Now let's turn to Matthew chapter
27. In dealing with these seven sayings of our Lord from the
cross, we're dealing with this saying which I call the word
of substitution. Our Lord spoke a word, and he
spoke a word of forgiveness. He spoke a word of love and fellowship. He spoke this word of substitution
here. where it says in verse 46 of
Matthew 27, at about the ninth hour, which was probably around
three o'clock in the afternoon after our Lord had been hanging
on the cross for about six hours maybe, Jesus cried with a loud
voice saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani. It's a combination
of the old Hebrew, the Hebrew name for God, Eli, which means
my God, my God. And then the language of that
day, Lama Sabachthani, which was Aramaic. And this is what
it means, my God. Here's Christ hanging on the
cross, God in human flesh, hanging on the cross, crying to his father,
my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Now last week I
told you there were four statements that I wanted to expound upon
in light of this passage, to understand what God has given
us to understand about this. As you know, and I make this
statement, I hope humbly, that this is an awesome, awesome thing
when you consider it. One of the old Writers or commentators,
when he read this, he asked the question, how can God forsake
God? Well, there is mysteriousness
about this. There are things we can't know,
that we as limited human beings just can't know, that went on
between the Father and the Son. God the Father, God the Son.
And understand this now, Christ, he didn't stop being God here.
He never stopped being God. You can't stop being God. He's
God manifest in the flesh. He's God-man, fully God, fully
man, without sin, and yet He's dying for the sins of His people
on the cross. And that's, I mean, all these
are awesome thoughts, aren't they? I mean, we could sit and
just do nothing but ponder them for an eternity. God manifest
in the flesh. And here he is hanging on this
tree crying, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And
there's a lot of things that I can't tell you about this.
I can't climb into his mind. But what I can tell you about
this is what God reveals in his word. And that's what I want
to stick with. I don't want to get above what
I can understand as God brings it to our understanding. And
the first thing that we know, the last two statements is what
I'm gonna measure on today. I majored on the first two, but
I wanna repeat these first two statements. The first thing we
know, here's what God's Word tells us. Number one, God's Word
tells us that the reason he forsook his son, the reason the father
actually forsook, you could say it this way, turned his back
on, turned away from His Son, who in Himself was sinless. But He forsook His Son because
His Son was the surety, the substitute, and the Redeemer for a people
whom He chose before the foundation of the world to save in love,
mercy, and grace. That's why He did it. Christ
is not hanging on that cross as a private person. He's hanging
there as the representative of a people. The surety of a people. That means he took, as our surety,
he took responsibility to pay our debt to the justice of God. And in order to do that, he had
to become man, God in human flesh, in order to die. The soul that
sins must surely die. In the day that you eat thereof,
you shall surely die, Adam. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. Yes, that's us. The wages of
sin is what? Death. Christ on the cross took
the death, the eternal death of his people. We will die physically
if we're in Christ, but we'll die in him and die in the faith
and we'll live again, live forever. So he's my substitute. That's
what Isaiah 53, he was bruised for our transgressions. He was, as it says, it goes down
through there, he hath borne our griefs, carried our sorrows,
wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The
chastisement of our peace was upon him. The punishment that
would bring peace between God and his people, that was upon
Christ. And then it says, the Lord hath
laid or made the iniquity of us all to meet upon him. That's
what the Bible tells us now. We can understand that. He's
taken my place. He's taken you, if you're in
him, if you're a believer, he's taken you, he took your place.
The good shepherd giveth his life, not for everybody without
exception, but for the sheep. And then when he did that, he
redeemed his people. He bought us lock, stock, and
barrel. He put away our sins. He brought
forth an everlasting righteousness of infinite value. And that's
how God can love sinners like us. That's how God can have mercy
upon sinners like us. That's how God can show grace
to sinners like us. It's because Christ took our
punishment, took our death. That's why he's doing it. And
that brings forth the question of questions. How can a holy
God, a just God, how can he love me and be merciful to me, be
gracious to me, and still be God? How can he not pervert his
truth and his justice to save a sinner like me? And that brings
us to the second statement that I made. Now listen to this very
carefully, because here's the gospel answer. the ground, the
just ground, upon which God justly punished his son. Again, who
was in himself, holy, harmless, undefiled, uncontaminated, unmarred
by sin. How can God justly punish that
innocent person for the sins of his chosen people? How can
he do it? He can do it because he was just.
