Jesus' Cry: The Depth of Suffering and Salvation

Devotional

Day 1: The Authenticity of Jesus' Suffering

In the moment of Jesus' cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" we witness the raw authenticity of His suffering. This cry, recorded in Matthew 27:46, is a profound testament to the reality of His anguish, a moment that even skeptics find difficult to dismiss due to its unheroic nature. Jesus' words echo Psalm 22, fulfilling prophecy and underscoring the depth of His sacrifice. This cry is not merely a moment of despair but a powerful declaration of the weight of the world's sin upon Him, highlighting the genuine nature of His suffering and the fulfillment of His mission. [03:42]

Psalm 22:1-2 (ESV): "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest."

Reflection: Consider a time when you felt abandoned or alone. How can Jesus' authentic cry of suffering encourage you to bring your own struggles honestly before God today?

Day 2: The Symbolism of Darkness

The darkness that covered the land during Jesus' crucifixion is a profound symbol of God's judgment. This darkness, as described in Matthew 27:45, signifies the weight of sin and the punishment that humanity deserves, which Jesus took upon Himself. It serves as a reminder of the gravity of sin and the depth of God's grace. The Old Testament often associates darkness with divine judgment, and here, it envelops the moment of Jesus' greatest sacrifice, illustrating the immense burden He bore for humanity's redemption. [08:07]

Amos 8:9-10 (ESV): "And on that day, declares the Lord God, I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day."

Reflection: Reflect on the symbolism of darkness in your own life. What areas of sin or judgment do you need to bring into the light of God's grace today?

Day 3: The Necessity of Guilt for Hope

In a culture that often dismisses guilt, understanding its role is crucial for finding true hope. Guilt points to a higher moral standard and the existence of something greater than ourselves. Recognizing our guilt leads us to the hope and redemption found in Jesus Christ. Without acknowledging our guilt, we risk losing sight of the grace offered through Jesus' sacrifice. This understanding challenges modern resistance to guilt, inviting us to embrace the transformative power of repentance and forgiveness. [12:03]

2 Corinthians 7:10 (ESV): "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you have felt guilt. How can acknowledging this guilt lead you to a deeper understanding of God's grace and hope today?

Day 4: The Infinite Suffering of Jesus

Jesus' cry of "My God" reveals the depth of His suffering, not just physically but relationally and spiritually. The loss of His eternal relationship with the Father was the greatest agony, yet He remained obedient, demonstrating His love and commitment to humanity's salvation. This moment of infinite suffering highlights the profound love Jesus has for us, as He endured the ultimate separation to bring us into a restored relationship with God. [16:24]

Isaiah 53:3-4 (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. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted."

Reflection: Reflect on the relational and spiritual suffering Jesus endured for you. How does this understanding of His infinite suffering impact your relationship with Him today?

Day 5: The Dual Accomplishment of the Cross

Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was not only about bearing our sins but also about living the life we should have lived. His perfect obedience and infinite suffering provide us with both forgiveness and righteousness, clothing us in His accomplishments. This dual accomplishment of the cross highlights the completeness of Jesus' work, offering us a new identity in Him and the assurance of salvation. [21:57]

Hebrews 10:14 (ESV): "For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified."

Reflection: Consider the dual accomplishment of the cross in your life. How can you live out the righteousness and forgiveness Jesus has provided for you today?

Sermon Summary

In reflecting on Matthew 27:45-56, we delve into the profound moment when Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This cry, uttered at the ninth hour, signifies the depth of Jesus' suffering and the weight of the world's sin upon Him. It is a moment that even skeptical scholars acknowledge as authentic due to its raw, unheroic nature. Jesus' cry is not just a moment of despair but a fulfillment of prophecy, as He quotes Psalm 22, a psalm that eerily describes an execution, pointing to the Messiah's suffering.

The darkness that enveloped the land during Jesus' crucifixion symbolizes God's judgment, a theme consistent throughout the Old Testament. This judgment, deserved by humanity, was borne by Jesus, who was forsaken so that we might be forgiven. The modern resistance to the concept of guilt is challenged here, as the absence of guilt can lead to a lack of hope and purpose. True hope and purpose are found in acknowledging our guilt and the grace offered through Jesus' sacrifice.

The word "my" in Jesus' cry reveals both His infinite suffering and perfect obedience. Despite the physical and relational agony, Jesus' greatest suffering was the loss of His intimate relationship with the Father. Yet, even in this abandonment, He remained obedient, fulfilling the covenant relationship with God. This obedience, coupled with His suffering, accomplishes our salvation, as Jesus not only bore our sins but also lived the life we should have lived.

Ultimately, Jesus' sacrifice was for the glory of God and for us. He endured the cross, not out of necessity, but out of love for humanity. This Holy Week, as we reflect on His sacrifice, we are reminded of the immense love and grace extended to us through Jesus' death and resurrection.

