As we enter Holy Week, the church takes a moment to remember the of the last days of Jesus. In the services of Maundy Thursday, we see Jesus preparing for and coming into his hour of death. Ceremonially he washes the feet of the disciples. His own feet were prep for burial with tears and perfume. The last spoken teaching of communal prayer to his disciples. His cry to his Father in the garden of Gethsemane for another solution there was no answer.
Matthew and Mark use a familiar phrase for the early church audience to hear. A phrase Jesus may have spoken or even may have sung from the cross. This phrase, as well as, the description of the events surrounding the crucifixion was part of a song written by David. In Psalms 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” David also utters this familiar phrase.
The significance of this phrase and the descriptions within the song of David points towards a more significant connection that the early church audience needed to hear. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to David, the guarantee that one of David’s descendants will be on the throne forever. This descendant has a Father and Son relationship that David so desired from God. They both utter the words of abandonment from God.
On Good Friday, we sit with the discomfort of the story of Jesus’ betrayal by humanity and the abandonment of God. Yet, Jesus and David said a very hopeful word. David and Jesus both utter the word”done.”
David is speaking of God’s response to their cries for help. We see throughout the Old Testament that God always responds to cries for help. Here we see that Jesus, the embodiment of God is answering our cries for help. It is done.
References:
Dr. Len Sweet. Lecture: Innovative Preaching. Portland Seminary, 2018.
Dr. Stephen Delamarter. Theological Argumentation in the Old Testament. Pg.28