Forsaken... , Yet Triumphant

In Jerusalem today, within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, is the spot where Jesus was crucified; it is just outside the walls of Old Jerusalem. As He hung on the cross between two criminals, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” These words express a depth of anguish, distress, and isolation beyond human comprehension.

At first glance, it may seem as though Jesus was completely caught off guard by what was happening. However, there are important truths to remember.

No Surprise

First, Jesus was fully aware that He would be crucified.
Throughout His ministry, He repeatedly told His disciples that He would be betrayed, condemned to death, mocked, beaten, and crucified (Mark 8:31-32; 9:30-32; 10:32-34). He knew not only that this would happen, but that it was necessary. When Peter attempted to dissuade Him from going to the cross, Jesus firmly rebuked him.

Second, Jesus was not confused about His identity or His mission.
On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus said that His blood would be poured out for the forgiveness of sins (Matt 26:28). Now, the pouring out of blood for the forgiveness of sins was an everyday practice at the Jerusalem temple (Num 28:3-4; Ezra 3:3). It was a continual burnt offering so that the Lord, who is holy, would dwell among His unholy people (Exod. 29:45). By saying this, Jesus was declaring that He Himself would bear the sins of humanity.

Moreover, John the Baptist identified Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

So, if Jesus knew what was coming and fully understood His mission, what lies behind His cry on the cross?

Psalm 22

Jesus’ words, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” are a direct quotation from Psalm 22. In Jesus’ time, Old Testament scriptures were not divided into chapters and verses as they are today. Most texts were identified by the first few words of the text, similar to how we identify songs today. By quoting the first line, Jesus was pointing those who heard Him to the entire psalm.

Why this psalm? What is it about this Psalm that Jesus is drawing attention to as He hangs on the cross?

Psalm 22, written by David, expresses a cry for deliverance while he was being pursued and surrounded by his enemies. While it applied to David’s own circumstances, it also prophetically pointed to the coming Messiah. And, remarkably, it aligns in striking detail with the events of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Consider these parallels:

And,

And,

Yet Psalm 22 is not only a cry for deliverance—it is also a testament of the Lord’s deliverance. Jesus knew that His suffering would not end in despair and disappointment, but in triumph.

Rescue and Triumph

Beginning in verse 22, the tone of the psalm shifts to praise. In verse 24, David declares that the Lord “has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; but when he cried to Him for help, He heard.”

This is the truth Jesus was affirming—both for Himself and for those around Him: The Lord will deliver His anointed King (Ps 20:6) and will answer His afflicted when they call (Ps 31:22).

Jesus was not abandoned to the grave, but He was delivered. On the third day, He rose again, in triumph, just as the movement of Psalm 22 prophesied. His resurrection is the ultimate evidence of God’s deliverance and the fulfillment of His mission.

Our Deliverance in Jesus

Jesus fulfilled His mission by truly becoming sin for us and taking our sins upon Himself. In doing so, He was truly forsaken by the Lord, for nothing unclean can stand in His presence. This is the devastating reality of sin—it creates an unfathomable separation between us and God, cutting us off from His presence and His love. Unless that sin is dealt with, there can be no reconciliation or relationship with the Lord. 

What this abandonment meant for the Son of God is beyond our full understanding. Yet Jesus underwent it on our behalf so that we would not have to. He conquered the power of sin—death itself—so that we, who could never overcome it on our own, might share in His victory. We enter into that victory by turning to Jesus and abandoning all human efforts to save ourselves. Through faith, not by our works, we are united with Him in His death, resurrection, and glorification, and in Him we are reconciled to the Father.

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, let us remember that He became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21); he was forsaken so we can be adopted as children by God. His triumph over death guarantees it for us!

No Resurrection... No Justice

"It’s not fair!"
We've all said these words at some point. Whenever we feel that a situation or outcome is unjust, we naturally express our frustration. In those moments, we long for restitution. And, if we are honest, we also long for retribution; we want the person or people responsible for the injustice to be punished. But often, there is neither restitution nor retribution. Instead, it seems as though the oppressors face no consequences, free to do as they please.

