I’m a little leery when anyone implies that the Bible reveals the specific time that the Lord will come. Some are doing this with the Jewish feast of Trumpets. I understand their reasoning but I think they are missing the Biblical thought.

When the New Testament references regarding the coming of the Lord are examined closely, never once does any New Testament writer reveal that the coming of the Lord will be on the Jewish holiday of the feast of Trumpets. 

Consistently, the New Testament writers reveal that we are to be looking for the coming of the Lord as faithful servants and we are to be ready in all seasons. In Matthew 24, Jesus says to his disciples, Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would have come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man cometh.

Teaching people that Jesus will return at the appointed time of the Feast of Trumpets on Jewish calendar is actually pinning down the time frame and this is contrary, not only to the words of Jesus mentioned above, but also to the whole of New Testament doctrine. Throughout the New Testament we are exhorted to always be ready for the coming of the Lord, and never just at the time of the fall feast of Trumpets. The exhortation to be ready is always tied to being washed in His Blood and being faithful to Him, it is never tied to a specific time frame on the Jewish calendar. 

Someone may ask, “Isn’t the coming of the Lord foreshadowed in the feast of trumpets?” My answer is yes, but that is not all that is foreshadowed in this feast. When Paul draws on the foreshadowing within this feast as he does in 1 Corinthians 15, he speaks of the coming resurrection of the people of God at the coming of the Lord and does so in view of the “last trumpet blast.” Yet there are many trumpet blasts on the Feasts of Trumpets and we shouldn’t forget the others. Aren’t they also significant? 

The truth is, the blowing of the trumpets in the Old Testament has to do with important announcements given by God or the people of God. 

In scripture, the sounding of the trumpet blasts were made at times such as when God spoke and the people heard at Sinai, during the processions of Kings ascending to the Throne, when there was a call to battle or war, during the year of Jubilee as a signal of victory and release from bondage, at times of rejoicing, at the dedication of the Temple, and so on. 

As fulfilled in Christ, the sounding of the trumpet has to do with the proclamation of the gospel. When God sent the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to give us power to testify of Jesus and to preach that He is the one who has ascended to the throne because He is the one God has exalted. This announcement is good news and causes all who believe to rejoice in Him. Those who believe are called as soldiers into His army to advance His gospel and to proclaim that true Jubilee (release from bondage) is in Him alone. This gospel is to be announced so that all who believe will find their abiding in Him for through Him God has His dwelling place among His people by His Holy Spirit. 

As Joshua led the people of Israel into their inheritance, they were commanded at Jerico to shout only after hearing the long sounding of the ram’s horns (the trumpet) and then the walls would come down. The shout of victory which knocked the walls of Jericho down came after the trumpet was sounded. The shout of victory and the walls coming down in the lives of people occurs after they hear the truth of the gospel preached!

The feast of Trumpets was to be a special Ceremonial Sabbath Rest (not the weekly Sabbath) and it was to be announced by the blowing of the trumpets. Each of the Feasts of Israel was considered a Ceremonial Sabbath and this one called special attention to rest by the sounding of the trumpet. The last sound being the GREAT SOUND (the Tekiah Gedolah or Great Sound) to call the people of God into joyful rest. 

As the people of God who have heard and believed the gospel, we have heard the trumpet sound and have found rest (our Jubilee) in Jesus. Yet there still remains a rest for us, for there will come a time when we will hear the last trump and we will all enter the fulness of our rest in Christ when we receive the redemption of our bodies. 

In 1 Corinthians 15, the last trump referred to by Paul as the coming resurrection certainly will occur when the Lord comes, but the last trump has to be connected with all the other soundings of the trumpet or its prophetic significance will be lost. Without the others, the last trumpet blast would not be the last. Our proclaiming of the coming resurrection when Jesus comes is tied to the gospel which we believe and which we are to be preaching NOW! We are to preach Jesus! He died and rose again and eternal life is in Him alone. He is the only hope of salvation and He is coming again! 

At the last trump we who believe in Jesus, who now have the first-fruits of our inheritance, will enter our full inheritance when we receive the redemption of our bodies. We will put on immortality when, at last, our bodies will experience the resurrection. The last trumpet will soon come but in the meantime we should be sounding the trumpet by taking the message of the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Surely, there is more that can to be said about the Feast of Trumpets as to its fulfillment in Jesus but this will suffice.

