マタイによる福音書27:45-56 Matthew 27:45-56

Execution by crucifixion involves driving thick nails into the hands and feet and placing them on the wood of the cross. The pain must have been unimaginable. What must have been even more painful than the physical pain was the humiliation he had to endure, being executed as a sinner against God’s teachings, even though he was innocent. Thus, suffering intense pain in body and mind, exhausted by the bleeding from his wounds, hunger and thirst, Jesus was about to die. It was twelve o’clock at noon, but the whole land of Judea was darkened, and the darkness lasted until three o’clock in the afternoon.

At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Did the words, “why have you forsaken me?” indicate that Jesus was in complete despair? Did he think that he had been abandoned by God the Father completely? Reading only here, it would seem so. Certainly, Jesus had a terrible experience, as if he had been abandoned by God the Father. But when you think about it, it is precisely because Jesus continued to believe in God the Father that he was able to cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and to confess his feelings to God the Father without hiding them. In fact, this “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is a prayer from Psalm 22 in the Old Testament which includes many words of trust in God

Jesus also said when he prayed in Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion: “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me.” He prayed, confiding his feelings honestly to God. Then afterwards, he showed his trust in God the Father by praying, “Yet not what I will, but what you will (Mark 14:36).” In verse 50 of today’s Bible passages we read that “Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” Was this “loud voice” a meaningless shout like “wow” or “yikes”? It was not. In Luke 23:46, we read that just before Jesus died, he cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Jesus’ last words on the cross were words of trust, surrendering himself to God. The centurion and guards in the Roman army who saw Jesus’ death on the cross, surrendering himself to God, said: “Truly this was the Son of God!” When they saw Jesus, who lived and died trusting in God the Father completely, they could not help thinking that he was not an ordinary human being, but the Son of God.

Jesus was sinless and had done nothing wrong. But he was crucified and died because of a plot by the Jewish leaders. He did this so that he could atone for the sins of mankind by dying on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven by God the Father. He died on the cross, surrendering everything to God for our salvation. God the Father then accepted Jesus’ spirit and resurrected him on the third day in a body of eternal life.