Another fulfillment of prophecy

I am part of a Facebook group reading through the Bible chronologically. We are into the New Testament and I love reading the Gospel accounts.

I especially enjoy reading the book of Matthew as he shares how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah.

In Matthew 27, he records some of Jesus’ last words as He hung on the cross.

“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Matthew 27:46 NIV)

I’ve often wondered why Jesus would say this when He knew that God would reject Him the moment He took on our sins. This separation was what He dreaded as He prayed in Gethsemane. Taking the sins of the world upon Himself would be physical agony but the epitome of torment would come from His spiritual separation from God.

I’ve learned that Jesus didn’t ask this question in shock or hopelessness but rather He was quoting the first line of Psalm 22.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? (Psalm 22:1 NIV)

Psalm 22 is a Psalm of David expressing his anguish while experiencing a life of suffering. But it is more true of the Messiah than of David. It’s a prophecy expressing the torment of the Saviour’s death for the world’s sin.

Jesus likely chose these words from the Old Testament to describe His agony and confirm that His crucifixion was a fulfillment of this particular psalm.

Reading the Gospels is even more exciting when we see the direct connection with the Old Testament prophecies.

Want to dive deeper? You’ll find this story—and many more that reveal the beauty of our Triune God—in God the Father, the Son & Holy Spirit: Exploring Biblical Truths About the Triune God, available on Amazon.