My God, My God

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” — Matt, xxvii. 46.

“hese are the words of the great Surety of sinners, as he ang upon the accursed tree. The more I meditate upon lem, uie more impossible do I find it to unfold all that is mtained in them. You must often have observed how a ay small thing may be an index of something great going 1 within. The pennant at the mast-head is a small thing; st it shows plainly which way the wind blows. A cloud i»gger than a man’s hand is a small thing; yet it may tow the approach of a mighty storm. Tne swtdlow is a tfc bird; and yet it shows that summer is come. So is it Oh man. A look — a sigh- — a half-uttered word — a btoksa sentence — show more of what is pasring within than a long speech. So it wcls with the dying Saviour. These few troubled words tell more than volumes of divinity.

May the Lord enable us to find something here that will feed your souls!

I. The completeness of Chris fs obedience*

1. Words of obedience: “My God, my God.” He was; obedient unto death. I have often explained to you how i the Lord Jesus came to be a doing as well as a dying Saviour; — not only to suffer all that we should have su£&ed, bat; to obey all that we should have obeyed — not only to suffer the curse of the law, but to obey the commands of the law* !: When the thing was proposed to him in heaven, he said: $ Lo, I come to do thy will, O my God! “— ^” Yea, thy law (. is within my heart.” Now, then, look at him as a man ) obeying his God. See how perfectly he did it — even to the i last! God says: Be about my business — he obeys: “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”

God says: Speak to sinners for me — he obeys: “I have meat to eat that ye know not of; my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” God says: Die in the room of sinners — wade through a sea of my ^rath for the sake of enemies — hang on a cross, and bleed, and die for them — he obeys: “No man taketh my life from me.” The night before he said: “The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” But perhaps he will shrink back when he comes to the cross? No; for three hours the darkness had been over him, yet still he says: “My God, my God.” Sinner, do you take Christ as your surety? See how fully he obeyed for thee! The great command laid upon him was to de for sinners. Behold how fully he obeys!

2. Words of faith: “My God, my God.** These words show the greatest faith that ever was in this world. Faith is believing the word of God, not because we see it to be true, or feel it to be true, but because God has said it Now Christ was forsaken. He did not see that God was his God — he did not feel that God was his God; and yet he believed God*s word, and cried: “My God, my God.” (1.) David shows great faith in Ps. jdii. 7i 8: ‘Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water spouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord wUlcommand his loving-kin£iess in the day time, and in the

88BM0NXXTI. 177

QigKt his aong shall be with me, and my prayer unto the Ood of my life.” He felt like one coTered with a sea of troubles He can see no light — no way of escape; yet he belieyes the word of God, and sajrs: “Yet the Lord wilL” This is feith — believing when we do not see. (2.) Jonah showed great feith: ‘^ All thy billows and thy waves passed over me; Uien I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.“< — Jonah ii. 3, 4. He was literally St the bottom of the sea. He knew no way of escape — he saw no light — he felt no safety; yet he believed the word of God. This was great faith. (3.) But ah I a greater than Jonah is here Here is greater faith than David’s«-greater £uth than Jonah’&*-greater faith than ever was in the world, before or after. Christ was now beneath a deeper sea than Jonah’s. The tossing billows of God’s anger raged over him. He was forsaken by God-^he is in outer darkness-* he is in hell; and yet he believes the word of God: “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell.” He does not feel it-<-he does not see it-but he believes it, and cries: ‘’ My God.” Nay, more, to show his confidence, he says it twice: ‘^ My God, my God.” *’ Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.** Dear believer, this is your surety. You are ofn onbelieving-wiistrustful of God; behold your surety-^cling to him — ^jou are complete in him.

3. Words of love. “My God, my God.” (1.) Those irere words of sweet submission and love which Job spake, when God took away from him property and children: “Naked came I out of my mother s womb.” Sweet, that he could bless God even in taking away from him. (2.) Words of sweet submissive love which old Eli spake, when God told him that his sons should die: “It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good.” (3.) The same sweet temper in the bosom of the iShunammite who lost her child, when the prophet asked: “Is it well with thee? — is it well with thy husband? — is it well with the child? And she answered. It is well.” (4.) But, ah I here is greater love<«-greater, sweeter submission, than that of Job, or Eli, or the Shunammite — greater than ever was breathed in this cold world before. Here is a being hanging between earth and heaven — forsaken by his God — without a smile without a drop of comfort — the agonies of hell going over him; and yet he loves the God uiat has forsaken him. He does not cry out, Cruel, cruel, Father! — no, but with all the vehemence of affection cries out,” My God, my Ood.r 178 8ERMON XXTI.

Dear, dear souls, is this your surety? Do you take him as obeying for you? Ah! then, you are complete in him. You have very little love for God. How often you ha?e murmured, and thought God cruel in taking things away from you; hut, behold your surety, and rejoice in him “with exceeding joy. All the merit of his holy obedience itimputed to you.

II. TJie infinity of Chrises sufferings. He was forsaken by God: “My God, my Gt)d, why hast thou forsaken me?” The Greek Liturgy says: “We beseech thee, by aD the sufferings of Christ, known and unknown.” All the more we know of Christ’s sufferings, the more we see that they cannot be known. Ah! who can tell the full measr ing of the broken bread and poured-out wine?

