The Last Words on the Cross
Pastor Tan Thai · Mar 28, 2021
This sermon focuses on the fourth cry of Jesus on the cross: 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' (Matthew 27:46). The pastor explains the deep theological significance of this cry in light of Psalm 22 and substitutionary atonement, showing that Jesus voluntarily bore the judgment of God for the sins of humanity.
The sermon opens by emphasizing the importance of a person's last words, especially the seven last words of Jesus on the cross recorded across the four Gospels. The pastor introduces the precious teachings Jesus gave to His disciples on the final night (John 13–17), then focuses on the cry recorded by both Matthew and Mark in Aramaic: 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' The detail that Jesus cried out loudly is presented as historical evidence that this was a real event, not a legend invented by the disciples.
The second major section analyzes the connection between Jesus' cry and Psalm 22. The pastor demonstrates that Psalm 22 does not describe a personal experience of David but is a specific messianic prophecy about the death of Christ, including the piercing of hands and feet and the dividing of garments — details fulfilled precisely at the cross. The darkness from noon to 3 p.m. is interpreted, consistent with Old Testament symbolism, as a sign of divine judgment, coinciding with the moment Jesus bore the sins of humanity and was forsaken by the Father.
The third section explores the nature of the suffering Jesus endured. The pastor argues that it was not physical pain or the betrayal of Judas and Peter that caused Jesus to cry out, but the loss of His eternal relationship with the Father — a bond so deep and perfect that no human relationship can compare. The illustration of an ocean versus a single drop of water is used to convey the incomparable magnitude of Trinitarian love.
The application section grounds the sermon in 2 Corinthians 5:21: the sinless Christ became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The Father's abandonment of the Son was the very punishment every sinner deserves — eternal separation from God. Because Jesus endured that judgment in our place, all who believe and receive Him will not face the eternal darkness of hell.
The sermon closes with a call to respond to the voluntary love of Christ. Jesus was not coerced — He laid down His life willingly (John 10:18). Therefore, the response to such love must also come from a place of complete willingness, joy, and unconditioned devotion.