By Tony V. Hammack
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Matthew:45-50 45From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 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?”). 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
It’s commonly taught that at this point in the life of Jesus God the father has turned his head from Jesus, severing his relationship with Jesus temporarily, due to the reality that all the sins of the world for all time from those who look to the messiah in faith from eternity past to those who look back in time, in faith to the cross from eternity future, we’re upon Jesus.
This would be an especially acute spiritual pain for Jesus Considering Hebrews 5:7.
Hebrews 5:7 (Amplified)
In the days of His flesh [Jesus] offered up definite, special petitions [for that which He not only wanted but needed] and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was [always] able to save Him [out] from death, and He was heard because of His reverence toward God [His godly fear, His piety, in that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father].
Let’s look at another possibility. Jesus in making this cry from the cross is actually quoting Psalm 22:1 and it’s a common Rabbinical custom to start speaking a passage of scripture before one would begin teaching on it due to the fact that they didn’t have what we today call “chapter and verse”. The Rabbi would speak the first part of the passage to get the listeners to focus there.
It’s also possible that Jesus is teaching from the cross with his dying breath illustrating the fulfillment of prophecy to those who have ears to hear and a knowledge of Psalm 22.
This one Psalm has approximately 12 prophetic fulfillments.
Professor Peter Stoner (1888-1980)- Stoner was Chairman of the Departments of Mathematics and Astronomy at Pasadena City College until 1953, and Chairman of the Science Division of Westmont College from 1953 to 1957. Stoner calculated the probability of one man fulfilling only a handful of the over 300 Messianic prophecies. In 1944, he published his research results in Science Speaks: Scientific Proof of the Accuracy of Prophecy and the Bible.
Stoner concluded that the probability of one person fulfilling just eight of the specific prophecies was one chance in 1017 (one followed by 17 zeros). How about one person fulfilling just 48 of the over 300 prophecies? Stoner calculated these odds at one chance in 10157 -- way beyond statistical impossibility!
We take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly… Blindfold a man and tell him…he must pick up one silver dollar… What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have of writing…eight prophecies and having them come true in any one man.
Peter Stoner
Science Speaks, Moody Press, 1963, p. 100-107.
John 19:30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
I personally believe that Jesus paid for all the sins of mankind on the cross because of this statement and my understanding of it, however, Jesus’s physical body was dead for three days. Let’s watch a short video to segue into the next portion of the message.
Colossians 2:15
15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Ephesians 4
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it[a] says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”[b] 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
We know Jesus descended before he ascended. I believe he led the righteous saints from the Old Testament who looked forward to the messiah in faith into the presence of God.
Matthew 27:51-53
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
Revelation 1:17b-18
I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Where did Jesus get these keys?
Hebrews 2:14-15
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
By conquering death Jesus frees people from being controlled by their fear of death. We realize that we will live forever in eternity with Jesus so we’re not under the same compulsions and controls as someone who thinks that when this life is over they cease to have consciousness.
John 20:17,18
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
After Jesus died, we know he descended to the lower earthly region we know he has the keys of death and hades. And we know he instructed Mary to not hold onto him because he hadn’t returned to the father yet.
Christ is the First fruits of the Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:42 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:51-54
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
1 Corinthians 15:58
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
We know when Jesus ascended he gave gifts to men. These gifts are our five fold ministers.
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
The goal of these ministry gifts is to get the body of Christ equipped for service and built up so we may reach the unity of the faith and be formed into the functioning image of Jesus himself fully.
Let’s prioritize the work of God in and through our lives, realizing that we are sowing seeds for eternal life and an eternal resurrection. Let’s pray that we receive the spirit of revelation knowledge to know how fragile and short this life truly is and how glorious and eternal our life with Christ is going to be when the trumpet sounds!
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124