But is this the true nature of reality? Will tyrants and bullies never face judgment for their actions?

Answers Outside Christianity

For atheists and non-Christians, the absence of true justice is consistent with their worldview. In atheism, the natural world is all there is and consequently, survival of the fittest reigns. Acts of oppression are just part of the natural order. On the other hand, non-Christian theistic worldviews are inconsistent and the concept of true justice is very arbitrary (see teaching on worldviews here).

True justice – a concept deeply embedded in every human heart—requires a judgment beyond this world, accompanied by a fail-safe system of justice. This is exactly what we find in the death and resurrection of Jesus – that not only is true justice possible, but it is also the truth of reality.

Justice in the Death of Jesus

The death of Jesus is not just the greatest spectacle of love for humanity; it is also the highest display of true justice. Jesus did not die for His own sins – He had none (Heb. 4:15). Instead, He bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24). The just and righteous One died for the unrighteous (1 Pet. 3:18), taking upon Himself the penalty for our wrongdoing. God condemned sin in the flesh of Jesus so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled (Rom 8:3-4).

The Law is God’s perfect standard revealed to us. The Law is holy, righteous, and good (Rom 7:12). It is spiritual in nature (Rom. 7:14), rooted in God’s very being, reflecting His character. Every act of sin, every act of injustice, is a violation of this law—sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Just as we feel violated by injustice, so too God is violated in ways more than we can imagine. And because of His perfect justice, God cannot simply overlook sin (Hab. 1:13).

At the right time, God demonstrated His justice to the world through the blood of Jesus (Rom. 3:25-26). Jesus’ death fulfills the penalty of the Law and secures full retribution. It removes God’s wrath and there is no more guilt with respect to God’s Law. We know this because Jesus did not stay dead but rose again on the third day and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, thus confirming that the penalty of sin has been fully paid (Heb 10:12-14).

This freedom, however, is only for those who come to Jesus in faith (Rom. 3:22). For those in Christ, there is no condemnation (Rom. 8:1), because Jesus took on the punishment we deserved.

Justice Apart from Jesus

But what about those who haven’t put their faith in Christ? What happens to their lawlessness?

The answer lies in the resurrection of Jesus. The bodily resurrection of Jesus is a historical reality (see here) and no alternate theories can account for the facts surrounding the events that occurred following the death of Jesus (see here). Jesus’ resurrection proves that there is more to reality than the natural realm – there is a supernatural, eternal realm that holds ultimate significance.

Because Jesus rose, all the dead will one day rise as well, and they will be judged for their deeds (Acts 17:31). Many of them will awake to everlasting life but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt (Dan. 12:2). Every person not united to Christ will be judged by God for their actions. This judgment will be carried out perfectly by God through Jesus (John 5:22). Every tyrant and oppressor will face accountability. No sin will go unpunished. This is why the resurrection of Jesus is crucial for justice.

If Jesus had not risen from the dead, the dead would also not rise (1 Cor. 15:13), and there would be no true justice. As Paul says, if the dead are not raised, "let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (1 Cor. 15:32) – in other words, we can be free to satisfy our desires and live without fear of consequence, since nothing beyond this life matters.

But because Jesus rose from the dead, true justice will prevail, and every deed will be judged. For those united to Christ, their sins were judged at the cross, and they are forgiven. But for those who are not in Christ, they will face God’s judgment (Rev. 20:15).

What Now?

So, the pressing question is: What about your sins?

Are you united to Christ through faith and repentance, so that there is no condemnation for you? If yes, this is a reason to rejoice not just on Easter Sunday but every day of our lives. 

Or are you relying on your own merit to fulfill God's law? James reminds us, if we stumble in one part of the law, we are guilty of breaking it all (James 2:10). Have you kept God’s Law perfectly? If you haven’t (hint: no one other than Jesus has), then turn to Jesus for forgiveness and trust in His finished work. Do not find yourself along with the dictators and oppressors when Jesus will return to judge the world.