We would all do well to remember that the New Testament writers are the authoritative interpreters of the Old Testament scriptures. We do not interpret their writings by the Old Testament scriptures; on the contrary, we interpret the Old Testament scriptures in view of their writings. The Holy Spirit anointed the New Testament authors to reveal truth contained in the scriptures by bringing that truth to light in the person of Jesus Christ. If what someone is teaching points only to the type (the shadow or symbol) rather than the one in whom the type is fulfilled you can be assured it is the wisdom of men rather than the wisdom of God. All truth foreshadowed in the Old is realized in Christ in the New!

There is no such thing in the Bible as being under the law without being under the curse for not obeying all its commands and the only way to be free from the curse which the Law brings is through death. 

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, was perfect and holy. The curse of the Law had no claim on Him. Yet, He willingly surrendered Himself for us all and was condemned and hanged on a tree which according to the Law was a curse. He did this for us when he offered himself to be the sacrifice for our sins.

He humbled Himself and died a humiliating death bearing the curse for our disobedience to set us free from the whole weight of the Law. This is Biblical doctrine and that is why Paul says the following in Romans 7:1-6

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. ~ Romans 7:1-6

Here in Romans 7, Paul uses the law concerning marriage to illustrate how the Law of Moses was brought to an end. He uses a law within the Law to explain how we are free from the Law, and it is through the death of Christ that we have been made free from the law. Now that we are free from the Law, we are married or united to Jesus who has risen from the dead.

In Galatians 2, prior to telling us that Jesus was made to be a curse for us, Paul says, I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:19 – 20

When Paul says, I am crucified with Christ, the context is death to (or freedom from) the whole Law through faith in Christ who died for us.  The law was never given to make anyone righteous in God’s sight. The law was given because of transgressions, until Christ came. That is why the scripture says by the Law is the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20).

In Romans 7, Paul says, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet (v.7). Paul isn’t saying that the Law caused him to sin but rather, the Law amplified sin.

The Law of Moses was unable to save us because it could not subdue our sinful passions. It was weak through the flesh. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like ours. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us when he condemned sin in the flesh of Jesus. Jesus died in obedience to God’s will unlike Adam who died in disobedience.

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. ~ Romans 5:19-21

God Himself fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law in the person of Jesus Christ  and set us free from sin’s power. Through faith in Jesus, we are not longer under the law, but now led by the power of the Spirit of God.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin (by a sacrifice for sin), condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ~ Romans 8:3-5

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ~ Matthew 12:40 

There has been quite a bit of confusion that has been taught with regards to the meaning of the three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Most of those who attempt to explain this passage attempt to address it by saying that Jesus would be dead and his body would remain in the tomb for three days and three nights. Those who do this sometimes appeal to the Jewish reckoning of time that a portion of a day can be referred to as a whole.

Is this how we should read Jesus’ words concerning the three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, or is Jesus making a reference to the whole of his sufferings which were soon to take place in Jerusalem?

According to the scriptures the sufferings of Christ include the betrayal by Judas, the arrest and trial before the High Priest and Jewish leadership, the condemnation and cruel treatment of Jesus by the Jewish leadership, being delivered to Pilate (the Roman governor) and being rejected and condemned by the Jews and Gentiles, and being flogged and beaten by the Roman soldiers.

Neither the Gospels nor the book of Acts present a view of the cross without the sufferings which preceded the cross. Yet we have entire theological views that give little to no attention to the things Jesus suffered and endured before he was nailed to the cross. However, we cannot have a proper understanding of the death and resurrection of Jesus without the whole of what he suffered. 

In the language of scripture, the passion of Jesus was the totality of his sufferings beginning the night he was betrayed and reaching its finality in his death on the cross.

According to the scriptures, Jesus ate the Passover with his disciples on the evening of the first day of unleavened bread (Matthew 26:17-21). That same night Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and brought before the Jewish leadership who were plotting to put him to death. He was tried, beaten, and mocked by them. As it was dawning towards the next day Jesus was denied by Peter just before the rooster’s crow just as Jesus had predicted. Very early that morning Jesus was led away by the leading priests and elders to the Roman governor, Pilate. As this was taking place Judas went out and hanged himself.

