Psalms 22:1 written about 1000 years before Jesus was born. It begins with, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?".
Referring to the crucifixion of Jesus, Mathew 27:45- 46 says, "Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
Jesus probably quoted Psalm 22:1 in order to draw attention to it and the fact that He was fulfilling it on the cross.
Verses 11-18 in Psalm 22: "Be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And Thou dost lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots."
The Psalms foretold the crucifixion a thousand plus years before its occurrence. "His heart has melted within Him." During the crucifixion process, the blood loss causes the heart to beat faster and harder and fatigue and dehydration set in. Later verses foretold the piercing his hands and feet. It was also foretold that his clothing would be divided by casting of lots.
Jesus on the cross uttering out that why has God forsaken him was his way of pointing to us the scriptures. This is surely to let us know that he was fulfilling the prophesy written 1000 years before his birth.
He was not doubting God but merely referring to his role as messiah predicted 1000 years plus before the event.
Nobody would expect that a father would ever forsake a son even at point of threat of death but in the case of Jesus this happened for good reason as explained.
It is not easy to understand from logical viewpoint when the heavenly father is none other than God.
But the significance of the crucifixion is beyond man and his logic. It demonstrates the greatness of Jesus.
He was able to stand independently on his own ground and principles even with the pain of torture on the cross, without Heaven apparently lifting a finger in the moment of reckoning.
That is why adherents believe he is God. All will believe he has the greatness of God. We must learn from the above greatness of Jesus.
In any temple, church or religion, a leader too must be able to stand independently on his own grounds and principles and fear not persecution or malice.
He should never ever bemoan when persecuted by those who know less and should not exclaim why had God and his lord saint or prophet forsaken him. Goodness and truth will hold sway and triumph in the end even at point of death or great pain. He should be steady and learn from Jesus.
Jesus is great and had Gautama Buddha been born in the same era and place, he too would be seen as threat and persecuted as well, though both men are peace loving and non-threatening.
But ancient Rome then could not tolerate any threat of anyone given the regards of a king by the people. The Jews then liked to be the exclusive lot. They held on tightly to their culture and they too would frown at any dissent. They would not harbor such men in their midst but would readily expose them to mighty Rome though as a distinct minority race at the fringe, they were treated with distaste by mighty Rome.
In such unfavorable social context, where people adored prophets like monarchy, Rome would feel threatened. Thus it is not too far fetched to project that Buddha would even be crucified if he had lived in the era of Jesus and in the same locality.
Then the same big question would be raised as to why Heaven had forsaken him. This would be putting the blame on God and Heaven when the fault lies in men - the ancient Jewish clergy at the ground and the overbearing might of ancient Rome at the top.
Even Jesus had to say that men should "give to Caesar what is due to Caesar and to God what is due to God."
He displayed great sensitivity and prudence but crucifixion still awaited him, more so when his popularity grew. The messiah was viewed as too great a threat to ancient Rome.
Ji Gong the Living Buddha too had his dissenting ways during his life as man. He was a monk at a Chan Buddhist monastery but broke all the rules. He drank and ate meat. He was mocked and chastised but that made no difference.
Finally monk Ji was sent out and expelled. He was defrocked. This was as good as being crucified.
He believed strongly that "what matters is the heart and not what goes through the gut or what one does."
The mocked and defrocked monk Ji succeeded and became "Ji Gong, The Living Buddha."
With regards to one's own life, often we expect God and saints to attend to our every problem in life, as though they are at our beck and call.
They can help but at times, what we want cannot be attained and there may well be very good reason for this. There may be some learning value from any woe.
But in our low moments, we will exclaim, "Why has the father forsaken me?"
Alas, to some, neither this nor the previous stance is logical but perhaps mere rationalization. Aren't they busybodies who see easily the dust in other's eyes but not their own? God knows.
No two person think alike even if they hold similar views. What is right and proper may well be wrong in different context of life even in the same person. Well again if you hold such opinion, this may well be rationalization.
So let us revisit the issue of why Lord Jesus exclaimed "Why has the father forsaken me?" while on the cross.
Is he referring to the prophesy 1000 odd years before his birth ? - verses 11-18 in Psalm 22.
The answer must be "yes" to many for he is the messiah. We all should say so, shouldn't we?
Whatever views there may be, we must always give respect and believe in all the saints and prophets as well as all sects and religions for they are doing God's bidding to save souls. This is so that more can be reached and God can touch their lives to give hope and eventual salvation.
This is one thrust of the mission Lord Bo Tien talked about. The belief in all saints and what they said is clearly stated in one of the seven universal precepts he passed down to us. So let there be no blasphemy or bigotry with regards at all saints and their teachings.
