding of Jesus' experience on the cross? [18:04]
4. How does the sermon describe the verb used for Jesus' cry in Matthew, and what does it reveal about the intensity of His emotions? [09:25]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. Why might Matthew have chosen to emphasize Jesus' isolation during the crucifixion, and what does this tell us about the nature of His sacrifice? [07:41]
2. In what ways does Jesus' quoting of Psalm 22 serve as both a cry of despair and a message of hope? How does this duality impact our understanding of suffering? [18:04]
3. How does the sermon suggest that Jesus' experience on the cross relates to our own feelings of abandonment and suffering? [13:52]
4. What does the sermon imply about the role of suffering in the Christian life, and how does Jesus' example on the cross provide a model for enduring it? [29:58]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt abandoned or isolated. How does Jesus' experience on the cross provide comfort or perspective in that situation? [13:52]
2. Jesus quoted Psalm 22, which transitions from despair to hope. How can you apply this pattern of moving from despair to hope in your current struggles? [18:04]
3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of trusting in God's character and promises, even in suffering. What specific promise of God can you hold onto during difficult times? [24:29]
4. How can you support someone in your life who is currently experiencing a "dark night of the soul"? What practical steps can you take to be present for them? [15:26]
5. Consider the unique role Jesus played in our redemption through His isolation and sacrifice. How does this understanding influence your relationship with Him and your view of personal sacrifice? [07:41]
6. The sermon mentions that suffering is an inevitable part of life. How can you prepare yourself spiritually and emotionally to face future challenges with faith and hope? [29:58]
7. Jesus' cry on the cross was a deeply emotional expression. How can you be more honest and open in your prayers, especially during times of distress? [09:25]
Devotional
Day 1: Jesus' Cry of Despair and Human Suffering
In the moment of Jesus' crucifixion, His cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" is a profound expression of human suffering and alienation. This cry is not merely a theological statement but a deeply emotional expression of feeling abandoned. It resonates with the human experience of suffering and alienation, reminding us that Jesus fully identifies with our darkest moments. In His humanity, Jesus felt the weight of isolation, a feeling that many of us can relate to in our darkest times. This offers us comfort in knowing that He understands our pain and walks with us through it. [09:25]
Psalm 13:1-2 (ESV): "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?"
Reflection: Think of a time when you felt abandoned or isolated. How can you invite Jesus into that memory to find comfort in His understanding and presence today?
Day 2: The Solitude of Jesus' Sacrifice
Matthew's account of Jesus' crucifixion uniquely emphasizes His isolation, highlighting that His journey to the cross was one He had to walk alone. This solitude underscores the depth of His sacrifice and the unique role He played in our redemption. Unlike other gospel accounts, Matthew portrays Jesus' solitude as a powerful reminder of the depth of His sacrifice and the loneliness He endured for our sake. This narrative invites us to reflect on the profound love and commitment Jesus demonstrated in His willingness to endure such isolation for humanity's redemption. [07:41]
Isaiah 53:3 (ESV): "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not."
Reflection: Consider a situation where you feel you must walk a path alone. How does Jesus' solitary journey to the cross inspire you to persevere in your own journey?
Day 3: The Duality of Despair and Hope in Psalm 22
By quoting Psalm 22, Jesus points us to a narrative that begins in despair but ends in hope. This Psalm, often recited by those facing death, transitions from despair to trust in God's deliverance. Jesus, even in His agony, was teaching us to look beyond our immediate suffering and trust in God's ultimate plan and vindication. This duality of despair and hope is a profound lesson for us, encouraging us to trust in God's character and promises, even when we feel abandoned. [18:04]
Psalm 22:24 (ESV): "For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him."
Reflection: Reflect on a current struggle where you feel despair. How can you actively choose to trust in God's plan and look for signs of hope today?
