Why did Jesus say...

Welcome to the boards James!

This is an excellent question. I believe Jesus was quoting Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they jurl insults, shaking their heads: 'He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.'" Check out these scriptures:

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

"Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you can not tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?" Habakkuk 1:13

Here is the thing. When we are persecuted and go through various trials, we may feel the weight of the world upon us and wonder where God is. He wants us to know that "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your lifd. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." Joshua 1:9

I do not mean to compare our trivial trials with the pain the Jesus endured on the cross, but maybe that will give you a different perspective on what Jesus said.

James, welcome.

In answer to your question......we know that the reason Jesus died on that cross was to bear the burden for ALL of our sins...all of mankind that had ever lived, lived then or ever would live. He took on ALL of our sins and paid the ultimate price for us.

That intellectual knowledge becomes real with those words of Christ which you quoted. We know that God is all Holy and that He cannot even bear to look upon sin. When Jesus spoke those words, it was at that time that He had all of these sins heaped upon those shoulders hanging there on that cross. It was at that time that God, in his holiness, had to turn His face from His own son. Jesus felt that, which those words expressed.

Of the seven things Christ said on the cross, that is one of the most powerful.

Originally posted by James D.
..."father, why have you forsaken me" when he was on the cross?

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Hi James, and welcome to the boards.

The death of Jesus was an action that accomplished something.  It did not just create an opportunity.  His death was sufficient to appease God's wrath, in and of itself.  God's righteous Law required a propitiation.  A propitiation, in this sense, is a sacrifice that is worthy and able to appease God's wrath, which is what separates us from Him to begin with.  As His death appeased God's wrath, we have to ask ourselves who has been reconciled with God.  Was it everyone?  No.  Most definitely not.  Jesus' death did not reconcile God with all of mankind that had ever lived, lived then or ever would live.  He was reconciled with Christians and those that would be Christians.  He took ALL of the sins of God's children, which is not everyone, and paid the required price to appease God's wrath and reconcile those people, Christians, to God.

As to Jesus' desolate cry, it is a fulfillment of Ps. 22:1 showing the depth of His distress as He suffers separation from His Father.  Later the apostles realized that Jesus was enduring the dreadful wrath of God's judgment on sin.  This was all the more agonizing to One whose relationship with the Father was perfect in love.  The cry is Aramaic, except the Hebrew "Eli."  Mark gives the Aramaic "Eloi" (Mark 15:34).

God bless.

Originally posted by Reformationist

His death was sufficient to appease God's wrath, in and of itself.

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Why did God need to sacrifice himself, to himself, in order to save his people from his own wrath?

"Why did God need to sacrifice himself, to himself, in order to save his people from his own wrath?"

Romans 5:12 "Therefore just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned...." There ya go. That's why. We sinned and he had to come and make it all right again. God is just. a law was broken, price had to be paid. Only way to get around it without us taking the payment was for himself to pay it.

Originally posted by LouisBooth
"Why did God need to sacrifice himself, to himself, in order to save his people from his own wrath?"

Romans 5:12 "Therefore just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned...." There ya go. That's why. We sinned and he had to come and make it all right again. God is just. a law was broken, price had to be paid. Only way to get around it without us taking the payment was for himself to pay it.

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Didn't he already do that with the law?

"Didn't he already do that with the law?"
Do what with the law? The law was the standard, not the solution.

Originally posted by Neo

Didn't he already do that with the law?

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Amen Louis.  Neo, you must understand, the purpose of the Law was not to justify man, but rather condemn him.  God knew when He gave man the Law that man could not keep His righteous Law.  The Fall, and subsequent condemnation of mankind was all a part of God's plan.  As to the explanation for the necessity of the Fall, all I can say is that I'm not God and therefore don't fully understand His reasons for everything.  I do know that His motivation was one of Love, however.  This is difficult to grasp unless we first accept that we are His creation, no matter how highly we think of ourselves.

God bless.

Originally posted by LouisBooth
"Didn't he already do that with the law?"
Do what with the law?

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Take away sin. Weren't there sacrificial laws, which took away sin?

HI, and interesting question; it is my belief that Jesus was directly quoting Psalms, as death came over him. If you read that particular chapter of Psalms, you will see that he was describing himself; and those who stood by and watched him die were astonished that at his last moment; he was quoting the scriptures, without anger or fear, even though he had been tortured and ridiculed. (forgive them for they know not what they do) when he had given up the ghost and died, those watching said, truly this was the son of God. Strange things then happened: the sky was darkened at that hour (as night) and there was an earthquake throughout Jerusalem. Also, many witnessed seeing "ghosts" that night after Jesus was killed (see Matthew ch 27) amazing, isn't it?
Wildfire

"Take away sin. Weren't there sacrificial laws, which took away sin?"

nope, the law was to point people to Christ.

Gal 3:24 "So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justifed by faith."

Originally posted by LouisBooth
"Take away sin. Weren't there sacrificial laws, which took away sin?"

nope, the law was to point people to Christ.

Gal 3:24 "So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justifed by faith."

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The law was created long before Jesus was born, so I don't see how it was meant to point people to someone who didn't even exist yet. And yes, there were sacrificial laws which were meant to take away sin.

"The law was created long before Jesus was born, so I don't see how it was meant to point people to someone who didn't even exist yet. And yes, there were sacrificial laws which were meant to take away sin."

So you have a problem with the bible, Its the straight answer right from scripture. Christ was in exsistance long before moses got the "tablets" or any other law handed down to him.

"And yes, there were sacrificial laws which were meant to take away sin."

Neo can you quote me a passage backing this up please.

why? because its not exactly right.

Originally posted by LouisBooth
"The law was created long before Jesus was born, so I don't see how it was meant to point people to someone who didn't even exist yet. And yes, there were sacrificial laws which were meant to take away sin."

So you have a problem with the bible, Its the straight answer right from scripture. Christ was in exsistance long before moses got the "tablets" or any other law handed down to him.

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I don't think that the Jews would agree.

"And yes, there were sacrificial laws which were meant to take away sin."

Neo can you quote me a passage backing this up please.

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For example, read Leviticus 4.