The anguish of our Savior on Calvary was foretold by David in Psalm 22. While I would encourage you to read the entire Psalm, I want to just share with you the first 8 verses.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: ‘He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.’” - Psalm 22:1-8 (NIV)
These words of Jesus from the cross were of such significance that God saw fit to tell about them - word for word - by way of prophecy. Evidently there is something of great significance that occurred at this point in His crucifixion which caused Jesus to utter - literally scream - these words! What was going on that made Jesus cry out so?
It should be pointed out that darkness covered the land from the 6th to the 9th hour (Jewish time), which was from noon to 3 pm. It was at the end of this three-hour period that Jesus cried out in anguish. What occurred during that 3 hour period? It was at this time that the sins of the world were poured out upon our Lord! It was during those three hours that Jesus accomplished the mission for which He was born - He suffered for my sin and for yours so that we wouldn’t have to.
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” - 1 Peter 2:24a (NIV)
Jesus, being the infinite Son of God, was able to suffer in a finite period of time on the cross (a period of 3 hours), what you and I, being finite human beings, would have to suffer for an infinite period of time in Hell.
Often, when we think of the sufferings of our Savior on the cross, we think of the physical aspect of His suffering. But there is a much more important aspect of His suffering which Matthew is relating to us here, and that is the spiritual aspect of our Lord’s suffering.
There have been others who have suffered as painful, or even more painful a death as did Jesus, but only Jesus has experienced spiritual suffering for the sin of every person who has lived, is living, or ever will live! As we consider this fourth cry from the cross, let’s think about the nature of our Savior’s spiritual suffering for our sake.
1. The Darkness Around The Cross - v. 45
We are intrigued by the fact that darkness covered the land from noon to 3 pm - the time of day when the sun would normally be at its height and shining it’s brightest! What caused this darkness? One explanation is that the darkness was nature’s reaction to the sufferings of our Savior.
“The sixth hour and the ninth represent Jewish time, counted from rising to setting of the sun, i.e., noon until 3:00 P.M. The land means the country of Judea. The dark¬ness was not due to an eclipse, for such was not possible during the full moon at the time of the Passover. Other natural phenom¬ena may be implied, as a storm or black sirocco, but the Synoptics seem to mean that even nature bore witness to the magni¬tude of the event at Golgotha.” - Frank Stagg in the Broadman Commentary
Though this explanation has some legitimacy, I would like to propose a second possible explanation, that the darkness that covered the land for those three hours symbolized the fact that our Savior was suffering at the hands of the powers of darkness. You see, part of the spiritual suffering of our Savior involved enduring the wrath of Satan.
“None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had,they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” - 1 Corinthians 2:8 (NIV)
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” - Colossians 2:15 (NIV)
“They nailed Him to an ugly cross that bleak and dreadful day; And thought forever from their midst they’d driven Him away. But three days passed, and He arose Triumphant o’er the grave, With Hell’s keys in His mighty hands; and wondrous power to save. And He ascended to His throne, the Spirit to send forth, That men no more alone should be, and every life have worth. He’s coming back some golden day, and victory shall He bring; For He’ll be Conqueror when He comes: our Lord, our coming King!” - J. Melton Thomas
Yes, Jesus won victory over Satan through the cross, but for a time on the cross, He suffered at the hands of Satan, enduring his wrath.
2. The Loneliness Upon The Cross - v. 46
The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23), spiritual death. Death is the absence of life. Spiritual death is, therefore, the absence of spiritual life. Since God is the author of life, it follows that to suffer spiritual death is to suffer the absence of God.
That’s what happened to Jesus on Calvary during those three hours. As the sins of the world were poured out upon Him, Jesus found Himself separated from the Father. Hence the cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
In 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (NIV), Paul describes the eternal punishment of the lost this way, "They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord . . ."
That is what Jesus suffered upon the cross during those three hours. You see, the spiritual suffering of our Savior not only involved enduring the wrath of Satan; but the rejection of the Father!
An English doctor conducted an experiment to study the effects of isolation on people. He built a soundproof room 9’ x 9’ - in size and suspended it by nylon rope. Each participant wore padded fur gloves and heavy woolen socks to eliminate the sensations of touch. Special translucent goggles limited their vision. After Just 1 hour of isolation, some people found it impossible to concentrate. This was followed by feelings of anxiety and panic. Many could not stay in the room more than 5 hours.
Imagine the aloneness experienced by the Lord! In the awfulness of those hours, Jesus endured a suffering worse than even the agonizing physical pain of crucifixion: He was forsaken by the Father.
When I was a child, I used to walk home from school each day to have lunch with my mother. One day, however, she packed my lunch and told me she was going shopping in a nearby town. I forgot about it and walked home fro lunch as I was in the habit of doing each day. When I found that no one was home, I panicked.