1. He suffered much from his enemies. (I.) He suffered in all parts of his body. In his head — that was crowned with thorns, and smitten with the reed. In his cheeks — for they smote him on the face, and he gave his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: “I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” In his shoulders — that carried the heavy cross. In his back: “I gave my back to the smiters.” In his hands and feet: “They pierced my hands and my feet.” In his side — a soldier thrust a spear into his side. Ah! how well he might say: “This is my body, broken for you.’* (2.) He suffered in all his offices. As a prophet: “They smote him on the face, and said, Prophesy who smote thee?” As a priest — they mocked him when offering up that one offering for sins. As a king, when they bowed the knee, and said: “Hail! king of the Jews.” (3.) He suffered from all sorts of men — from priests and elders — from passers by and soldiers — from kings and thieves: “Many bulls have compassed me; strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round” — “Dogs have compassed me” — “They compassed me about like bees.” (4.) He suffered much from the devil: “Save me from the lion’s mouth.” His whole suffering was one continued wrestling with Satan; for he “spoiled principalities and powers, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in his cross.”

2. From those he afterwards saved. How bitter would be the scoffing of the thief who that day was to be forgiven and accepted I How bitter the cries of the three thousand who were so soon brought to know him whom they crucified!

SERMON XXri. 179

3. Fi*om his own disciples. Thej all forsook him and fled. John, the beloved, stood a&r off, and Peter denied him. It M said of the camomile flower, that the more you squeeze and tread upon it, the sweeter is the odour it spreads arouild. Ah! so it was in our sweet Rose of Sharon. It was the liniising of the Saviour that spread sweet fragrance around. It is the bruising that makes his name as ointment poured ferth.

4. From his Father, All other sufferings were nothing in comparison of this: “My God, my God, why hast thou finsaken me?” Other sufferings were finite — this alone wad an infinite suffering. It was little to be bruised by the heel of man or devils; but, ah! to be trodden by the heel <^€rod: “It pleased the Father to bruise him.”

Three things show the infinity of his sufferings.

1. Who it was that forsook him. Not his people Israel — not Judas the betrayer — not Peter his denier — not John that lay in his bosom — he could have borne all this; but, ah! it was his Father and his God. Other things little affected him compared with that. The passers by wagged their heads — he spoke not. The chief priests mocked him — Jie murmured not. The thieves cast it in his teeth — he was as a deaf man who heareth not. God brought a three hours’ darkness over him — the outward darkness being an image of the darkness over his soul — ah! this was infinite agcmy: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

2. Who it was that was forsaken: “Me.” (1.) One infinitely dear to God. Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world, yet thou hast forsaken me. I was always by thee — rejoicing always before thee. I have basked in the beams of thy love. Ah! why this terrible darkness to mef “My God, my God.” (2.) One who had an infinite hatred of sin. How dreadful to an innocent man to be thrust into the cell of a condemned criminal! but, ah! how much more dreadful to Christ, who had an infinite hatred of sin, to be regarded by God as a sinner. (3.) One who had an infinite relish of God’s favour. When two friends of exalted minds meet together, they have an intense relish of one another’s love. How painful to meet the cold averted looks of one in whose favour you find this sweet joy! But, ah! this is nothing to Christ’s pain.

3. What God did to him — forsook him. Dear friends, let us look into this ocean through which Christ waded. (I.) He was without any comforts of God — no ie^JVuv tlaX.

jilHO 8BBM0M XXTI.

Ood loved him — no feeling that Gk)d pitied him — no feeling that God supported him. God was his sun before — nam that sun became all darkness. Not a smile from his Fadier — not a kind look — not a kind word. (2.) He was without a God — he was as if he had no God. All that God had been to him before was taken from him now. He was Godless — deprived of his God. (3.) He had the feeling rf the condemned, when the Judge says: “Depart firom me, ye cursed,” “who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the gloiy of his power.” He felt that God said the same to him. Ah! this is the hell which Christ suffered. Dear friends, I feel like a little child casting a stone into some deep ravine in the mountain side, and Listening to hear its fall — but listening all in vain; or like the sailor casting the lead at sea, but it is too deep — the longest line cannot fathom it. The ocean of Christ’s su£ferings is unfathomable.

III. Answer the Saviour’s whif.

Because he was the surety of sinners, and stood in their room.

1. He had agreed with his Father before all worlds, to stand and suffer in the place of sinners: Every curse that should fall on them, let it fall on me. Why should he be surprised that God poured out all his friry? “Why hast thou forsaken me?” Because thou didst covenant to stand in the room of sinners.

2. He set his face to it: “He set his face like a flint” — r” He set his face steadfastly.” God set down the cup before him in the garden, saying: Art thou willing to drink it, or no? He said: “The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” “Therefore it pleased the Lord to bruise him.” Why? Because thou hast chosen to be the surety — thou wouldst not draw back?

3. He knew that either he or the whole world muit suffer. It was his pity for the world made him undertake to be a Saviour: “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore his aim brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness it sustained him.” Why? Either thou or they — hell for thee or hell for them.

1. Lesson to Christless persons. Learn your danger. Wherever God sees sin he will punish it — angels — ^Adamold world — Sodom. He saw sins laid on Christy and for-

8BRM0K XXm. 1^

•ook his own Son. You think nothing of sin. Se what Grod thinks of it. If so much as one sin upon you un eoiered, you cannot be saved. Though thou wert the signet on my right hand — though thou wert the son of my bosom «^yet would I pluck thee thence. Oh, let me persuade you dtit-day to an immediate closing with Jesus Christ!

t. jLesson, Admire the love of Christ. Oh, what a sea <tf wrath did he lie under for you! Oh, what hidings did lie bear for you, rile, ungrateful soul! The broken bread aad poured-out wine are a picture of his love. Oh, when* you took on them, may your heart break for longing toward saeh a Saviour!

d. Lesson. Say to all who close with Jesus Christ, he was forsaken in the room of sinners. If you close with him as your surety, you will never be forsaken. From the broken bread and poured-out wine seems to rise the cry: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

For me — for me. May God bless his own Word!

(Action Sermon.)