Seven words on the
cross (5)
[John 19:28-30]
The fourth word Jesus spoke on the cross was “Eli, Eli,
lama, sabachthani” (Mt. 27:46). This
word of Jesus is Aramaic, and its’ meaning is “My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me” (v. 46). What the fourth
word of Jesus on the cross shows us is that God is just and holy, so He not
only has no sin, but also Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, who knows no
sin, bore my sins, our sins, and all our sins and redeemed us and saved us by
taking on our sins and throwing them away on the cross as the payment for our
sins. Also, this fourth word of Jesus on
the cross shows how heavy and terrifying the price of our sins is. And this word shows that King David's prophecy
of Psalms 22:1 was fulfilled. In
addition, the words of Jesus on the cross, “Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthani,” show
us God’s love concretely and clearly.
When Jesus cried out “Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthani” on the
cross, we can know the love of the God of love (1 Jn. 4:8, 16) in detail and
with certainty. Look at Romans 5:8 – “But
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.” We are sinners from
birth [(Psalms 51:5), “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my
mother conceived me”]. God's love for us
was clearly demonstrated by being foraeken by Heavenly Father on the cross
for/on behalf of us [“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani” (Mt. 27:46)] and died. Look at Romans 5:10 – “For if while we were
enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more,
having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Because there was sin between God and us, we
became enemies of God. However, Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, took on all our sins, was forsaken by Heavenly Father
on the cross [“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani” (Mt. 27:46)] and died, so that we
could be reconciled to God (Rom 5:10). Apostle
John tells us in 1 John 4:9-10 how God's love was concretely and clearly
manifested on the cross: “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his
one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that
he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Apostle John tells us how God's love has been
revealed to us, that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to this
world as a peace offering to save us from our sins. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:32 – “Who
will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies.” God loves us and to save us, He sent His only
begotten Son to this world as a sacrifice of reconciliation.
The fifth word Jesus said on the cross was, “I am thirsty.”
Look at John 19:28 – “Later, knowing that all was now
completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am
thirsty.’” Here, “Later” refers to the
time after Jesus cried out loudly, “Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthani” (Mt 27:46; Mk
15:34) on the cross. And the Bible says,
“knowing that all was now completed” (Jn. 19:28), and “all” here means that
Jesus knew that He came to this earth to save us, being crucified and shedding His
blood to die on the cross. In other
words, Jesus knew that this work of redeeming us and saving us from eternal
destruction had already been accomplished.
Also, John 19:28, says "that the Scripture would be
fulfilled," and “the Scripture” here refers to Psalms 69:21 – “They also
gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Before Jesus cried out on the cross, “Eli,
Eli, lama, sabachthani,” the Roman soldiers gave Jesus “wine to drink mixed
with gall” (Mt. 27:34) or “wine mixed with myrrh” (Mk.15:23), but He tasted it,
Jesus refused to drink it. Here, wine
mixed with gall or wine mixed with myrrh is an anesthetic mixed with wine,
which dulls the mind, so that Jesus can feel less pain, so Jesus did not drink
the wine mixed with gall/myrrh. However,
even after Jesus cried out loudly from the cross, “Eli, Eli, lama,
sabachthani,” “one” of those present immediately ran and took “a sponge,” filled
or dipped it with “sour wine” (Mt. 27:48; Mk. 15:36) and brought it to the
mouth of Jesus who was nailed to the cross.
At that time, Jesus received the sour wine (Jn. 19:29-30). Here, among the theories about whether
"sour wine" and "wine mixed with gall" or "wine mixed
with myrrh" are the same or different, most scholars say they are the same
thing, but a few scholars say they are different. I think "sour wine" is different
from "wine mixed with gall" or "wine mixed with myrrh." There are three reasons: (1) The original
Greek words for “sour wine” and “wine mixed with gall” and “wine mixed with
myrrh” are different. (2) Wine mixed with
gall or wine mixed with myrrh has narcotic properties, but sour wine is wine
with vinegar. (3) Jesus did not accept wine
mixed with gall or wine mixed with myrrh, which contained anesthetic (Mt.
27:34; Mk. 15:23) but did receive sour wine (Jn. 19:30). The reason Jesus did not accept wine mixed
with gall or wine mixed with myrrh was because I think He knew that He would
feel less pain because of the anesthetic.
The basis for my thought is that when Jesus prayed in the Garden of
Gethsemane, He received an answer to His prayer by receiving the cup of
suffering according to Heavenly Father’s will (Lk. 22:42) [Note: In the Last
Supper of Jesus, Jesus took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to the disciples,
saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you” (Mt. 26:27-28; Mk. 14:23-24)]. After Jesus suffered the pain of being forsaken
by Heavenly Father on the cross [“Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthani” (Mt 27:46; Mk
15:34)], He received sour wine mixed with vinegar (Jn. 19:30). In the end, I think He was trying to harm Himself
rather than trying to quench His own thirst [(v. 28) “I am thirsty”]. In other words, I think Jesus received sour
wine mixed with vinegar (Jn. 19:28), which made Him feel more pain, not wine
mixed with myrrh that had anesthetic ingredients to make Him feel less pain and
gave up His own life (1 Jn. 3:16) to save us (4:9) who were dead in trespasses
and sins (Eph. 2:1). d
Look at the lyrics of the hymn “I Gave My Life for Thee”: (v.
1) I gave my life for thee, My precious blood I shed, That thou might'st ransomed
be, And quickened from the dead. I gave,
I gave my life for thee, What hast thou given for Me? (v. 2) My Father's house of light, My glory
circled throne, I left, for earthly night, And wanderings sad and lone. I left, I left it all for thee, Hast thou
left aught for Me? (v. 3) I suffered much for thee, More than thy tongue can
tell, Of bitterest agony, To rescue thee from hell. I've borne, I've borne it all for thee, What
hast thou borne for Me? (v. 4) And I have brought to thee, Down from My home above,
Salvation full and free, My pardon and My love.
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, What hast thou brought to Me? Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God,
came down to this world, sacrificed Himself on the cross, and shed His blood to
atone our sins, save us without cost, and give us a way to live. Jesus of this love is asking us, “I gave, I
gave my life for thee, What hast thou given for Me?” “I left, I left it all for
thee, Hast thou left aught for Me?” I've borne, I've borne it all for thee, What
hast thou borne for Me?” “I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, What hast thou
brought to Me?”
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