It was one of the most traumatic experiences of my childhood. Thankfully, a neighbor lady drove by and saw me crying my eyes out on the front porch of our home. She took me to her house, called the principal, and fed me lunch. She knew my mother was out of town and reminded me of it. I returned to school late, feeling rather foolish.
But I will never forget the feelings of abandonment I had that day!
Can you recall a time when you felt abandoned? Now, multiply those feelings a hundred million times! You might in some small way, begin to understand the suffering Jesus endured as a result of our sins!
3. The Blindness Before The Cross - vs. 47-49
Jesus not only endured the wrath of Satan and the rejection of the Father; but he had to endure the ridicule of men! Through-out His experience on the cross, Jesus suffered the ridicule of men.
“Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads. In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, “I am the Son of God.”’” - Matthew 27:39, 41-43 (NIV)
The ridicule that men gave to our Lord was symptomatic of the blindness which plagued their souls. How ironic that the very One who was suffering to deliver men from spiritual blindness suffered because of their spiritual blindness! The prophet Isaiah spoke of this.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.” - Isaiah 53:3-4 (NIV)
In Proverbs 18:14, the Scriptures tell us, “A crushed spirit, who can bear?” Isaiah tells us that our Lord was “crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5).
In a sense, this is a part of our Savior’s suffering which continues still. Our Lord’s suffering at the hands of the Father was concluded at the end of these three hours. By virtue of His suffering the rejection of the Father, He has provided forgiveness for all who receive Him.
Our Lord’s suffering at the hands of Satan was concluded when He rose from the dead. By virtue of His suffering the wrath of Satan and overcoming his power, Jesus provided victory for all who receive Him.
But our Lord’s suffering at the hands of men continues today. He continues to reach out to a lost world as he did on the day of His crucifixion, and He continues to suffer the ridicule of those who refuse to accept the forgiveness and victory He offers. And why does a lost world reject the Savior? Because they are blinded by the powers of darkness.
“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” - 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)
An old story tells of a desert nomad who awakened hungry in the middle of the night. He lit a candle and began eating dates from a bowl beside his bed. He took a bite from one and saw a worm in it; so he threw it out of the tent. He bit into a second date, found another worm, and threw it away also. Reasoning that he wouldn’t have any dates left to eat if he continued, he blew out the candle and quickly ate the rest of the dates. Many there are who prefer darkness and denial to the light of reality.
Because they are blinded by the powers of darkness, men continue in a direction which insures their eternal destruction! The good news, however, is that you don’t have to continue to dwell in darkness! The one who has blinded you to the truth is the same one Jesus defeated through His sufferings on Calvary!
The One who was offered for men, sought to offer Himself to men. And though He still suffers the ridicule of men, Jesus continues to offer Himself as their Savior and Lord! And He is seeking to offer Himself to some of you today! You have a choice - will you continue to ridicule Him and reject Him or will you respond to Him and receive Him?
Conclusion: (READ PSALM 22:1-8)
The word for "worm" is a very rare Hebrew word used for a special kind of worm, which, with thousands of others of the same species, was placed into a huge vat, crushed to extract the blood which was used to make the most beautiful crimson dye in the ancient world. This is the color of royalty. The robes of kings were dyed with this brilliant crimson. When Jesus said, "I am a worm," it was to indicate that He was being crushed for us as He hung upon Calvary’s Cross. He was crushed that you and I, when we trust in Him, might wear the robe of a King. Believers in Jesus Christ have the very righteousness of the Son of God credited to their account at the moment of salvation. This is the King’s robe! - Bob Theime in King Of Kings & Lord Of Lords
Jesus died so that you might live. Won’t you receive Him today? If you have received Christ, won’t you commit yourself afresh to living for the One who died for you?
They are known as the forty martyrs of Sebaste. In the famed Twelfth Legion of Rome’s imperial army there were forty soldiers who professed their faith in Jesus Christ. One day their captain informed them that Emperor Licinius had sent out an edict commanding all soldiers to offer sacrifice to pagan gods. These Christian warriors said, "You can have our armor and even our bodies, but our hearts’ allegiance belongs to Jesus Christ." Because of their stance they were marched onto a frozen lake in the midwinter of A.D. 320 and stripped of their clothes. At any time they could renounce Christ and be spared from death. Instead, they huddled close together and sang their song of victory, "Forty martyrs for Christ."
That freezing night saw thirty nine men fall to their icy graves. When there was but one man left he stumbled to the shore and renounced Christ. The officer in charge of guarding these men had secretly come to believe in Christ. He then replaced the man who had broken rank and walked out onto the ice. He threw off his clothes and confessed his faith in Christ. At sunrise the Roman soldiers found forty men who gave their all for the cause of Christ.
"Christ was forsaken by the Father so that I need never be. Therefore I will gladly live for the One who died for me!"