He imputed our sins to him. by the doctrine of imputation.
That's why it's so important. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord imputeth not iniquity. What is imputation? That means
God doesn't charge my sins to me. The debt. My sins were laid to Christ's
charge. They weren't put in him. They
didn't contaminate him. They didn't corrupt him. His
whole time on that cross, he never had an evil thought. Even
when he cried out, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? You know what that was? That
was a statement, that's a statement of faith. My God, he said. My God. And this whole thing was justly
done. They say that he's gotta be just
when he justifies. That's right. And here's this
innocent person suffering for the sins of his people. How can
he do that? The Bible says in Proverbs 17,
15, he that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just,
even they both are an abomination to the Lord. How can he condemn
his holy, harmless, undefiled son? And how can he justify and
save sinners like us and not be an abomination to himself?
Well, here's the answer. God imputed the sins of his people
to Christ, and he imputed his righteousness to us. And you
say, well, how can that make it right? Well, I gave you these
three things last week, and let me go to them, then we'll go
to the last two statements. Three things made this right
in the sight of almighty, holy, just and righteous God. Number
one, God the Son, the one hanging on this cross who cried, my God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He volunteered willingly
to do this. He wasn't forced. This was the
product of an everlasting covenant made between the Father and the
Son before the foundation of the world that for the glory
of God, He would save a people through his son. And Christ agreed
to it. That's what he said in John chapter
10. He said, my father loves me because I laid down my life
that I might take it again. He said in verse 18, no man taketh
it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay
it down. I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received of my father. There were two
things that Christ had in mind, the glory of his father and the
salvation of his people. Hebrews 12, two calls that the
joy that was set before him. He humbled himself, made himself
of no reputation. Remember when they came to arrest
him in the garden? Remember what happened? When
Judas went up and kissed him, and they came to get him, and
he said, whom do you seek? They said, we seek Jesus of Nazareth.
Remember what happened? He said, I am. What happened?
Anybody know? They fell back. They couldn't
touch him. But he told them. He said, take
me that these may live. That's what it's all about here.
He's dying so that his people, his sheep, his elect, his church
would live. And he volunteered to do it.
John 13 one, he loved his own until the end. And then here's
the second thing that makes it right. Christ had the ability
to substitute for others and ensure a good outcome. to ensure a good outcome. What
is the good outcome that he ensured? Number one, the justification
of his people, that they might be righteous in the sight of
God, based upon the merit of the work that he was accomplishing.
And number two, the spiritual life of his people, that they
would be given a new heart. Now, no human judge or human
governor can do that. They might turn a criminal free.
They might turn a criminal free. but they could not do it justly
because justice says you do the crime, you do the time. And they
cannot ensure that that criminal will change. Now the criminal
might change, might turn over a new leaf and reform, but he
might not. But only God in Christ can ensure
that in this death there's going to be righteousness and life. For sin hath reigned unto death,
but grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ
our Lord. His death ensures that everyone
for whom he bore iniquity would be justified before God, be made
right with God, and his death ensures that they'll be given
a new heart in the new birth. Every one of them, no exceptions. He said in John chapter 12, if
I be lifted up, what I'll do? I'll draw all into me. So only
Christ, only God in Christ could ensure that, a good outcome. And then thirdly, here's the
third. The wisdom of God devised that way in which he could justly
do this. And that's what makes it right
and just. The imputation of sin to Christ, the imputation of
righteousness to his people. No other way. So all of this,
because of the sins of his people, charged to him. Now let me go
to the third statement about this. Remember what he said,
my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Here's statement
number three. Though he was crying out of the
weakness and the infirmity of his sinless humanity, and that's
what's happening here, He really hurt. He suffered. And he's crying out of the weakness
and the infirmity of sinless humanity. And it's a cry of pain
and agony. He's not asking for information
here, folks. He's not in a moment of doubt.
