It Is Finished
In this fourth week of Lent, we will look at prophecy and the fulfillment surrounding Jesus’ death on the cross. The following scripture is lengthy, but I encourage you to take the time to read it. Let’s dig in.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me, they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him." Let him deliver him since he delights in him.” Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display, people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions, save me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him - may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him - those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him, future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it! ~Psalm 22
Prophecy Of David
In Psalm 22, we read of David crying out in anguish to God due to Saul pursuing him and threatening his life. I wonder if David knew what he said in this prayer of desperation also doubled as a prophecy of the death of Christ. In the Psalm above, I have put a few of the prophecies fulfilled on the cross in bold.
Prophecy Fulfilled
In the few hours Jesus hung on the cross, He fulfilled many prophecies made about Him by numerous prophets. I have listed below several of the proclamations fulfilled in His death. The scripture references are beside them if you would like to read them for yourself. The first verse refers to the prophecy, and the second refers to the fulfillment.
Christ will cry out "My God, My God." (Psalm 22:1, Matthew 27:46) Darkness will cover the Earth. (Psalm 22:2, Matthew 27:45) Jesus will be despised and rejected. (Psalm 22:6, Matthew 27:39-44) He will be surrounded by His enemies. (Psalm 22:7, Matthew 27:39-44) His feet and hands will be peirced, yet no bones will be broken. (Psalm 22:14-17, John 19:34-37) People will watch over Him and they will cast lots over His clothing. (Psalm 22:17-18, Matthew 27:35-36) None of His garments will be torn. (Psalm 22:18, John 19:24) He will thirst and recieve gall and vinegar to drink. (Psalm 69:3,21, John 19:28-29) The people will beat and spit on Him. (Isaiah 52:6, Matthew 27:26) Jesus would be disfigured by cruelty. (Isaiah 52:14, Matthew 27:27-30) He would be laid in a grave with the rich. (Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 27:56-60) He would be traded for thirty peices of silver. (Zechariah 11:12, Matthew 26:15) He would be lamented and mourned. (Zechariah 12:10, Luke 23:27)
Jesus’ Great Love For Us
The picture we get from the above scriptures is a stark contrast from the scene just a few days before when the crowds were shouting, “Hosanna! Hosanna in the Highest!” You have to wonder how the masses of people could turn on Him so quickly. The story of Jesus’ death is brutal. As far as our imagination can stretch, I don’t think we can ever understand what He actually went through for us.
While on the cross, He literally took on the weight of the world. He had every sin you and I have ever done (see Romans 4:25) or thought of, pressed upon Him. He also experienced complete separation from God. We see this when He cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
An Unfathomable Love
My mind cannot grasp a love that can be so strong that it could conquer all sin. How could a person that was God, but also fully human, love me enough to go to the cross and die in such a horrific way for me. And He did it knowing so many would still never believe in Him.
I cannot fathom that with all the ridicule, beatings, mockery, and the list goes on, that He would still choose to go through with death to save me from my sins, but I am so thankful He did. Because of His great sacrifice, we all have the opportunity to be saved from sin and death.
Challenge
Lent is the perfect time to stop and meditate on the scriptures of Jesus’ death on the cross so that we can fully appreciate the resurrection. This week take time to read a few of the scriptures above and really ponder on them.
As you read, put yourself in the scene. Think about what sounds you would have heard. What would you have seen or smelled? Would you have been at the foot of the cross with Mary, or would you have been a bystander standing far away? Or would you have been like Peter and denied knowing Him?
What would it feel like when the Earth grew dark, the rocks split in half, and the ground began to shake? Fully immerse yourself into the scripture and let it come alive to you.
After you do this, spend time in prayer, giving thanks that He has this much love for you. Enough love to sacrifice Himself for you. I can’t wait for you to share what you experienced through your time in prayer in the comments below.
For further reading about the cross, I recommend “Six Hours One Friday” by Max Lucado.
I honestly don’t know where I would have been. I would like to think I would have been brave when the earth grew dark and started to shake, but I know I would have been frightened. I also think of the thief who died with Him. Knowing you were going to wake up in paradise must have been amazing even though those moments were horrific.
I totally agree with you Krystle. When watching “The Passion” I could not watch most of it, so I cannot image actually being there. And yes for the thief that would definitely change the situation. It would be an instant hope.