Jesus was examined by Pilate and accused before Pilate by the Jewish elders and the chief priests. Jesus was then placed on trial before the people who gathered at Pilate’s house that morning. Jesus was condemned by the people who were influenced by the Priests and elders and to cry out that Jesus be crucified. Pilate then released Barabbas and ordered Jesus to be flogged. After being flogged and mocked by the Roman soldiers they led Jesus away to be crucified. Jesus was crucified at 9 am in the morning (the third hour) and died at 3pm (the ninth hour). Jesus was then taken down from the cross and buried.

According to Matthew, the very next day was the Sabbath (Matthew 27:62). On this day, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate and requested that the tomb be secured with guards.

Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.” Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it. ~  Matthew 27:63-67 TNLT 

Now, according to Matthew 28:1-6, on the very next day which was the day after the Sabbath (which was the day after the crucifixion) the angel of the Lord rolled away the stone because Jesus had risen from the dead.

According to the book of Matthew, Jesus was crucified, the next day was the Sabbath, and the next day was the first day of the week, and Jesus had risen just as he had said.

I think it’s important to remember the words of Jesus from Luke 13:32  I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

The language of scripture is that Jesus rose on the third day, and this fits with the actual timeline given to us by the gospel writers. It also agrees with the timeline of the feasts of Passover, Unleavened bread, and First-fruits. These were all prophetic with regards to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

According to the timeline of the appointed feasts, Passover was on the 14th day (at evening) of first month which was Nisan 14 (or Abib 14). The next day was the 15th day and the beginning of seven days of unleavened bread. This day was also a Sabbath, and the next Sabbath was not until seven days later. Passover actually set the course for the Sabbaths for the rest of the calendar year.  On the 16th day of Nisan or Abib was the feast of first-fruits. There was only one day between Passover and first-fruits and that was the Sabbath of unleavened bread. According to Paul, Jesus’ is fruits-fruits of all who will be resurrected.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:20 

Jesus was crucified on Passover, the 14th day. His body rested in the tomb on the Sabbath of unleavened bread (the 15th day) and He was raised from the dead on the 16th as the first-fruits of the promised resurrection.

Again the Sabbath after Passover began all the weekly Sabbaths of the year. A careful study of the feasts in Leviticus 23 will clarify this. This also agrees with the timeline given by Jesus when He says, “Today, I do cures, tomorrow I cast out demons, and on the third day I shall be perfected.” Notice again the succession. Today, tomorrow, and the third day.

Now, what about the three days and three nights in the heart of the earth?

Some interpret this as the literal time between the death and resurrection, i.e., the actual time that Jesus’ body was in the tomb. Yet, the text doesn’t say in the tomb. It says, in the heart of the earth. Could it be that, in the heart of the earth, refers to the totality of the sufferings of Jesus?  The day/night he ate the Passover with his disciples and was betrayed, the day/night He was placed on trial and crucified,  the day and night his body rested in the tomb.

Could the meaning of three days and three nights in the heart of the earth be referring to the time span of his sufferings or passion in Jerusalem?

Consider that after Jesus was raised from the dead, he met two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. One of them, whose name was Cleopas, asked Jesus, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days ?  Jesus said unto them, what things ? Then they said to Jesus, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. ~ Luke 24:19 – 21

These things of which these two disciples refer include the betrayal and trial along with the crucifixion. As these men spoke with Jesus, it was the third day since the day Jesus had been put on trial and crucified.

This fits also with the stated timeline that Jesus had given to his disciples. For example Matthew tells us,  From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. ~ Matthew 16:21

According to Matthew 16:21, the third day would be the third day from the beginning of His sufferings at Jerusalem from the hands of the elders and the chief priests prior to being killed. I think if we’d read the words  in the heart of the earth in view of the narrative, we’d find there is more evidence that Jesus is referring to the totality of His sufferings rather than His burial alone.

The things Jesus endured in Jerusalem, which scripturally can be considered the heart of the earth, was foretold by the prophets and is the sign that Jesus is giving that He was indeed the Messiah!

I recently watched some of a video clip of a Calvinist minister undermining children who were being baptized at a church he doesn’t approve of. One of the children stated that they wanted to be baptized because they loved Jesus. The Calvinist minister claimed that saying “I love Jesus” is not a testimony and discredited the little girl’s salvation.

Well, what does the Bible say about loving Jesus?

Actually a lot!

And if loving Jesus isn’t a good reason to be baptized, then there isn’t one. 

