Jesus's Message From the Cross
Matthew 27:45-50, NIV - From noon until three in
the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 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?”).
When some of those standing there heard this, they said,
“He’s calling Elijah.”
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. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see
if Elijah comes to save him.”
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he
gave up his spirit.
In the last reflection, we talked about how alone Jesus must
have felt. We took some comfort in the fact
that when we feel completely cut off from everything, we can take solace in the
presence of Christ with us. But listen
to Jesus’s last intelligible words in the gospel of Matthew again. Jesus knew these words would be recognized as the
beginning of Psalm 22. By simply quoting
the first line, he is able to deliver a lengthy description of His thoughts in
the last moments before He dies. Today, I include a link to a dramatic reading
of this Psalm as a way of hearing Christ speak directly to us from the
cross. I encourage you to listen to it
and reflect afterwards.
Psalm 22 Dramatic Reading
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz4gshe7jQE
Question: What happens in your mind and spirit as you hear
this Psalm in Jesus’s voice from the cross?
Prayer: Write you own
prayer today in response to your experience of hearing these words.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for those who feel cut off from God.
Song: Psalm 22 – Francesca
LaRosa
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