Why!
Mark 15:34,” And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, sMy God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” [1]
I. Three
A. Reflect
B. Reject
II. He
A. Respect
B. Remember
III. Me
A. Responsibility
B. Response
Introduction: There is a tradition in most Southern Baptist churches that we have attended down through the years that is not widely practiced outside of SBC churches. SBC churches are autonomous so it is not compulsory that they all adhere to this as a rule or a law within the denomination but it seems to be in adopted in the churches we have been familiar with.
The SBC pastor generally invites those in attendance to partake in communion when the church congregation observes the last supper. There is one small caveat. The invitation is open to all who have been baptized by immersion as a believer chose of his/her own accord.
We don’t adhere to this here at Merry Oaks. The non-Baptist Christian churches where we have served also do not adhere to this practice. Communion is open to anyone who has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life.
When I was a young Christian listening as the preacher read from 1 Corinthian 11:23-26 the preacher stopped there but I kept reading. Since we are observing communion this morning it is important that we consider verses 27 – 29, “27 Wherefore twhosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, uunworthily, shall be wguilty of xthe body and blood of the Lord. 28 But ylet a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh ||damnation to himself, not zdiscerning the Lord’s body.” [2]
I don’t know how you think but that is pretty scary stuff! When I was younger I would ask my mom who in this world is worthy? Can anybody take communion or is everybody wrong for doing this. Of course the SBC folks say that if you have followed Jesus in baptism it’s OK to partake. This was still scary to me. I know baptism is important. It is a very important witness. Since Jesus did it so shouldn’t we who call ourselves Christian do as Jesus did and allow ourselves to be baptized as He did? Is that what makes me worthy? I couldn’t understand why!
That is the name of today’s sermon by the way. Why! To understand what it is that Jesus was so anxious over as He sweated, as it were droplets of blood, in the garden at Gethsemane we need to hear again what He said from the cross. There were those seven cries that we have discussed many times. The cry in the center is the one that Jesus cried out as He was hanging there on that cross bearing our sins. He wanted to know why. Why did He have to endure the feeling that His Father was not as close as He had always been? Since that is Jesus’ question so should it be ours as we examine ourselves prior to partaking in communion this morning.
Scripture: Today’s focal text is Mark 15:34. Please stand for the reading of God’s word.
Prayer: Let us pray. Amen. Please Be seated.
Message: In preparing for this message God allowed me another pity party. As one who is accustomed to serving others by being a firefighter early on and working with Smiths ambulance service even before then; taking care of others has been something natural. I have been fortunate to receive service awards and was always surprised at receiving any of them.
It has never been about the awards or the recognition of others that has driven me and it is not now. That doesn’t mean that I am a better person than anyone else. We all have reasons for doing things and we mostly do them without thinking of the rewards.
Sometimes it does get a bit much though. When it seems that people look over you without even noticing that you have been there the whole time; after a while it hurts. After a while a person might act out and ask why. Why have I done this if nobody even cares that I have been?
Jesus certainly is all God. He has divine nature and yet He decided to accept His Father’s will as He came here as a human being with all that a man has inside and outside. Fully God. Fully man! The scripture that we will consider today is one that I normally consider during the weeks leading up to Easter. This is the fourth Sunday of Easter. This is the middle cry of Jesus’ seven cries from the cross. Jesus was on that cross in all of His humanity. That He was God nailed to the cross is the perspective that seems mostly considered.
We know the events of Maundy Thursday, how His closest allies slept when He needed them to be awake. At least they should have been aware of His anguish of taking mankind’s sin. He was innocent. His earthly life was the ultimate sacrifice to end all sacrifice. They slept! They acted as if they didn’t care. Later they rejected Him, they denied even knowing Him, and used Him for personal gain for thirty pieces of silver.
Let us never forget that Jesus was fully human. It hurt Jesus in a way that we might understand slightly but we will never completely understand how He felt as we rejected Him.
The Jewish day begins at 6am. In verse 33 we see what happened at 12noon. “33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.” [3] Now it is three hours later. There is that number three again. Three has significance with Hebrew people.
The text refers to 3pm. Had there been any sun in the sky there would have been a shadow to reflect that cross. It was as dark as night. There wasn’t even a shadow of Jesus when there should have been. Instead of reflection for what Jesus was doing for us; all that Jesus felt was rejection. How does it feel when your family and friends forget you? Can you imagine that?
Eloi, Eloi! Jesus cried out twice to God! Before, Jesus referred to God as “My Father.” Sometimes Jesus referred to God as “Abba.” We know that more familiar name for our earthly fathers. Sometime we call them Daddy. Abba is the Jewish equivalent for Daddy.
Jesus felt something that He had never felt before. Yes! Of course Jesus even then gave God the respect that is due God. But the close personal relationship that Jesus has with God the Father was strangely distant now. It was a coldness that Jesus did not remember. Now Abba is My God!
Why hast thou forsaken me! Jesus was crying out to His Father. Yes! We know that! Yes Jesus I know that too! But look! Look closely there after that second comma in the old KJV. It’s there on the back of your bulletin. In the Hebrew Eloi is capitalized. Twice! See it! Now look at the translated part of the verse. God is capitalized twice. See it? Now look past the two commas again. There is that word thou. See it? It is not capitalized. Listen! He is not only talking to God there. He is talking to me there too. Is He talking to you?
Prayer: Yes Jesus! I have been thinking of how it feels to be rejected, and all the while I have rejected and denied You. That thing that I continue to do thinking that I can handle it by myself; that is my way of denying my belief that You alone can do what you say. Lord Jesus, I have denied you your role as my Lord! That is my responsibility. I have rejected You Jesus. I have rejected your role in my life as my Savior because I think I can do better for myself than you can. There is only one response that I can give. Jesus I am sorry for not trusting you. Jesus I am sorry for rejecting you. Jesus you were asking your Father why and you are asking me why I am forsaking you. Amen…
Invitation: Today we will take communion together. That word examine that Paul used is another of those words that we think we understand. To examine, means to us, that we undergo a test. To us it seems to mean that when you pass the examination then you are accepted or passed to do the thing that the examination says you are now qualified to do.
The examination that Paul describes is not one that we can pass. We are supposed to examine ourselves so that we can understand how we have failed Jesus. His body was broken for us. When we partake in communion, we are admitting that we cannot pass into heaven any other way than through the body and blood of Jesus. If we think that we are able to partake because we have been baptized or done something such as attending church, we deny Jesus. We can’t do anything to qualify ourselves. He alone is justified and He gave that gift to us.
Examine yourself and know that. Know that you cannot live without Jesus. This is the time of reflection. The sun is high. It is approaching the noon hour. Soon it will be three. Let Jesus know that the rejection is past. Let is partake together. Amen…
s Cited from Ps. 22:1.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mk 15:34). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
t Comp. Num. 9:10, 13.
u Comp. John 13:27.
w See Mark 3:29.
x John 6:51, 53–56.
y 2 Cor. 13:5. Gal. 6:4. So Ecclus. 18:20. 1 John 3:20, 21. See Rom. 2:18.
|| Or, judgment. Gk. as ver. 34. Rom. 13:2.
z Gk. as ch. 4:7 marg.
[2] Ibid., 1 Co 11:27–29). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[3] Ibid., Mk 15:33). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