Paul tells the Ephesians Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen (Ephesians 6:24). And Peter says,  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory… (1 Peter 1:8).

We also know that love is of God and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7). Consequently, we love him, because he first loved us (1 John 4:18). God who predestined us to be his children in love (Ephesians 1:4-5) assures us that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Furthermore, it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Paul tells us that if any man love God, the same is known of him (1 Corinthians 8:3), and if any man does not love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha – accursed when the Lord comes (1 Corinthians 16:22).

It is God himself who directs our hearts in the love of God (2 Thessalonians 3:5), and there is a crown of life which is laid up for those who endure temptation because they love the Lord (James 1:12). Paul says, there is a crown of righteousness laid up for all who love the Lord’s appearing at his coming (1 Timothy 4:8). In fact, James says that the kingdom is promised to them who love him (James 2:5).

When someone wants to be baptized because they love Jesus, they have met all requirements for salvation and eternal life. There is nothing any of us could do that improves on loving Jesus!

How sweet it is!

Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures.

The phrase, according to the scriptures, is loaded and one that cannot be easily narrowed down to theory, yet that’s what we often do. Jesus did not come according to a theory, or to fulfill a theory. He came to do the will of God as it is written of him in the volume of the book ~ Hebrews 10:7. 

N.T. Wright has so beautifully stated the truth of this, “When Jesus wanted to teach his disciples the meaning of his death, he didn’t give them a theory, he gave them a meal.”  

There is so much truth we miss when attempting to boil the meaning of the cross down to a theory. Boasting in theological models often leaves us on the outside of the Biblical narrative, causing us to miss the teachings of the Master. 

On the night of the Last Supper,  Jesus gave a master illustration of what his death was about. It would be a lesson that the disciples would draw on for the rest of their lives as they would be given the task of teaching us how to follow Jesus, and what it means to be his servant.

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. ~ John 13:1-7

When we reduce the cross to a theory we lose the meaning and the beauty of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. The cross is so much more than a substitutionary work. The cross serves as the standard of the life we are to live in this world as followers of Jesus. The cross leads us into a continuous laying down of our own lives.

And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. ~ Matthew 10:38

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ~ Matthew 16:24 

For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps… ~ 1 Peter 2:20-21

The cross is to be interwoven into our very lives and service to God, not merely as some sort of divine exchange from which we benefit (his loss = our gain). Such ideas are often rooted in the very selfishness caused by sin for which Christ died to free us.

The cross is about the narrow way that leads us into life that fully glorifies God and not ourselves. Consider that Jesus knew that his hour had come, and he knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God, and was returning to God. It was then, he arose from supper, and laid aside his garments.

Jesus, the Son of God, the King of glory,  laid aside his garments to serve. His death was about to underscore and put an exclamation mark on this truth. Everything Jesus had been teaching his disciples about God’s Kingdom was about to reach its culmination at the cross. The King of glory, was himself, the greatest servant of all – No one could, or would, ever, out serve the King. There is no boasting but in him alone!

The work of Christ at the cross is so much more glorious than a substitutional theory. His death teaches us about denying ourselves, glorifying God, surrendering to God, trusting God, loving God, and what it means to love others.

Sin is so much more than a moral trespass. Sin corrupts entirely, and removes us from being the image bearers of God, for which we were created. In Christ, the beauty and glory of the image of God is restored to humanity, and it only comes through Christ and the cross.

NOTE: I am sharing a teaching from a friend, Annetta Peneguy. At the end of the teaching, I am posting a link to her site from where the article is taken. Annetta has some good teachings and good understanding of the teachings of the early church Fathers, you will be blessed reading her teachings.

DID GOD FORSAKE JESUS ON THE CROSS?

Some Christians have been taught that Jesus was forsaken by God on the cross as our sins were imputed to Him. Thus, God could no longer look upon Him and turned His face away, forsaking Jesus. We find this belief repeated in modern hymns like, “How Great the Father’s Love for Us” by Stuart Townend with lyrics that say,  “The Father turns His face away”. It is also taught by televangelist like Joseph Prince who wrote on his blog,  “On the cross of Calvary, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” so that you and I will never be forsaken by God. A divine exchange took place. Jesus took our sins and gave up the presence of God, while we took Jesus’ righteousness and received the presence of God that Jesus had..” (Emphasis added)

