"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?' that is, 'MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?'"
-Matthew 27:46
A friend and I were sharing the gospel with a guy over supper. He was interesting. One of the biggest stumbling blocks he had was that he didn't believe the Bible was anything more than a book written by some men. My friend asked him if he were to be hit by a bus today and die, what would be the percentage of him going to Heaven? "100%, I'd go to Hell"... he wasn't confused about this. He then proceeded to let me share the gospel with him and he reiterated it all back to me: he understood all of it. As we were talking with him, he asked me why Jesus would say "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"; sadly, and with much regret now, I didn't have an answer for him. I believe I do now.
God, knowing everything: omniscient, knew everything and everyone before he created the heavens and the earth. He knew you, me, your friends, family, enemies, neighbors, every single person to ever have lived since the first man (and before). He knew our minds, our hearts, our thoughts, our actions, our every move...our sins: every single sin.
Think for a moment about today, ask yourself what sins you have done...just today. If you don't believe you can make a list, then you need to learn what God's standard is for what is right and wrong. Make a mental list of all the sins you have committed today...trust me, I'm sure you can fill up a few pages if you are truly honest. First of all you need to know that Jesus Christ came to die for your sins, let me emphasise this: JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOUR SINS, and bring you to Himself, if you don't know this then ask.
Take one item off of your list of sins, actually take the "smallest" sin from your list. That single "small" sin of yours is what put Jesus Christ to death...yes, that one single "small" sin hung our Savior, Redeemer, God, beaten and torn on a cross. Now focus on the fact that Jesus suffered and died for the sins of the entire world and because of God's omniscience, He died for every sin committed by every human being since. He knew what he was dying for.
If only one single "small" sin put Jesus Christ to death, imagine how horrible it must have been for Him to take on every sin of every human being then to now to when He returns. If you didn't catch that or didn't understand that, I said he took on every sin...think about that and let it sink in. I'm not a theologian or a scholar of metaphysics, so I can't explain how this happened but I can understand it. The Father turned his face from the Son because the Son for a short time took on EVERY SINGLE SIN OF EVERY SINGLE MAN AND WOMAN TO HAVE EVER LIVED! How painful that must have been. Any words I use do not, or can not, come close to what happened in those moments.
Jesus cried out..."ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACTHANI" : "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME"
I cry out...MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY DO I FORSAKE YOU!
I can't remember where I heard this but I've heard it explained this way... God hates sin so much that at that very moment he cried "why have you forsaken me" was the instant that all sin was laid on Him. Some scholars believe since Jesus is fully God and fully man that since God hates sin so much that Jesus deity, for that moment left Him as only a man, in order that God wouldn't be in the presence of sin and that's why Jesus said those words. Not that Jesus sinned by taking on the world's sins, but that He felt the weight/pain of it. (this doesn't necessarily reflect what I believe)
ReplyDeleteIt's alright to tell someone you don't know the answer to something and will look into it. I wouldn't try to explain the above because I'm not sure what exactly happened at that moment and I personally haven't found anything in scripture that helps answer this question(let me know if you have). If someone asked me this question in a mocking/attacking way I would sting them with the Law and buzz off. But it sounds like this guy was really thinking about it, I would encourage him to read the Bible daily or to join a Bible study.
1 Corinthians 2:14
"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
There is a lot that goes on in that statement, I think. I have heard that same theory, Oscar, about Jesus' divinity leaving him. I don't believe that because holistically, Scripture does not teach that. In that sentence that Jesus spoke, "God" mean his Father. Jesus had to bear our sins totally--his entire existence: the God-man had to do it...not partially God or vice versa. It had to be his self in its all inclusive being.
ReplyDeleteNow, Mike, I agree with what you told your friend. I would have said the same thing, I think--about Jesus dying for all the sins of the world. But as you know, I've been learning about Reformed theology. And what I now believe, is that Jesus didn't necessarily pay for EVERY sin in the world. Let's look at it this way:
If Jesus really died for every person's sin, how then is God justified in sending people to hell after their sins have already beeen atoned for? That gives us a very poor view of the atonement. If Jesus died for every person's sin and some people STILL go to hell, then you have a Savior who can't truly save--he only makes it POSSIBLE to save. This is where the doctrine of the elect comes in. Jesus did pay for all the sins of the world, but not in the same way.
You can say this: God, through Jesus' death, made the FREE OFFER of the Gospel available to every person. But He PURCHASED, OBTAINED, AND SECURED salvation only for his elect, chosen children. So technically, Jesus did not die for every person--he only died for those who would believe in him: his elect.
If this doesn't make sense, look for a post on my blog in a few days on the nature of the atonement. I'll give a fuller, scripture-backed explanation.
What I posted earlier isn't what I believe, I knew it would be controversial and create some comments. I believe Jesus Christ fully man and fully God bore the burden of all the world's sin.
ReplyDeleteRomans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Hebrews 9:22
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 2:2
and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
Romans 10:4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Galatians 3:22
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Christ's death/blood fulfilled the requirements of the Law. And His resurrection defeated death. There are others but I think these passages point that out well. It's quite clear that one must BELIEVE in order to receive the gift of eternal life.
Because Christ died for all the world's sins doesn't mean our sins are removed, it's only the price the Law demands that has been paid. Therefore there's nothing you can do to receive eternal life but to accept Christ's payment.
Bear with me for an analogy...
You were driving through an area marked off for a blind children's convention. The law clearly stated the max speed limit was 15 mph but you drove through at 55 mph. There is a $25K fine. You're in court and the judge gives you sentence but you can't afford to pay the fine so you must go to jail. Just then someone you don't know comes in and says I'll pay the fine here's the 25K. You're then free to go, the law has no power over you because your fine has been paid.
That's what Jesus did he paid the fine, all we have to do is accept it. If we don't accept the payment then we are subject to the requirements of the law and must pay the fine ourselves. God's Law, however, is an eternal law, and therefore requires an eternal sentence.
I do and I don't really agree with the statement "all we have to do is accept it."
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, there are too many verses in the Bible about God's elect and chosen ones to include here. In that sense, it's already ordained.
Secondly, we do have a choice. However, God wills what will happen through our willing choices. God is the ultimate source of reality, so our choices, though already pre-ordained, are real, genuine choices because reality rests IN GOD, not us.
Returning to the original post Jordan made (and avoiding discussion on freewill v. predestination and the elect and all that stuff), I once heard a pastor (I don't remember which one) speak about this and he said that back in the day they didn't have chapters and verses in the Bible (well really the Old Testament, since this day would be before all of the NT had come to pass and obviously before any of it was written). So to refer to a scripture they would quote the first line of the section they were referring to. If you check, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" is the first line of Psalm 22. And since this was common practice anyone who knew the Scriptures would have thought of this psalm, which (I'm told) is prophecy about Jesus (see esp Ps 22: 14-18, apparently that's what happens when you are crucified, except for the lots for clothing thing). I would recommend reading it (kind of too long to reprint here) and considering this interpretation of Jesus's cry. It puts a new thought to the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteFirst, James, thanks for your comments, but I actually didn't write this post. My buddy (and co-blogger) Jordan did. But I have talked with him about this incident.
ReplyDeleteAnd second...well, I know there's something, but I'm flipping tired, so I'm going to get back to this tomorrow.
Oh, yeah, I knew that...I saw his name at the bottom. I just automatically relate this blog to you. So, yeah, my bad!!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteListen to this by Piper:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/QuestionsAndAnswers/ByTopic/84/1793_Does_God_choose_who_will_be_saved/
go to http://wayofthemasterradio.com/ and listen to "Are You Really A Christian?"
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