He's not asking out of ignorance or lack of understanding. Jesus Christ knew exactly why
he had come to this point. First of all, prove it to me.
First of all, this is the work that he was appointed to this
hour. before the foundation of the
world. Before this world was ever created. He knew this. He covenanted with the Father
to do what? To obey unto death as the surety, the substitute,
and the redeemer of his people. The reason the Father forsook
him is older than the world. Peter stood up in Acts. and showed basically, I'll say
it this way, sinful humanity. What an awful thing that we had
in mind when our sins drove Christ to that cross. You did it with
wicked hands, he said. Do you know what else he said
there in Acts chapter two and verse 23? He says, you did no
more than what God had ordained to be done. Look at, let me just read this
to you. First Peter 118, for as much
as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things
as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by
tradition from your fathers, but you were redeemed with the
precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the
world. To be what? The lamb slain. and it was manifest in these
last times to you. By the Spirit of God, Christ
himself gave the word of prophecy of his death. You know that every
prophecy of Christ was given by him through the Spirit to
the prophets. Do you know that Isaiah 53 is
the word of God? Do you know that Christ throughout the Old Testament,
gave word to His people through the prophets, and that He appeared. He was the one who appeared in
the burning bush, I believe. All through. He knew exactly
what He prophesied of. Psalm 22 begins with these very
words, doesn't it? My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken? That's the Word of God. And then look at this, this is
Matthew chapter three. This is his baptism. This is
the beginning of his public ministry. John the Baptist standing there
preaching. A bold message. And all of a
sudden look at verse 13 of Matthew three, it says, then cometh Jesus
from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him. The baptism
of Christ. You know, a lot of people don't
understand that. When we're baptized, we're confessing our sins and
confessing our faith in Christ. Well, it says, but John forbade
him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest
thou to me. John's saying, I can't baptize
you. I have need to be baptized of
you. Now listen to his answer. Again, this is the beginning
of his public ministry, verse 15. And Jesus answering said
unto him, suffer it to be so now, allow it to be so now, for
thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. And then he
suffered. Well, what was he doing in his
baptism? He was showing forth what he
would have to go through in order to bring righteousness to his
people. What would he have to do? He'd
have to die, be buried, go down into the water, and rise again
the third day, or be raised again the third day, come up out. This
is what I have to go through, he's saying, to bring forth all
right. I've got to die, I've got to
suffer, bleed, and die, be buried, and raised again the third day.
To do what? To fulfill all righteousness.
So he knew it then. And then what about his ministry?
as he began to minister throughout on earth. In Matthew chapter
12 and verse 21, listen to this. It says, from that time forth
began Jesus to show his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem,
suffer many things of the elders and the chief priests and scribes,
and be killed and be raised again the third day. That's what he
kept telling his disciples. Many of them kept denying it.
When Peter made that great confession in Matthew 16, you remember Christ
began to tell him how he must go to Jerusalem and die. And
Peter come to him and he said, suffer it not to be so. And you
remember what Christ said to Peter? Get thee behind me, Satan. Now Peter was one of his disciples. And yet Satan had deceived Peter
in that sense for a little while. And what Christ is telling him,
your words are satanic. Listen, he must come, he must
die, he must be buried, he must be raised again. He said in John chapter 12 and
verse 27, he said, now is my soul trouble, and what shall
I say? Father, save me from this hour, this hour of death. He
said, but for this cause came I unto this hour. This is the
reason I'm here. Oh, he knew exactly why the Father
forsook him. He's not saying this for information. He's speaking out of desperation,
I believe. He's speaking out of his pain. He had never experienced anything
like this. But you know what he's speaking?