The belief that Jesus was forsaken by God seems to be popular, however it is not Biblical. Nor it is not found in the Church Fathers,  so it is not historical and was not handed down by the Apostles. The doctrine is heretical in many ways which we will soon show. But first for background on this false doctrine I found that John Calvin is the likely original source:

It is said that he descended into hell. This means that he had been afflicted by God, and felt the dread and severity of divine judgment, in order to intercede with God’s wrath and make satisfaction to his justice  in our name, thus paying our debts and lifting our penalties, not for his own iniquity (which never existed) but for ours…..Yet it is not to be understood that the Father was ever angry toward him. For how could he be angry toward his beloved Son, “in whom he was well pleased”? Or how could he appease the Father by his intercession, if the Father regarded him as an enemy? But it is in this sense that he is said to have borne the weight of divine severity, since he was “stricken and afflicted” by God’s hand, and experienced all the signs of a wrathful and avenging God, so as to be compelled to cry out in deep anguish: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” –  John Calvin, (Catechism of Geneva 1538, chapter 20. 4; published in Hesselink, Calvin’s First Catechism, pg. 24)

Christ then praying in a loud voice, and with tears, is heard in that he feared, not so as to be exempted from death, but so as not to be swallowed up of it like a sinner, though standing as our representative. And certainly no abyss can be imagined more dreadful than to feel that you are abandoned and forsaken of God, and not heard when you invoke him, just as if he had conspired your destruction. To such a degree was Christ dejected, that in the depth of his agony he was forced to exclaim, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”</em> …it is evident that the expression was wrung from the anguish of his inmost soul. (Inst. 2.16.11)

Calvin’s comments are direct blasphemy against God. For one, he attempted to make God the cause of Jesus’ agony and death as he says that by God’s hand Jesus was afflicted, however in Luke 22:53 Jesus says that man and evil are the authors of what is about to happen to Him:

When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness” (Emphasis added)

John Calvin’s own words prove that God did not forsake Jesus on the cross or was appeased by taking wrath out upon Him:

For how could he be angry toward his beloved Son, “in whom he was well pleased”? Or how could he appease the Father by his intercession, if the Father regarded him as an enemy”

So according to John Calvin, God basically exhausted His wrath towards us onto Jesus, I suppose only pretending to be angry. Thus,  it was in some way staged, because HOW COULD Jesus appease God if God regarded Him as the enemy? What kind of God would need to punish the innocent in place of the wicked to forgive? The Bible tells us to forgive, just as God forgives. Does this mean we need to expel our anger in order to forgive others?  God is made to seem very prideful and hateful as He rages against His son, in whom He is the most pleased with, but yet He still basically attacks Him and turns His love for Him off for a moment as He looks away, leaving Jesus to feel abandoned by His father. This doctrine is wrong on so many levels as it divides the trinity, it makes God out to be a brat and a abusive father and it goes against every teaching of Jesus that we must forgive in love, in order to be forgiven.

Leaving all that behind, let’s get to the verses that are used to claim that God forsook Jesus.  Matthew 27:46 is cited as proof text just as John Calvin quoted:

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Matthew 27:46 is a direct quote of Psalm 22:1:

1 (21:1) For the end, concerning the morning aid, a Psalm of David. O God, my God, attend to me: why hast thou forsaken me? the account of my transgressions is far from my salvation.

Psalm 22 is a Messianic Prophecy. If we continue reading Psalm 22 we see at verse 24 that God did not forsake the Messiah:

24 (21:24) For he has not despised nor been angry at the supplication of the poor; nor turned away his face from me; but when I cried to him, he heard me. (Emphasis added)

There we have it, God never turned His face away from Jesus. He was never angry, He was never wrathful towards Jesus either. Thus, the doctrine that Jesus was forsaken by God while imputed with our sins is proven false.