Happy Resurrection Day!!

Reigning on the Cross

When we think of a king, we typically picture someone sitting on a throne in a long throne room with people lined up on either side. The king is robed in his best garment, pronouncing judgments, and giving commands to all his subjects. At other occasions, we could picture him riding in his chariot as his subjects cry out praises. 

Occasionally, we also see a king on the battlefield fighting his enemies. He is in the thick of war and is being attacked on all sides. He is pursuing his foes and may even get injured in the battle. No one questions his kingship if he takes a blow or two, or if he falls down. They see how the king is fighting to save his people and his kingdom. 

Now, that is exactly what we see on the cross. Jesus, the King of the universe, was fighting to save His people; He was defeating the power of sin and battling Satan and his armies on the cross. Even though it looked like Jesus was helpless and suffering, he was a King and continued being a King on the cross. 

Where It All Began

The plot of this war was first revealed in Gen 3:15. After Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree, God pronounced curses for their disobedience. But even in the midst of the curses, God promised victory for the seed of the woman – He would crush the head of the serpent, that is, kill and destroy the devil completely. But this victory would not come without collateral damage. In the process, the serpent would bruise His heel, that is, inflict some kind of pain on the woman’s seed. 

All of the Old Testament expects and looks forward to the particular seed of the woman who will crush Satan and his armies. And progressively, the identity of this Savior is revealed throughout biblical history (see here). The Old Testament goes beyond revealing His identity and gives us hints regarding the pain He will suffer; the greatest hint can be seen in Isaiah 53. The Servant of the Lord, who is the seed of the woman, will be despised and forsaken (Is 53:3), stricken (Is 53:4), He will be pierced and scourged (Is 53:5), oppressed (Is 53:7), and killed (Is 53:9). This was God’s prophecy through the prophet Isaiah.  

Where It Was Accomplished

The New Testament shows clearly that Jesus, the Nazarene, is that seed of the woman. And Jesus provided sufficient evidence in His lifetime that He was the only One who had power over Satan and his armies. (Matt 4:1-11; Mark 5:1-13; Luke 4:40-41). As He came to the end of His earthly life, Jesus knew that He would be bruised, that is, put to death. But this was also the moment when He would crush the head of the serpent (Satan).

This final act begins in a garden (Gethsemane) just as the first act ended in a garden (Eden). Jesus was betrayed and forsaken, He was then falsely accused, scourged, nailed (pierced) to the cross, and put to death. But as He was enduring this bruise, He was also defeating all the enemies of His people. 

So, Jesus was waging war and defeating His people's enemies on the cross. And in that sense, Jesus was exercising His kingly duties on the cross. The greatest confirmation of this fact is His resurrection (see here). If Jesus had not risen, then none of this would have been true. He would have been just another person who was beaten and crucified and put to death on the cross. But His resurrection is evidence that Jesus truly accomplished victory over all of His people's enemies. He was not defeated; rather, as the only true King, He defeated sin, sickness, death, and Satan. 

It Was For His People

Jesus underwent this bruising and accomplished this victory for us, His people. Even in Isaiah’s prophecy, we see that the Servant of the Lord endures the suffering on behalf of us. He bore our griefs and our sorrows, He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities (Is 53:4-5). 

Peter tells us that Jesus bore our sins in His body so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet 2:24). What we could not accomplish, God did; He condemned sin in Jesus’ flesh so that we can be free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2-3). Jesus hung on the cross and became a curse for us to free us from the curse we incurred for disobeying God’s Law (Gal 4:13). Jesus defeated death so that we should no longer be slaves to the fear of death (Heb 2:15) rather be victorious over it (1 Cor 15:55-57). 

The death that we deserved, Jesus suffered on the cross; and in His victory, we are victorious. 

How it still continues

The victory that Jesus achieved was once and for all time. And those who are united to Jesus – that is, those who have turned away from their sin and from trusting in their works to trusting in the finished work of Jesus – they enjoy this victory now on this earth (Rom 8:37). And they will enjoy it even more fully when Jesus establishes His kingdom here on the earth (Rev 5:10).  

