At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabaktanei?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34, New American Standard Bible).

The Gospels of Luke and John each record three sayings of Jesus from the cross; in each case, it is three different sayings. Matthew and Mark record only one: “Eloi, eloi, lema sabaktanei? My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” Matthew and Mark both recorded it in Aramaic or Hebrew, Jesus’ native languages, which were very similar, and translated it into Greek. Onlookers mocked Him; having misunderstood what He said—He was probably gasping to breathe while He spoke—they joked about whether the prophet Elijah would come to rescue Him.

Whatever the reason for the misunderstanding, one thing is clear: Jesus was quoting Scripture. The phrase comes from Psalms 22:1, a verse that should have been familiar to the Jewish people.

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan for 40 days. He countered Satan’s temptations by quoting Scripture (Deuteronomy, to be specific). At the end of His ministry, at the height of the agony of the cross, He quoted Scripture again. Whenever life became difficult, Jesus turned to the words that His Father had given to His people.

We should, likewise, treasure God’s Words in our hearts so that we can rely on them whenever temptation, hardship, pain, or suffering attack us. Do not wait until challenges come: store up God’s Word by reading it every day, so that you have spiritual ammunition stored up whenever temptation attacks.

What are some of your favorite Bible verses when temptation or trials come your way?

Copyright © 2023 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.