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God knows our pain PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Charlton   

Matthew 27:45-46
Listen to the sermon

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Summary and Function



Summary: Jesus is God in the flesh, fully God and fully human. He’s the heart of God with flesh wrapped around it. To know Jesus and his character is to know God and God’s character. We can know Jesus’ character by looking at what he said while dying on the cross.

While dying on the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” This shows Jesus’ humanity. During the intense suffering on the cross, Jesus felt abandoned by his Father. He identified himself with the suffering servant in Psalm 22.

This also demonstrates that God knows what it’s like to suffer. When we cry out in pain, God can relate with us. He knows how we feel. God is moved by our pain because he loves us and understands what we are enduring. So, when you are in pain, cry out to God. He will listen and understand. What a loving and good God we have!!!

Purpose: To help the congregation to better understand God’s love and respond to that love with repentance and faith

The Sermon

I. Introduction:

1. Question: Have any of you ever gone to church feeling frustrated, anxious or even
a little depressed but instead of being honest about your disposition you put on a
happy face and told people that you were ok?
  • Older man woke up one Sunday morning and declared to his wife, “I’m not going to church this morning. No one listens to me. Many members of that church don’t even like me. I get no encouragement there.” The wife responded by saying, “I’ll give you two good reasons why you must go to church.” The man answered, “What are they?” The wife answered, “First, it’s the right thing to do. Second, you’re the Pastor!”

2.    Good news

  • You don’t have to put on a happy face when you attend church…you’re allowed to be honest when people ask how you are doing.
  • God understands that we have bad days. God understands our suffering
3. While enduring the suffering on the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?”
II. By crying out, ““My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus identified
himself with the suffering servant of Psalm 22.
1. Verse 1 of Psalm 22: Jesus was quoting this verse. By quoting this verse, Jesus
was declaring, “I am the suffering servant in this Psalm. This Psalm is a prophecy
about me”
2. Verse 8: "He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him
rescue him, for he delights in him!"
  • The suffering servant in Psalm 22 was mocked and suffered because he served the Lord
  • Likewise, Jesus suffered because he did the will of his Father (Mat. 27:41-44 and Mark 15:31-32)
3. Verses 12-18: “Many bulls encompass me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13
they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured
out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted
within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue
cleaves to my jaws; thou dost lay me in the dust of death. 16 Yea, dogs are round
about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and
feet -- 17 I can count all my bones -- they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide
my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots.”
  • Verse 14: Bones out of joint – Jesus’ bones were most likely pulled out of joint while hanging on the cross
  • Verse 15: Dying of thirst – Jesus yelled out “I am thirsty” (John 19:28)
  • Verse 17: Can count all my bones. Could be a reference to starvation or having deep wounds that expose bone – Jesus’ whipping would have produced such wounds
  • Verse 18: Divide my garments and cast lots for my clothes – The Roman soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothes (Mat. 27:35 and John 19:23-24)
4. Psalm 22 is a prophecy about the suffering of Jesus. Jesus identified it as such
when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!?”
  • Jesus willingly experienced this suffering so that we can have forgiveness of sins
  • While contemplating this, we must remember who Jesus is. By doing that, we come to understand that God understands our pain and suffering

III. God understands our pain and suffering

1. Jesus is the Son of God, fully God and fully human, God in the flesh.

2. Jesus suffered on the cross and experienced what it was like to feel abandoned
by his Father. He understands what we are going through when we suffer and
feel abandoned by God.
3. Since Jesus is God in the flesh, God understands what it is like when we suffer
and feel abandoned by Him.

4. When you pray to God, God understands what we are going through.

  • God will never leave us nor forsake us
  • When we cry, God cries
  • When suffering causes our faith to waver, God works with us
    to restore our faith
IV. Do you want a relationship with this loving God who understands our pain and
suffering? If so, then repent and trust Jesus as Savior and Lord.
 
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