When Christ cried out from the cross, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which is, being interpreted, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me,” [Mk 15:34] it was not the first time in history those words were heard. Long before Jesus came from heaven to earth, this sentence was prophesied. The Spirit speaks through David in Psalms, saying, “my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” [Psa 22:1] Though David may surely have felt forsaken in his writing, as another Psalmist concludes, so too David could have said, “this is my infirmity;” [Psa 77:10] for God has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” [Heb 13:5] and again, “He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” [Deut 31:8] David’s feelings, though remarkable, were not accurate; instead, we see more clearly a prophesy of Christ contained in his words, and that of the cross, upon which Christ Jesus truly was forsaken of God, for unlike David, Jesus “did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth,” and was so unable to make a false statement. [1 Pe 2:22] This Psalm, a prophesy of Jesus’ crucifixion long before it took place on Calvary, is astonishing in its detail. Through David’s words, Jesus reveals to us what terrible woes He faced on that day upon the tree, as He was made into sin and crushed for our sakes. He says, for example, regarding His physical condition,
“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.” [Psa 22:14-15]
But though Jesus’ physical trauma was so violent and utterly cruel, being without restraint, “yet it pleased The LORD to crush Him.” [Isa 53:10] The Father, who “hatest all workers of iniquity,” [Psa 5:5] and, “hatest wickedness,” [Psa 45:7] and whose fear provokes one to “hate evil,” [Prov 8:13] looked not upon His Son with tender love as He spoke once to Him, “this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” but looked upon Him with abhorrence and hatred, for The Father “made [Jesus] to be sin for us,” and was “made a curse for us.” [Mt 3:17, 2 Cor 5:21, Gal 3:13] Every vile and terrible sin ever committed was laid squarely on Christ’s shoulders; for “He bare the sin of many.” [Isa 53:12] Yes, they were all imputed to Him, as if He had done them, for those to whom this propitious act is applied have this good promised: “The Lord will not impute sin.” [Rom 4:8] So then, we must conclude, the sins of mankind being imputed to Jesus and laid upon Him, Him being made into sin, was no longer looked upon by God with affection and delight, but with hatred, for The LORD God Almighty “canst not look on iniquity,” [Hab 1:13] and so utterly and justly forsook His Son.
It was in this doleful state which Christ Jesus, The King of Glory who is mighty in battle, died for us. And as He did this, yea, and in all His lifetime, He had great joy, for it is written that Jesus, “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…” [Heb 12:2] Though His physical condition was dreadful and painful, Jesus’ “appearance [being] disfigured beyond that of a man, and the outline of His body beyond the sons of men,” [Isa 52:14] yet He had joy. Moreover, in that state Christ, who was being slaughtered as a lamb for our wrongdoing, thought sweetly upon us, who are “the seed of the blessed of The LORD,” [Isa 65:23] for we read in Isaiah, “He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days…” [Isa 53:10] Jesus joyfully and willingly died for us; for we also see that it is said that Christ would “prolong His days.” To understand this significance of this, let us look in John’s gospel, where Jesus says, “…I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” [Jn 10:17-18] We understand from this, that Jesus, only ever doing that which was commanded and directed of The Father, had permission and a command to lay His life down, that is to die, and to take it again, that is to rise again. When Christ was upon the cross, in the final moment, we read, “and when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.” [Lk 23:46] Of His own volition, in His own timing, Jesus died. No man took His life, but He gave it up. At any moment Jesus could have given up His spirit and died; and yet, it is written, “He shall prolong His days.” For our sakes, out of love and in joy, Christ Jesus prolonged His life through the pain and forsaking of God that we might be saved. May all praise be to our High King, to our Dear Brother and Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ. For with fantastic strength and courage He died, and through that act has obtained and inherited “a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” [Phil 2:9-10]
If we have found this truth wonderful, there is still yet refreshment that we may draw from this well. Remember again from Psalms, how Jesus’ body fared upon the tree, when The Spirit says, “…my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels…my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.” [Psa 22:14-15] And though this was truly Jesus’ physical condition, in Acts, wherein Peter quotes Psalm sixteen, we read,
“For David speaketh concerning Him, I foresaw The Lord always before my face, for He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” [Acts 2:25-27]
In the flesh, Jesus’ heart was like wax and his tongue was dry; He was brought unto death and was railed upon on every side. But in the spirit, Jesus was victorious, utterly without fault: for He says again through David, “therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope.” We see then, that when Jesus was dying for our sins – when Jesus was suffering and literally laying His life down for His bride, He was full of joy and full of hope. His attitude and spirit were exceedingly good.
Let us now take this truth, this righteousness of Christ, which seems to usurp the greatest mountain and fly far above even the heavens in its height, and apply it to marriage. In Malachi, The LORD speaks to the priests regarding marriage. He says,
“Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant…Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.” [Mal 2:14-15]
Notice what The Lord admonishes these priests to do regarding their wives, their precious and lovely companions, when He says, “therefore take heed to your spirit.” And what He says to them, He says also to us as husbands, “take heed to your spirit” against “thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.” For we have entered into a serious and solemn covenant with our wives, being joined together by The LORD Himself. We must then take great heed to our attitude and heart towards our wives. We must seek to have that spirit and attitude that Jesus had when He gave His life for us; for we too are commanded, “love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it.” [Eph 5:25] Therefore, as Paul commands by The Spirit of God,
“Let this mind be in [us], which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought not equality with God a prize to be grasped: but emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” [Phil 2:5-8]
Truly, Jesus’ mind and attitude, His spirit, through His suffering is unparalleled and far exceeds that which man can accomplish apart from God’s Spirit. However, in Christ Jesus and with God’s Spirit, this is possible; for it is written, “but with God all things are possible,” and, “we have the mind of Christ.” [Mt 19:26, 1 Cor 2:16] So then, let us pursue a tender, gracious, patient, loving attitude with our wives. Let us seek to joyfully lay our lives down for them as Jesus gives us example, for regarding His suffering, Peter writes, “for even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps.” [1 Pe 2:21] May we ever be found in all our marital suffering, struggles, trials, and toils, joyfully and powerfully exhibiting ourselves as Jesus’ brethren, as those inhabited by His Spirit – loving our wives with our attitudes and minds, pouring out upon them selfless and beautiful love.