Matthew 27:46-50
Mat 27:46 (KJB)
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama
sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
As the darkness began to fade at the ninth hour, then Jesus cried out something
which He never faced in His life, even in His earthly ministry. While He was on
earth, Jesus was always doing the Father’s will and they did the miracles in
concert with each other while He was on earth. What Jesus was crying out was for
the first time in eternity, His Father had to forsake Him. It was because Jesus
was now bearing the penalty of trillions of sins and God could not look upon sin
in any fashion. While Jesus was bearing the penalty for His people, He was
forsaken by His Father and was all alone as He went through this ordeal. No
human being in the world could ever understand those moments when Jesus was
forsaken by His Father until the penalty was paid. (Psa 22:1 KJV) To the
chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my
roaring? David had felt that he was abandoned or forsaken by God but
he would never have experienced that feeling on the level that Jesus did. This
too was also a fulfillment of prophecy. It has been stated that about 300
prophecies were fulfilled in that one weekend.
Mat 27:47 (KJB)
Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for
Elias.
The people at the cross thought that He was calling for Elijah to free Him.
Since the name of Elijah in the Hebrew was much different than Eli, it may have
also been a form of mockery again. Even at the last moments of Jesus’ life they
continued to deride Him. Since Elijah was taken into Heaven and did not see
death, there was a tradition that he could come back at any time. In fact at the
passover meal, a chair is left empty for Elijah.
Mat 27:48 (KJB)
And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar,
and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
Immediately someone had taken a sponge and filled it with vinegar and attempted
to give it to Jesus to drink. (Psa 69:21 KJV) They gave me also gall for my
meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. This was also a
fulfillment of prophecy. It was probably a soldier who gave Jesus the vinegar
because no one would be allowed near the prisoners. It may have been an act of
kindness or it may have been continual mocking. What they would do is mix the
vinegar with a very salty solution and when they would place the sponge against
the mouth, the sponge would then release all the salty beverage and vinegar and
it would flow into the wounds of the prisoner thus causing more pain. They might
have also wanted to prolong the life of Jesus but for what reason except more
mocking because the sooner the prisoners died, the faster the soldiers could go
home.
Mat 27:49 (KJB)
The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
Then there were those who stayed at the cross to continue mocking who told the
man not to give Jesus the vinegar. They wanted to see if Elijah would come to
Him and save Him. They knew that Elijah would not come because they held Jesus
to be a sinner and Elijah would not help such a one. It was nothing more than a
continuing mocking of Jesus. When you think about it, it really takes a severely
hardened heart to actually taunt someone in that dying position. Their hatred
for Jesus must have been their life’s driving force.
Mat 27:50 (KJB)
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
(John 19:30 KJV) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It
is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. When they gave
Him the vinegar, He stated it was finished, that is, the sacrifice for all the
Elect of God. God’s salvation program was now complete, all He had to do from
now on is to apply salvation to those He named before the foundation of the
world. So now the mockers have had their time, but that is now over and now that
Jesus had physically died, they are now going to make sure His disciples do not
steal the body and then claim He arose. Even in death, His enemies could not
leave Him alone.