Matthew 27:46 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

NIV: About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").

NASB: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'ELI, ELI, LEMA SABAKTANEI?' that is, 'MY God, MY God, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?'

CSB: About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"

NLT: At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' which means 'My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?'

KJV: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me

NKJV: And 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?”

No mention is made of how those who mocked Jesus while He hung on the cross (Matthew 27:35–44) reacted as unnatural darkness fell over Israel. Did they see in that darkness the hand of God responding to this execution? Were they at all humbled by it? Did they stop speaking, or leave? We don't know for sure since those details are not given.

The darkness ends, though, at about the time Jesus cries out in a loud voice, speaking Aramaic: "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" This is the first verse of Psalm 22, which has many references connected to the crucifixion. Some believe Jesus is once again declaring how His experience is part of prophecy (Matthew 16:21; 26:53–54). Others note that those words mean, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" That's a heartbreaking cry to hear coming from the Son of God.

Human understanding is necessarily limited when it comes to God's exact nature (Isaiah 55:8–9). Part of that limitation is our vague understanding of the Trinity: God's existence as three Persons in one Being. Also incomprehensible is exactly how God's infinite knowledge and power were limited in His incarnation (John 1:14). We know Jesus experienced human emotion and temptation (Hebrews 4:15). That included intense anguish as He anticipated this moment (Matthew 26:38–44).

We cannot know, for certain, exactly what is happening among the Persons of the Trinity at this point. The way Jesus is said to have "cried out" (Mark 15:34) and the reaction of bystanders suggests intense emotion. In some way, beyond our complete understanding, Jesus is experiencing a straining of His connection to God the Father, as He takes on the sins of mankind (2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Habakkuk 1:13; John 1:29).

Was a sense of "forsakenness" the deepest level of suffering experienced by Jesus? Was this what brought Him such great sorrow in the garden the night before? We can only speculate, taking care not to reach beyond what Scripture actually says (1 Corinthians 4:6).

Matthew 27:45–56 describes the climactic moment when Jesus dies on the cross. Darkness falls over Israel as Jesus hangs near death. Jesus cries out the words of Psalm 22:1, which mean "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some nearby think He is calling for Elijah the prophet to come and save Him. Jesus dies. Immediately, the massive temple curtain is torn in two, top to bottom. Earthquakes open the tombs of some of the saints of Israel, who are later resurrected. A Roman centurion is shocked enough to declare that Jesus was the Son of God. Three women, Jesus' friends, watch from a distance.

When Judas learns Jesus has been condemned, he regrets betraying the Lord. He throws down his ill-gotten money and hangs himself. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who finds nothing to charge Him with. Given the choice, the people shout for the release of a convicted murderer and insist on Jesus' death. Jesus is mocked by a battalion of soldiers and then taken to be crucified. On the cross, He is mocked for not being able to save Himself. After three hours of darkness, Jesus dies. He is buried by a rich follower in a new tomb. This location is tightly guarded to prevent anyone from stealing the body.

Matthew 27 begins with an official meeting of the Jewish ruling council. They affirm Jesus' condemnation from the previous night, described in chapter 26. Judas confesses his betrayal and hangs himself. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the mob shouts for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus is humiliated by Roman soldiers and marched to be executed. On the cross, He is mocked by Jewish religious leaders and others. He dies and is buried in a never-used tomb. Extensive efforts to secure His body from being stolen only serve to prove the miraculous nature of His resurrection, which is detailed in chapter 28.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.