Jesus Asks Our “Why?” - Mark 15:34

It is hard to know when the promises of blessing to Israel in Deuteronomy were fulfilled and completed, but Solomon seems to date it at the moment when he dedicated the newly built temple [1 Kings 8:56]. After those promises are fulfilled wisdom comes to the fore in the sayings and collections of proverbs from the court of King Solomon. Not only did Solomon collect wise sayings, but he also made observations on the natural world, on human hehaviour and on principles for godly living. People were attracted to Israel because of the wisdom held there and in particular that of the king of Israel, indeed Solomon became world famous. The time had come for the blessings to flow out to the nations from Israel as epitomised by the arrival of the Queen of Sheba to listen to the wisdom of Solomon [1 Kings 10].

But it is not an accident that the books of Job and Ecclesiastes are so close to the Book of Proverbs. They become an antidote to the sayings of Solomon being abused by thoughtless readers – such as the lazy application of the wisdom literature by health and wealth preachers - as though we can manipulate God to ‘get stuff’. We can easily use the Book of Proverbs as a sort of ‘promise box’ for the day. I sometimes read a chapter of Proverbs every day for a month, with its encouragements and warnings in sayings that even a Buddhist might occasionally recognise. Honour your parents and you will be blessed. Look after the poor and God will look after you. Be honest in business dealings and your business will prosper. That of course is not the sum total of the Book of Proverbs because its key verse is that of Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Without the Lord the promises are valueless that’s the bit a Buddhist wouldn’t get.

But Ecclesiastes has its place in God’s plan of salvation. The book seems to be set in the reign of Solomon to make us ask the right questions and make us think. The promises of God had been kept. The temple had been built, Solomon was on his throne, Israel was at peace … yet … yet there must be more to life than this? Vanity of vanities all is vanity.

The Book of Ecclesiastes looks out over the world and effectively asks, “What is the meaning of life?” I’ve done this …” “I’ve done that …” yet all is meaningless. Is that it? “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Even if the average Israelite under his vine wasn’t asking that, the wise man should almost by definition should be asking that. After life’s achievements it always ends in death, they cannot be taken with us. What’s the point of doing something well when someone else is going to get it all when one dies? And for some those life ambitions never quite work out as planned.

The author of Ecclesiastes was using the achievements of Solomon to show that there must be something more. Ecclesiastes asks questions of the wisdom of Solomon.

And Job deals with evil – or tries to. One of my favourite little books is by Campbell Morgan of Westminster Chapel, “Jesus Answers Job”. Campbell Morgan shows how the person and works of Jesus answer the important questions Job asks when confronted with seeming pointlessness of living a righteous life. There are many ‘Why's?’ on the lips of Job. All of them are unanswered.

Jesus is the singing Christ (We know Jesus sang psalms in company of the people of God. He sang a hymn at Mount of Olives. The Great Hillel. Jesus would have sung Ps 22 in the synagogues.

Psalm 22:22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

This really was Jesus’ speaking through the whole psalm, his own psalm, he was not borrowing a line from David. Jesus was bringing his own words and psalm to realisation.

The most famous line is of course the first line: “My God my God why have you forsaken me.” Jesus cries out from the depths of Old Testament in advance – foreseeing his own anguish a thousand years later.

But David lived life and felt forsaken about something, as he penned that psalm humanly speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. David had as much reason as the next man to ask God, “Why have you forsaken me?” Confronted with reality of evil. He cries out, Why should this be permitted to happen. Nothing happened to us that are undeserved. N.B. The Tower of Siloam [Luke 13:4], Jesus didn’t speak of innocent victims but used it as an opportunity to warn us to repent and get right with God. We deserve judgement not blessing.

Jesus came to give his life a ransom for many. On the cross was nailed with Jesus all our sins and grief. God forsakes the only one who did not deserve to suffer. Jesus Christ on the cross cries out, “Why?” Jesus cannot but cry out, “Why?”

Jesus asks all our whys on the cross so we no longer need to ask “Why?”