As we remember Jesus’ victory in His death and His resurrection, will you reign with Him in His kingdom? 

Come, behold the wondrous mystery
Christ, the Lord upon the tree
In the stead of ruined sinners
Hangs the lamb in victory
See the price of our redemption
See the Father's plan unfold
Bringing many sons to glory
Grace unmeasured, love untold

Come, behold the wondrous mystery
Slain by death, the God of life
But no grave could ever restrain Him
Praise the Lord, He is alive
What a foretaste of deliverance
How unwavering our hope
Christ in power resurrected
As we will be when He comes

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery; by Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell, and Matt Papa

Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus

There are many who still question if humans really landed on the moon. It is argued that the whole incident was staged and everyone was deceived into thinking that Neil Armstrong really walked on the lunar surface. However, this conspiracy theory has been debunked numerous times. The evidence includes the actual people who walked on the moon, the almost 400,000 people at NASA who supported these missions, material from the lunar surface, audio and video evidence, and many more. 

These are historical facts, and they cannot be proven by a science experiment. Each landing is proven to be true by eyewitness accounts, and other historical-contextual evidence. Historians rely on tools different from scientists to conclude if an event occurred or not. 

And when it comes to the resurrection of Jesus, we can use the same tools to show that He really did rise from the dead. Obviously, we do not have audio or video evidence; however, there were eyewitnesses, whose testimonies we have, and numerous other historical-contextual evidence that show beyond a shadow of doubt that Jesus did not remain dead, but has risen. 

Death 

Jesus was put to death on a Roman cross after He was scourged and beaten. There were multiple eyewitnesses who saw His execution. Both Christian and non-Christian sources recount that Jesus was crucified. All four Gospels in the New Testament include various details of Jesus’ crucifixion. Various non-biblical writers including Josephus, Tacitus, and Lucian document that Jesus was executed. The Talmud also includes that Jesus was hanged on the eve of the Passover (hang on a tree per Deut. 21:22-23) . 

Bart Ehrman, the agnostic-atheist professor, in his book, “Did Jesus Exist?,” notes that it was known by everyone everywhere that Jesus had been crucified. There is no question that Jesus died on the cross.

Eyewitness Testimonies

The disciples of Jesus testified that they saw Jesus alive in His body after His death. Jesus died and was buried in a tomb; but He appeared again to His disciples and to multiple others. A record of these appearances have been written down by Paul, a persecutor of the Christians (more on that below), in his letter to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 15:3-8. 

Paul writes that he is passing on what he received and he qualifies it as a matter of first importance. This matter is the appearances of Jesus to Peter, and to James, and to all the Apostles. Jesus also appeared to more than 500 people at the same time. Finally, He also appeared to Paul. These verses are identified as a creed that the early church used to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus. The creed was developed very early within a span of 1 year after Jesus’ resurrection and it predated Paul. This is a very early eyewitness account that Paul received from other Christians, and wrote in his letter. 

Paul was not the only one who documented the eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ appearances. Matthew and John were among the Apostles to whom Jesus appeared. According to tradition, Mark documented the words of Peter in his Gospel. And Luke investigated the life of Jesus thoroughly in his Gospel. All four Gospel writers document Jesus’ appearance after His death. 

The fact that the disciples of Jesus claimed to have seen Him is undisputed among all scholars. The disciples not only claimed to have seen Jesus but they were emboldened in such a way as to be transformed from fearful, cowardly individuals into those who were willing to lay down their lives for this claim. 

It sure forces one to question why people would die for something they did not believe to be true. The only explanation is that they truly saw Jesus resurrected from the dead, proclaimed this fact, and even died brutally for this truth.

James and Paul

It is one thing for loved ones to claim to have seen Jesus after His death; but it is a different matter when skeptics and persecutors also claim to have seen Him. 

James was the brother of Jesus but he did not believe in Jesus’ words (John 7:5); he thought Jesus had lost his senses (Mark 3:21). However, James became one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13, 21:18). In his letter to the dispersed Jews, he addresses himself as a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1). How did this change take place? What happened that he went from being a skeptic to the leader of the church? 