If we compare Matthew 27 and Psalm 22 in full we see a different perspective of what is happening at the crucifixion that matches Jesus’ words in Luke 22 quoted at the beginning of this article:

Psalm 22:

Matthew 27:

1 (21:1) For the end, concerning the morning aid, a Psalm of David. O God, my God, attend to me: why hast thou forsaken me? the account of my transgressions is far from my salvation. 2 (21:2) O my God, I will cry to thee by day, but thou wilt not hear: and by night, and [it shall] not [be accounted] for folly to me. 3 (21:3) But thou, the praise of Israel, dwellest in a sanctuary. 4 (21:4) Our fathers hoped in thee; they hoped, and thou didst deliver them. 5 (21:5) They cried to thee, and were saved: they hoped in thee, and were not ashamed. 6 (21:6) But I am a worm, and not a man; a reproach of men, and scorn of the people. 7 (21:7) All that saw me mocked me: they spoke with [their] lips, they shook the head, [saying], 8 (21:8) He hoped in the Lord: let him deliver him, let him save him, because he takes pleasure in him. 9 (21:9) For thou art he that drew me out of the womb; my hope from my mother’s breasts. 10 (21:10) I was cast on thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. 11 (21:11) Stand not aloof from me; for affliction is near; for there is no helper. 12 (21:12) Many bullocks have compassed me: fat bulls have beset me round. 13 (21:13) They have opened their mouth against me, as a ravening and roaring lion. 14 (21:14) I am poured out like water, and all my bones are loosened: my heart in the midst of my belly is become like melting wax. 15 (21:15) My strength is dried up, like a potsherd; and my tongue is glued to my throat; and thou hast brought me down to the dust of death. 16 (21:16) For many dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked doers has beset me round: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 (21:17) They counted all my bones; and they observed and looked upon me. 18 (21:18) They parted my garments [among] themselves, and cast lots upon my raiment. 19 (21:19) But thou, O Lord, remove not my help afar off: be ready for mine aid. 20 (21:20) Deliver my soul from the sword; my only-begotten one from the power of the dog. 21 (21:21) Save me from the lion’s mouth; and [regard] my lowliness from the horns of the unicorns. 22 (21:22) I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I sing praise to thee. 23 (21:23) Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye seed of Jacob, glorify him: let all the seed of Israel fear him. 24 (21:24) For he has not despised nor been angry at the supplication of the poor; nor turned away his face from me; but when I cried to him, he heard me. 25 (21:25) My praise is of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 26 (21:26) The poor shall eat and be satisfied; and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their heart shall live for ever. 27 (21:27) All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him. 28 (21:28) For the kingdom is the Lord’s; and he is the governor of the nations. 29 (21:29) All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and worshipped: all that go down to the earth shall fall down before him: my soul also lives to him. 30 (21:30) And my seed shall serve him: the generation that is coming shall be reported to the Lord. 31 (21:31) And they shall report his righteousness to the people that shall be born, whom the Lord has made.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band [of soldiers]. 28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put [it] upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify [him]. 32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted [thereof], he would not drink. 35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down they watched him there; 37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking [him], with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard [that], said, This [man] calleth for Elias. 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled [it] with vinegar, and put [it] on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

As both passages read through we see that we are the cause of Jesus’ abuse and suffering. Our evil, our sin, our disbelief did this to Him, not God punishing Him with wrath and turning from Him.  Even though in his humanity Jesus felt alone and even separated from God in some way, He was never alone or without His divinity or the presence of His father. God was with Him the whole time.  Psalm 22:4 5 shows what the Bibles tells us over and over again, that God is faithful and does not leave those who love and serve Him.

As we move on to Psalm 22:7-8 and Matthew 27:40-43, we see again that it is humans that are testing Jesus and in turn God. In their pride, jealousy and hatred of Jesus, they are attempting to prove that He is not the Messiah and that God will abandon Him and not help Him. Again, this does not show that God turned His face away from Jesus, but the opposite.

As both passages continue we see in Psalm 22:27 onward the prophecy that Jesus’ death will be remembered and this will cause people to come to belief in God. There will be people who come after Jesus who will teach of Him, His death and resurrection and all the divine wonders that took place during this time. So yes, while God knows what man kind will do and that we would put the Messiah to death, God did not author Jesus’ death to take His wrath out on His son.