Referring to the crucifixion of Jesus, Mathew 27:45- 46 says, "Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
Jesus probably quoted Psalm 22:1 in order to draw attention to it and the fact that He was fulfilling it on the cross.
Verses 11-18 in Psalm 22: "Be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And Thou dost lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots."
The Psalms foretold the crucifixion a thousand plus years before its occurrence. "His heart has melted within Him." During the crucifixion process, the blood loss causes the heart to beat faster and harder and fatigue and dehydration set in. Later verses foretold the piercing his hands and feet. It was also foretold that his clothing would be divided by casting of lots.
Jesus on the cross uttering out that why has God forsaken him was his way of pointing to us the scriptures. This is surely to let us know that he was fulfilling the prophesy written 1000 years before his birth.
He was not doubting God but merely referring to his role as messiah predicted 1000 years plus before the event.
Nobody would expect that a father would ever forsake a son even at point of threat of death but in the case of Jesus this happened for good reason as explained.
It is not easy to understand from logical viewpoint when the heavenly father is none other than God.
But the significance of the crucifixion is beyond man and his logic. It demonstrates the greatness of Jesus.
He was able to stand independently on his own ground and principles even with the pain of torture on the cross, without Heaven apparently lifting a finger in the moment of reckoning.
That is why adherents believe he is God. All will believe he has the greatness of God. We must learn from the above greatness of Jesus.
In any temple, church or religion, a leader too must be able to stand independently on his own grounds and principles and fear not persecution or malice.
He should never ever bemoan when persecuted by those who know less and should not exclaim why had God and his lord saint or prophet forsaken him. Goodness and truth will hold sway and triumph in the end even at point of death or great pain. He should be steady and learn from Jesus.
Jesus is great and had Gautama Buddha been born in the same era and place, he too would be seen as threat and persecuted as well, though both men are peace loving and non-threatening.
But ancient Rome then could not tolerate any threat of anyone given the regards of a king by the people. The Jews then liked to be the exclusive lot. They held on tightly to their culture and they too would frown at any dissent. They would not harbor such men in their midst but would readily expose them to mighty Rome though as a distinct minority race at the fringe, they were treated with distaste by mighty Rome.
In such unfavorable social context, where people adored prophets like monarchy, Rome would feel threatened. Thus it is not too far fetched to project that Buddha would even be crucified if he had lived in the era of Jesus and in the same locality.
Then the same big question would be raised as to why Heaven had forsaken him. This would be putting the blame on God and Heaven when the fault lies in men - the ancient Jewish clergy at the ground and the overbearing might of ancient Rome at the top.
Even Jesus had to say that men should "give to Caesar what is due to Caesar and to God what is due to God."
He displayed great sensitivity and prudence but crucifixion still awaited him, more so when his popularity grew. The messiah was viewed as too great a threat to ancient Rome.
Ji Gong the Living Buddha too had his dissenting ways during his life as man. He was a monk at a Chan Buddhist monastery but broke all the rules. He drank and ate meat. He was mocked and chastised but that made no difference.
Finally monk Ji was sent out and expelled. He was defrocked. This was as good as being crucified.
He believed strongly that "what matters is the heart and not what goes through the gut or what one does."
The mocked and defrocked monk Ji succeeded and became "Ji Gong, The Living Buddha."
With regards to one's own life, often we expect God and saints to attend to our every problem in life, as though they are at our beck and call.
They can help but at times, what we want cannot be attained and there may well be very good reason for this. There may be some learning value from any woe.
But in our low moments, we will exclaim, "Why has the father forsaken me?"
Alas, to some, neither this nor the previous stance is logical but perhaps mere rationalization. Aren't they busybodies who see easily the dust in other's eyes but not their own? God knows.
No two person think alike even if they hold similar views. What is right and proper may well be wrong in different context of life even in the same person. Well again if you hold such opinion, this may well be rationalization.
So let us revisit the issue of why Lord Jesus exclaimed "Why has the father forsaken me?" while on the cross.
Is he referring to the prophesy 1000 odd years before his birth ? - verses 11-18 in Psalm 22.
The answer must be "yes" to many for he is the messiah. We all should say so, shouldn't we?
Whatever views there may be, we must always give respect and believe in all the saints and prophets as well as all sects and religions for they are doing God's bidding to save souls. This is so that more can be reached and God can touch their lives to give hope and eventual salvation.
This is one thrust of the mission Lord Bo Tien talked about. The belief in all saints and what they said is clearly stated in one of the seven universal precepts he passed down to us. So let there be no blasphemy or bigotry with regards at all saints and their teachings.
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