We learn about it in 1 Cor 15:7 – Jesus appeared to James after His death. And James knew that the Jesus he grew up with was alive again. James had seen for himself that Jesus rose from the dead and this changed his life completely. So radical was this change that James died a martyr (documented by Eusebius). 

But the most radical change, and one that has most scholars and historians scratching their heads, is the conversion of Paul. We know that Paul (or Saul before his conversion) was a devout Jew. He was so zealous for the Jewish faith that he saw Christianity as a serious threat and was on a mission to destroy it. In Acts 7, when Stephen was martyred, Saul was an accomplice (Acts 7:58). And in Acts 8:1-3, Saul was ravaging the church, and persecuting the Christians. However, Paul wrote about half the books of the New Testament; he suffered great persecution himself and was finally martyred for his Christian faith. What caused him to change and why did he forsake his Jewish faith that he was so passionate for? 

Paul tells this in his own words in Acts 22:6-11 and in 26:9-18. And Luke documents this event in Acts 9:1-19. Paul, while he was on his way to persecute the Christians in Damascus, saw the risen Jesus. It was not merely a vision but a real encounter with the physical Jesus, who Paul knew had been put to death. Paul attests to the bodily resurrection of Jesus in 1 Cor 15, and in verse 14 and 17, he pins the foundation of the Christian faith on the bodily resurrection of Jesus.

It was the bodily appearance of Jesus after His death that caused the skeptic James and the persecutor Paul to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. They did not need any other proof because they had seen with their own eyes that Jesus was not dead anymore; He was risen! 

Empty tomb

A final piece of evidence, and one that has never been refuted, though poor attempts have been made, is the fact that the tomb was empty on Sunday morning. The tomb was protected by Roman guards (Matt 27:66), who were skilled warriors. However, the women who went to complete the burial rites early that morning, found the stone at the entrance of the tomb was rolled away and the tomb was empty. 

Jesus’ resurrection was proclaimed in Jerusalem, the very same city in which He was put to death. All that had to be done to prove the resurrection false was to produce the dead body of Jesus. However, no one was able to do so. Instead, the authorities claimed that the disciples had stolen the body (Matt 28:13). It is unfathomable that unskilled ordinary men could overthrow the Roman guard. 

Furthermore, to this day, the remains of Jesus’ body have not been found. 

The only plausible explanation in light of all this evidence is that Jesus rose bodily from the dead! 

What does it mean?

We can know the facts about the resurrection through historical analysis; however, the meaning of the resurrection can only be discerned through the words of Jesus and His disciples. 

While on earth, Jesus predicted multiple times that He would be put to death and that on the third day, He would rise again (Mark 8:31; Matt 16:21, 17:9, 12, 22; Luke 9:22). Jesus knew this was God’s plan (John 12:27). And Jesus knew that this was the only way humans can be reconciled to the Father (John 3:14-15). It was through the death of Jesus that sin was judged and paid for (Rom 8:3-4). It is in the resurrection of Jesus that death was defeated (Acts 2:24), and because He lives, we will also live with Him forever (John 14:19). 

Conclusion

As Christians, the resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. Without this historical fact, our faith is in vain (1 Cor 15:17). But this event is not an isolated event. It was predicted by the prophets; and in all of God’s dealings with humans, He pointed to this event (Luke 24:26-27). As Paul writes in 1 Cor 15:3-4, all of this took place “according to the Scriptures.” This was God’s plan even before the foundation of the world. 

We should be assured that our faith is not in vain! We should be zealous in our love for Jesus. He who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor 5:21).

If you have not turned to Jesus for your salvation, then the resurrection is the ultimate proof that Jesus is Lord, and there is no life apart from Him. Be reconciled to God through Christ! (2 Cor 5:20) because God “has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).  

Further Reading

  1. Gary Habermas & Michael Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus
  2. Frank Morison, Who Moved the Stone?