This is what people miss…death was defeated. This is the historic view of the crucifixion called Christus Victor along with what is called the ransom theory. Death is our biggest enemy. It was brought on by Satan and the fall. Death is equated with sin in the Bible,  because sin is what causes our death. Jesus did take on our sin. He took on death and freed us. He felt all the temptation we feel, but He never let Satan tempt Him away from God. God was never wrathful or angry at Jesus. This is paganism. We humans tend to be easily tempted just as Adam and Eve were. but if we are strong and follow Jesus and keep our faith,  death has no hold on us anymore. And this is the truth of the crucifixion, not that God forsook Jesus, but that God is faithful and loves us so much despite our sins, despite our disbelief, despite our mockery, that He gave His son to take on death and save us basically from ourselves. And if we believe, we follow, we change, we will be saved from death as well.

along with 1 Corinthians 5:21

In the Wisdom of Solomon 2:12-20, there is a Messianic Prophecy concerning the Messiah’s death, but that God is faithful to Him the whole time:

12 “Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. 13 He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord. 14 He became to us a reproof of our thoughts; 15 the very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange. 16 We are considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is his father. 17 Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; 18 for if the righteous man is God’s son, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries. 19 Let us test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. 20 Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected.” (RSVA)

Source: http://www.againstheresies.org/atheist-muslim-and-paganism-myths/did-god-forsake-jesus-on-the-cross/

Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.  The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.  But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. ~ John 12: 32-50 

The reason Jesus was crucified was his claim to be the Son of God. Jesus was not crucified because of his miracles, he was not crucified because of his healings. He was not crucified because he claimed to be a prophet or a righteous man. Jesus was crucified because he claimed God was his Father.

Everyone who had a hand in condemning Jesus to death, rejected him as the Son of God, and were afterwards called to repent, specifically for their condemnation of him. Everyone who believed Jesus is the Son of God, even though they were in despair at his death, rejoiced and were changed by the news of his resurrection. The resurrection not only vindicated Jesus, but it also vindicated everyone who had believed in him and had set their hope in him.

According to Jesus, the works which he had done from the Father were a greater witness than even the testimony of John the Baptist. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me… John 5:36

In John 10:25, Jesus told the Jews who wanted to stone him, the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. He then said, If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. ~ John 10:38-39

Privately, Jesus said to his disciples, Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works‘ sake. ~ John 14:10 -11

In everything he said and did, Jesus proved he was the Son of God, including his death. All the works which Jesus did, he did in the name of his Father (John 10:25) and just prior to laying down his life, he prayed; Father, glorify thy name. In response to this prayer the Father answered: I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again ~ John 12:28. By this, the Father was speaking of the works he had already done through his Son, and the work he was about to accomplish through his death and resurrection.

The works which Jesus did in his Father’s name testified of him that he is the Messiah sent by God and when he said from the cross, it is finished, he was literally speaking of the works which the Father had given to him to accomplish, for the cross was the climax of the work which the Father sent him to do (see John 19:28-30).

When Jesus spoke of his death and his relationship with the Father in view of his death, he never used the language of being punished, condemned, or rejected by God. He only spoke of it in terms of glorifying God and God being glorified in him.

And after the sop Satan entered into him (Judas Iscariot). Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. ~ John 13:27-32

God being glorified in the Son is the language of the Father’s involvement in the cross from the mouth of Jesus!

The message of the gospel is that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God in whom and through whom God is glorified.  He is the holy One, and the just One. He is the one that God has chosen. Those who condemned Jesus did so because they hated him and hated God who sent him. Jesus was betrayed into their hands by Judas Iscariot after Satan entered Judas (see John 13). God was not conspiring with Judas (for it had been better for Judas to have never been born than to betray Jesus). God was not conspiring with the unbelieving leaders of Israel because Jesus said to them, now is your hour and the power of darkness ~ Lk 22:53.

The language of God’s involvement in the death of Jesus was God being glorified in his Son. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (2 Co 5:18). And by the grace of God, Jesus tasted death for every person. (Heb 2:9). The Father gave his Son the power to endure the sufferings of the cross at the hands of sinful men, to bring an end to the first covenant so that a new covenant could be established by his blood. All who believe that God raised him from death, believe the testimony that Jesus is the Son of God and are justified from all things. 

The night that Jesus was betrayed by Judas, he stood trial before Caiaphas the high priest and witnesses were sought so that they could put Jesus to death, yet they found none. Finally, they found two false witnesses who said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. ~ Matthew 26:61

However, Jesus never said such a thing. Instead, Jesus had said, destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. ~ John 2:19

At this false accusation, the high priest arose, and said to Jesus, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace, and the high priest then said to Him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. ~ v 63

Under the Law of Moses, the High Priest had the authority to demand a person to speak up if they knew something to be the truth. In response to this authoritative demand, Jesus says, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. ~ v 64

Everyone in the room understood that this was Messianic language, and that Jesus had just declared, under oath, that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, the King of Israel. In response to Jesus’ declaration that he indeed is the Messiah, the high priest then tore his priestly garment – an offense which was punishable by death under the Law. In the presence of Jesus, the King of Israel, Caiaphas had nullified his own priesthood.