Day 4: Learning from Jesus' Suffering
Even in His suffering, Jesus was teaching us. His reference to Psalm 22 encourages us to look beyond our immediate pain and trust in God's promises and character. This is a powerful reminder of the hope we have in Christ. Jesus' experience on the cross assures us that He understands our pain and walks with us through it. We are reminded that suffering is a part of life, but in Christ, we find hope and the promise of God's presence and vindication. [24:29]
2 Corinthians 1:5 (ESV): "For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."
Reflection: Identify a promise of God that you can hold onto during times of suffering. How can you remind yourself of this promise daily?
Day 5: Finding Hope in Suffering
Suffering is an inevitable part of life, but in Christ, we find hope and the assurance of God's presence. Jesus' experience on the cross assures us that He walks with us through our darkest times, offering us comfort and hope. This assurance encourages us to trust in God's character and promises, even when we feel abandoned. In our own lives, we may face moments of deep suffering and alienation, yet Jesus' experience on the cross assures us that He understands our pain and walks with us through it. [29:58]
Romans 5:3-4 (ESV): "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope."
Reflection: Think of a current challenge you are facing. How can you find and embrace the hope that Jesus offers in the midst of this struggle?
Quotes
Jesus is asking in that moment, my God my God why have you forsaken me where is God I think it's safe to say that the text helps us to feel the sense of what's happening and and get an idea of what Jesus May been going through we've talked about in Luke his take we've looked at John's take on some things that are happening and now we arrive in Matthew. [00:02:09]
The other gospel writers mention the people that were there with Jesus but Matthew does not Matthew wants us to understand that this road that Jesus has walked this path that he has taken no one can join him it is the words that Jesus said at the Last Supper I am going where I'm going you cannot come remember John chapter 14. [00:07:44]
The verb here that is used to describe this cry is a verb that only appears in the Greek in this place in all of the New Testament it is uniquely situated to describe what's going on here it's a strong verb indicating powerful emotion or an appeal to God it is not a a theological statement. [00:09:14]
Jesus is Calling out to his father because he feels abandoned and alone RT France in his commentary on this passage in the Tindale New Testament commentaries says this this is no dispassionate theological statement but an agonized expression of a real sense of alienation reflecting the full meaning of Jesus death as a ransom for many. [00:12:18]
Some scholars believe in this moment what happens and the reason that Jesus is saying these things is that theologically that God In This Moment who could cannot look on sin in all of his Holiness puts the all weight of all sins of all people for all time onto his son and then he looks away. [00:13:07]
The fact Craig Keener says in his go his commentary on Matthew the fact that Jesus utters the complaint of the righteous sufferer in Psalm 221 suggests that he participated in our ultimate alienation from God in experiencing death alienation abandonment being forsaken have you ever felt that way have you ever felt so cut off from everything. [00:15:00]
Psalm 22 is a Psalm that is uh was frequently spoken as people knew they were dying specifically rabbis would pray this Psalm would state it and then would begin to uh recite the shama the Deuteronomy uh chapter 6 uh here o Israel the Lord your God the Lord is one you shall love the Lord your God. [00:18:04]
This is beginning to sound like Jesus 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 do not be far from me for trouble is near and there is no help do you see how he's going from Despair. [00:20:25]
What happens in this PSAL is there is a back and forth between Despair and hope ultimately Landing in Hope and the promise of the future and Vindication that God will be the one who vindicates that God is the one who brings hope and so when Jesus hangs on the cross even in the midst of his suffering he's teaching us again. [00:24:29]
I think what happens in this text is Jesus sees beyond his feeling and his pain and the difficulty of his suffering and into something much greater and he teaches us to do the same thing it's powerful to have a Lord and God who is identified with us in every way in our sufferings. [00:28:39]
Suffering everyone suffers some more than others but everyone suffers but in Christ we can transcend it we can find Hope even in the darkness in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit let's pray may you take the Light of Christ into a dark dark world may you offer hope the hope that has been offered to you. [00:29:58]
May you trust that God will meet you wherever you are in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit amen. [00:30:16]
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