Sermon by Paul G. Eckert, pastor emeritus

Sermon text for March 16, 2016
Matthew 27:45-54

45  From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over
all the land.
46  About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi,
Eloi, lama sabachtani” - which means, “My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?”
47  When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s
calling Elijah.”
48  Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge.  He filled it
with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to
drink. 
49  The rest said, “Now leave him alone.  Let’s see if Elijah comes
to save him.”
50  And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up
his spirit.
51  At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from
top to bottom.  The earth shook and the rocks split.
52  The tombs broke open  and the bodies of many holy people
who had died were raised to life.
53  They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they
went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54  When the centurion and those with him who were guarding
Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were
terrified and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”


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    The theme of this, the last of our 6 Wednesday Lenten services
before Holy Week, is “A FORSAKEN SON.”  That theme made me
think of what we call the parable of the lost son (recorded in Luke 15).
The son in that story didn’t want to stay home with his father.  Instead
he abandoned his father to live up life his way - which he did until he
finally hit bottom.  So we can speak of him not as a forsaken son, but
as a forsaking son, a son who forsook his father.
    That’s different from our sermon text.  What we have here is not a
son forsaking his father, but a heavenly Father forsaking His Son,
making His Son a forsaken Son who cried out, “My God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?”  Let’s look closer now at
A FORSAKEN SON
I    WHAT LED UP TO JESUS’ CRY?  (45-46)
    1. We are told about darkness  (45)
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all
the land.
         a) this takes us to the afternoon of the first Good Friday
        b) and the darkness can make us think of a darkness that started
            way before this: the fall into sin’s darkness in the Garden of
            Eden, and the separation from God that this brought about
    2. Jesus was now involved in this - but why?  (46)
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi,
lama sabachtani” - which means, “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?”
        a) Adam and Eve fell into sin, lost the perfection into which God
            had created them, then faced the judgment of dying and eternal
            exclusion from God’s kingdom of glory - forsaken by God
        b) but why would God’s Son be forsaken?  Nobody could accuse
            Him of any sin.  Not a single valid charge of wrongdoing could
            be brought against Him, as even Pontius Pilate and also the
            church leaders had to  acknowledge
    3. Note how Jesus’ holiness showed itself also on the cross
        a) His first 3 of 7 words or statements recorded in the Bible are:
            “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are
            doing.”  That showed  His concern for His executioners who
            were hurting Him terribly.  Then, showing His loving concern
            for the care of Mary, He said to her and John, “Dear woman,
            here is your son,” and to John, “Here is your mother.”  He
            showed such concern also for one of the crucified criminals
            who asked, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your
            kingdom.”  Instead of turning away Jesus answered him, “I tell
            you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
    4. Why would anyone forsake such a good, concerned person?
        a) two actual criminals on crosses?  That is understandable
        b) forsake us? - We know we are far from being perfect
        c) but why Jesus?  Why would God forsake Him?
II  WHAT EXPLAINS JESUS BEING FORSAKEN?   (46-49)   
    1. Listen to His loud cry (46)   
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi,
lama sabachtani” - which means, “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?” 
        a) Jesus was exhausted and weak after His trials, so much so that
            when He could no longer carry His cross the soldiers had made
            a man named Simon carry it the rest of the way to Calvary    
        b) yet, in all of His weakness, for these words Jesus mustered up
            the strength to cry them out in a loud voice for all to hear
    2.    Some mocked these words  (47-49)
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 stick, and offered it to
Jesus to drink.  The rest said, “Now leave him alone.  Let’s see if
Elijah comes to save him.”
        a) they took the Hebrew “Eloi” and made it Elijah
        b) maybe as Roman soldiers they didn’t understand correctly, or
            possibly it was just their way of mocking a dying prisoner
    3. Actually Jesus had been forsaken by people before
        a) He had miraculously fed crowds of thousands without
            charging a penny; He had healed sick and crippled people
            without asking for even a small copayment
        b) yet He was rejected by many, and now He faced execution
    4. But why would God forsake Him?   (46)
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
        a) I have here a listing of the names of those who belong to St.
            Jacobi Congregation.  I’ll randomly pick out some: Daniel,
            Brenda, Greg, Justin, Kathleen, and  I’ll add Paul, my name
        b) People like us, that’s why God forsook His Son: He had come
            to substitute for us, to take on Himself the penalty for our sin
        c) Yes, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and
            only Son, - His Son would substitute for us! - that whoever
            believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 
III  NOW HEAR THAT THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED (50)
    1. Jesus was not yet finished with His speaking
        a) being forsaken by God in our place was Jesus’ 4th word    
        b) Then His 5th word was “I thirst.”  Why?  He wanted to be
            able to speak loudly so that He could be heard clearly. 
    2.  Then came the victory cry He wanted all to hear
        a) For his 6th word Jesus loudly said, “It is finished.”
        b) The sacrifice of the spotless Lamb of God had been made
    3. And then Jesus’ last word shows this was a victory cry (5l)
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his
spirit.
        a) Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
         b) no longer forsaken; His payment for our sins was accepted
IV  WHAT IS OUR RESPONSE TO THIS?  (52-54)
    1. There was quite the response immediately  (52-53)
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top
to bottom.  The earth shook and the rocks split.  The tombs broke
open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised
to life.  They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection
they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 
    2. Let’s join the centurion in openly confessing Jesus   (54)
 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus
saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified
and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
    3. And rejoice in Jesus’ words “It is finished”   They assure us
        sinners that our Substitute has atoned for all of our sins
        What a wonderful truth.  Jesus completed His saving assignment
for us.  I read just a few of our names earlier.  I could have read all,
because God says to all of His believing people: “Never will I leave
you; never will I forsake you.”  That’s because His Son, for a while,
was A FORSAKEN SON for us.  We will be with Him in Paradise.

Prayer
    Heavenly Father, thank You for saving us from the condemnation
we deserve because of sin.  Thank You for sending Your eternal Son
to take on Himself our flesh and blood so that He could load on
Himself, as our Substitute, all of our many sins and then with His
innocent payment cancel out our debt.  Thank You that because of His
atoning payment You have written our names in the Lamb’s Book of
Life.
    Lord, in the sermon we referred to the many names recorded on St.
Jacobi Congregation’s membership list, names of those who have
joined in confessing their faith in Jesus.  Keep us mindful that, if Your
Son is rejected, this listing does not save anybody.  By Your Spirit’s
working through Word and Sacrament keep all of us in the true faith
that keeps us in the Lamb’s listing in the Book of Life.  Help us to help
fellow members of our congregation who may be in danger of erasing
their names from that Book of Life if they neglect hearing Your Word
or using Your Word at home.  The world and all of its appealing
temptations can so easily draw them, and us, away.  Like the prodigal
son, it is easy to leave You, our heavenly Father, and to choose the
world.  Guard us against that.  And if that has happened to some,
please help us to reach out to them so that like the prodigal son they
come back to Your precious gift of forgiveness.  Strengthen all of us to
be faithful unto death and so to receive the crown of life with You.
    In faith help us to look forward also to Holy Week coming up with
its special services.  And keep us mindful that we as Christians will
emphasize Easter not as the world with its commercial advertising
does it, but as the victory that it is - our Savior who was forsaken for
us, and proved His victory by His resurrection from the dead, so that
our names are written in the Book of Life.  In His name we now also
join to pray:

    Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your
kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.  Give us
today our daily bread.  Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those
who sin against us.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil.  For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and forever.  Amen.