He's speaking out of dependence. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? And the question is really rather
rhetorical. Why am I here? He knew. Do we know? Many people say, well, he was
a great martyr. Well, he was a martyr, but that's
not why the father forsook him. Some people say, well, he was
a great example. You know, there's no greater
love than a man give his life for his brethren. Well, that's
true. He was a great example, but that's not why the father
forsook him. Why did the father forsake him? Because he had to fulfill all
righteousness for the glory of his father and the salvation
of his people. Now here's the fourth statement. And see if we can get a hold
of this. Because Christ was forsaken, as the substitute of his people,
God's elect, we can never be forsaken. How about that? Because he put away our sins
by the sacrifice of himself. I mean, washed them away. They're
gone to the point where God cannot charge us with our sins. Who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that
justifies. Who can condemn us? It's Christ
that died. And because He was forsaken unto
death, we, for whom He died, must be saved. We must be given
eternal life. We must be brought to glory and
live forever and ever and ever with Him. We cannot be forsaken. You understand that? To preach
that any for whom Christ suffered and died could ever perish in
hell is a travesty to God's character. It's a denial of His glory. It's
a slap in His face. I'm telling you. Let me read
you some scripture on this. Book of 2 Corinthians chapter
5. Verse 14, it says, for the love
of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died
for all, now who is the all there? All his people, all his sheep.
Then we're all dead or literally all have died. What does that
mean? Well, Romans 6 tells us exactly
what it means. It means that when Christ died
on that cross, representatively, legally, all his people died
with him. When he was buried, all his people,
not personally now, but in him, they were buried with him. That's
the way God looked at it, justly. And when he arose again the third
day, all his people in him, they arose with him. And you know
what that means? That means they're saved by the
grace of God. They'll be given life, they'll
be brought to faith in Christ, they'll live forever. In Romans
chapter six and verse three it says, no you not, that so many
of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ. Now that word baptized
there is not referring to the water baptism The word baptism
literally means baptized means placed into we often Translate
it as immersion Immerse and that's right, but it means placed in
he's saying as many of us as were placed into Jesus Christ
Now when was I placed into Jesus Christ before the foundation
of the world? God chose a people gave them
to Christ. What did he say? What did Christ
say? All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that
cometh me I will in no wise cast down. So know you not that so
many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
his death. He died for me. How do I know
he died for me? Because I believe in him. He's
my only hope. He's all my salvation. And look
at verse four of Romans six. Therefore we're buried with him
by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from
the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life. What is that newness of life?
That's having been born again, being brought to faith in Christ.
Repentance of dead works, walking by faith in, looking unto Jesus,
the author and the finisher of our faith. And he says in verse
five, for if we've been planted together, all of his people were
planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be
in the likeness of his resurrection. Because Christ was forsaken,
his people can never be forsaken. Knowing this, that our old man,
our old connection with Adam, that would condemn us, But it's
been crucified with Him, that's past tense. Who can condemn us? It's Christ
that died. That the body of sin, that's
everything that's associated with sin, every bit of it, might
be destroyed. That henceforth we should not
serve sin. Serve Christ, we serve righteousness.
For he that is dead, dead with Christ, is freed, justified from
sin. You see that? By Him being forsaken by the
Father in His death, righteousness has been established. His righteousness
imputed to His people is our justification before God, and
it's the source and power of spiritual life given to us in
the new birth. No sin is charged to His people. Oh, we're sinners. We deserve
to be damned forever. We've earned nothing but spiritual
death and hell. But because Christ was forsaken,
God justly, righteously, truthfully, mercifully, graciously, lovingly
saves us from our sins. Isn't that His name? His name shall be called Jesus
for He shall save His people from their sins. His being forsaken,
his death is our victory, our life. And when I read those words,
my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? It just booms forth
in my heart. Thank God that he was forsaken
for me. How about you? All right.