Key Takeaways

1. The Authenticity of Jesus' Cry: Jesus' cry of abandonment on the cross is a powerful testament to the authenticity of His suffering. It is a moment that even skeptics recognize as genuine because it portrays Jesus in a vulnerable, unheroic light, unlike any fabricated account. This cry fulfills prophecy and underscores the reality of His sacrifice. [03:42]
2. The Symbolism of Darkness: The darkness that covered the land during Jesus' crucifixion is a profound symbol of God's judgment. It signifies the weight of sin and the punishment that humanity deserves, which Jesus took upon Himself. This darkness is a reminder of the gravity of sin and the depth of God's grace. [08:07]
3. The Necessity of Guilt for Hope: In a culture that often dismisses guilt, understanding its role is crucial. Guilt points to a higher moral standard and the existence of something greater than ourselves. Recognizing our guilt leads us to the hope and redemption found in Jesus Christ. [12:03]
4. The Infinite Suffering of Jesus: Jesus' cry of "My God" reveals the depth of His suffering, not just physically but relationally and spiritually. The loss of His eternal relationship with the Father was the greatest agony, yet He remained obedient, demonstrating His love and commitment to humanity's salvation. [16:24]
5. The Dual Accomplishment of the Cross: Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was not only about bearing our sins but also about living the life we should have lived. His perfect obedience and infinite suffering provide us with both forgiveness and righteousness, clothing us in His accomplishments. [21:57]
** [21:57]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:13] - The Cry of Abandonment
[00:48] - The Curtain Torn and Earthquake
[01:19] - The Centurion's Declaration
[02:06] - Analyzing Jesus' Cry
[03:31] - Skeptics and Authenticity
[05:20] - Quoting Psalm 22
[07:48] - The Symbolism of Darkness
[09:26] - Modern Resistance to Guilt
[12:03] - The Role of Guilt in Hope
[13:45] - The Word "My" and Its Significance
[16:24] - The Infinite Suffering of Jesus
[19:47] - Perfect Obedience and Covenant
[22:12] - The Dual Accomplishment of the Cross
[24:26] - Why Jesus Endured the Cross

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What significant event occurred from the sixth to the ninth hour during Jesus' crucifixion, and what did it symbolize? [07:48]
How did the people around Jesus react when He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" [00:13]
What physical phenomena accompanied Jesus' death, and what was the reaction of the centurion and those with him? [01:19]
How does the sermon describe the authenticity of Jesus' cry on the cross, and why do even skeptical scholars find it significant? [03:42]

Interpretation Questions

How does Jesus quoting Psalm 22:1 on the cross help us understand the purpose of His suffering and death? [05:20]
In what ways does the darkness that covered the land during the crucifixion reflect the theme of God's judgment in the Old Testament? [08:07]
How does the sermon challenge modern views on guilt, and why is acknowledging guilt important for finding hope and purpose? [12:03]
What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between Jesus' infinite suffering and His perfect obedience? How do these aspects contribute to our salvation? [19:47]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you felt abandoned or forsaken. How can Jesus' cry on the cross provide comfort or perspective in such moments? [02:06]
The sermon discusses the symbolism of darkness as God's judgment. Are there areas in your life where you feel the weight of judgment? How can you seek God's grace in those areas? [08:42]
In what ways do you resist acknowledging guilt in your life? How might embracing the concept of guilt lead to a deeper understanding of hope and redemption through Jesus? [12:41]
Jesus' greatest suffering was the loss of His relationship with the Father. How can this understanding deepen your appreciation for the sacrifice He made for you? [16:24]
The sermon emphasizes Jesus' perfect obedience. What are some areas in your life where you struggle with obedience to God? How can you take steps towards greater obedience this week? [20:46]
How does understanding the dual accomplishment of the cross—bearing our sins and living the life we should have lived—impact your view of your own righteousness and identity in Christ? [22:12]
As we reflect on Holy Week, how can you practically demonstrate the love and grace extended to you through Jesus' sacrifice in your daily interactions with others? [25:40]

Sermon Clips

The cry points to the fact of Jesus' death and the word why points to the reason for his death and the word my actually points to the accomplishments of his death and the question taken as a whole shows us something about why he did it in his within himself his motive. [00:02:26]

Historians and Scholars who actually are suspicious of the Bible that is to say they they feel like in the gospel accounts there might be legendary material you can't trust everything in the Bible even the most skeptical Scholars say this must have happened. [00:03:31]

If you were making this up if you were making up a you know a piece of literature about trying to promote a faith you'd never write this down and therefore even the Skeptics say this must have happened or we wouldn't be reading it and of course it's in Aramaic. [00:04:34]

The darkness from the 6th hour until the 9th hour Darkness came over all the land anybody who reads the Old Testament especially knows what Darkness means when God sends Darkness here listen Amos 8 in that day declares the Lord I will make the sun go down at noon. [00:07:45]

Darkness means God's judgment and when it says it's over all the land it's a sign of the fact that God's judgment is over the whole human race and punishment is deserved and it's got to come down somewhere now let me say here this point to you can't come to grips with or understand. [00:08:32]

Modern people resist this and here's one of the reasons why modern people resist it all of our Lives we're told don't let other people make you feel guilty guilt is a bad thing it shows that you're letting other people make you feel guilty you have to decide what is right or wrong for you. [00:09:16]

If you say nothing should make me feel guilty I have to decide what is right or wrong for me what you mean then is there's nothing more important than you and your feelings and your conscience and your needs and your intuitions and your Consciousness that's all it matters. [00:12:09]

The Bible says is there is truth there is right there is hope and therefore there's guilt there is something more important than you it's God you're supposed to love God with all your heart soul strength and mind because he gave you everything you're supposed to love your neighbor as yourself. [00:12:57]

The little word my points to his infinite sufferings and to his perfect obedience his infinite sufferings and his perfect obedience first his infinite sufferings my God my God do you notice what he's not saying he's not saying my head my hands my hands my feet my feet my side my side. [00:13:38]

There is no greater Agony than to lose love you know that psychiatrists counselors know that there is no greater Agony than a love that really matters to you you lose it it's gone nothing and of course depending on how long and deep that love was the more Agony it is. [00:15:29]

The love that the father and the son had makes the greatest marriage in the history of the world look like a do drop compared to the Atlantic Ocean and it has to be it has to be he was experiencing Eternal suffering because he was what is the punishment we what is the punishment. [00:17:07]

He was taking it for all of us what he was experiencing on the cross was like zillions of Eternal Hells all compressed and laid on him at once you say how could that that be if you know what it's like to lose love and you know how agonizing it is just take that up to about 20 trillion. [00:17:48]

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