At this point there was only one true high priest standing in the room, and they did not know him. They did not know that Jesus was both the lamb of God, and the high priest who was about to oversee his own sacrifice.

The Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament was written somewhere between 175 -180 years before the time of Christ. The Septuagint is believed to have been the translation that the New Testament writers often cite when quoting from the Old Testament. We also have evidence that the early church fathers cited the Septuagint.

Consider for example Isaiah 53: 6-11. Here is how it is translated in the KJV (King James Version) of the Bible:

(6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (7) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (8) He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (9) And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. ~ Isaiah 53:6-11 KJV

Now, here is Isaiah 53: 6-11 from the Septuagint:

(6) All we as sheep have gone astray; every one has gone astray in his way; and the Lord gave him up for our sins. (7) And he, because of his affliction, opens not his mouth: he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. (8) In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken away from the earth: because of the iniquities of my people he was led to death. (9) And I will give the wicked for his burial, and the rich for his death; for he practised no iniquity, nor craft with his mouth. (10) The Lord also is pleased to purge him from his stroke. If ye can give an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed: (11) the Lord also is pleased to take away from the travail of his soul, to shew him light, and to form him with understanding; to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins. ~ Isaiah 53:6-11 the Septuagint

In contrast to the KJV, the Septuagint translation appears to speak of the resurrection of Jesus and not only his sufferings. Now, consider the following statements from Clement of Rome, and Justin Martyr, both who are considered church fathers.

Clement of Rome who lived during the first century (35 – 99 AD). He lived during the time of the apostles and the first century church.

And the Lord is pleased to purify him by stripes. If ye make an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed. And the Lord is pleased to relieve Him of the affliction of His soul, to show Him light, and to form Him with understanding – Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the  Corinthians, Chapter XVI.—Christ as an Example of Humility.

As you can see, Clement of Rome is citing Isaiah 53:10-11 very closely to how it is  written in the Septuagint. Justin Martyr, another church father, who lived from 100 -166 AD said the following:

And I will give the wicked for His burial, and the rich for His death; because He did no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. And the Lord is pleased to cleanse Him from the stripe. – Justin Martyr, First Apology, Chapter LI — The Majesty of Christ.

And the Lord wills to purify Him from affliction. – Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter XIII

Justin Martyr also cites from Isaiah 53 very closely to how it is recorded in the Septuagint.

Consider the following again:

the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all…~ KJV
the Lord gave him up for our sins… ~ Septuagint

it pleased the Lord to bruise him… he hath put him to grief. ~KJV
The Lord also is pleased to purge him from his stroke. ~ Septuagint

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. ~ KJV
the Lord also is pleased to take away from the travail of his soul, to shew him light, and to form him with understanding; to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins. ~ Septuagint

If you think the KJV has it properly translated, you may view God punishing Jesus at the cross. If you accept the Septuagint (the Bible during Jesus’s time on earth and which the New Testament writers cite from) you won’t see God punishing Jesus. Instead, you will see God healing the wounds that were inflicted on him by sinful men. You will therefore see more of the resurrection in Isaiah 53 than you have ever seen.

Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures, and those scriptures were fulfilled as recorded in the gospels.

Does God freely forgive sins, or must he first satisfy his wrath?

This may sound like a strange question, but it is actually one of the ideas that is sometimes promoted within the theory of Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA), but it is biblical, or can we find examples of God forgiving sins apart from appeasing or satisfying his wrath.

Well, we need to look no further than Jesus, who was and is God in the flesh. Jesus forgave sins during his earthly ministry before he died on the cross and this was one of the things that infuriated his religious adversaries among the Jews. Consider the following from Luke 5:

And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. ~ Luke 5:17-25

Jesus had the power to forgive sins. Did he need for God to satisfy his wrath before forgiving this man? Absolutely not, and neither does God the Father. Now let’s look at another time Jesus forgave someone.

And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. ~ Luke 7:36-50

These two examples ought to be enough for us to understand that forgiveness from God does not require that he first satisfy his wrath or judgment. God can forgive anyone he wants to. To claim that God must first satisfy his wrath before forgiving sin is quite an arrogant assumption.