Listening and hearing are two different things.  The bystanders heard the 'God' word but because it was considered blasphemous to say it (preferring to use 'The Name'), they assumed that Jesus was calling Elijah (a similarly sounding word – 'Eli' v 'Eloi').  They thought Jesus was calling for help from one of the Old Testament 'saints', although calling the dead is strictly forbidden (Deuteronomy 18:9-13).  One person thought He wanted the drugged wine.  Another cynically just wanted to leave Jesus alone.

There was no call for Elijah; just a heartfelt cry to God that echoed into the emptiness.  Jesus could have called for legions of angels to prevent His excruciating pain (Matthew 26:53), but He did not.  There was no wish for pain killers; just a determination to see it through to the end (Philippians 2:8).  There was to be no miraculous rescue from death.  The miracle would be resurrection through which death would be given a death sentence (2 Timothy 1:10).  That was the motivation for Jesus to endure the cross (Hebrews 12:2).     

Despite the beatings that brought Him to His knees, sapping His strength so that He could not carry the cross-piece up the hill (Luke 23:26), despite the agony of being nailed to the cross and the suffocation of hanging there - Jesus now had full strength for His last word.  Just a single word meaning – 'finished, accomplished, complete'.  Tax receipts of the time use the same word to mean, 'Paid in full'.  The task had been accomplished, all sin had been paid, there was nothing else to do.  So Jesus simply stopped breathing.

Some may read this account like objective bystanders. It means nothing to them apart from being a sad tale.  But for me, and I trust you who read, it is charged with deep emotion.  My Jesus went through all the suffering for me - so that I will not have to endure any of God's wrath.  That is the best news in the world, the news to bring peace to troubled hearts (Romans 5:1).  It is the core of our Gospel message of which true followers of Jesus are not ashamed (Romans 1:16). Hallelujah, what a Saviour!  Do tell somebody – His death is to give them life, if only they will repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15) … and they may only know the gospel if you tell them (Romans 10:14).