At this time of year, you often hear talks on the seven last words of Jesus on the Cross.
Final words are important. They are usually not wasted words.
Jesus’ words are no exception.
Seven short statements. Short due to painful asphyxia during crucifixion after 40 hours of torture and 3 hours of pain nailed to a tree.
Seven statements that highlight forgiveness, salvation, relationship, abandonment, distress, triumph and reunion.
We will look at one of those statements today in the midst of the other six.
Psalm 22, a familiar portion of scripture to the Jews of His day, is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 27:46 when He says,
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?”
In Aramaic, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani.”
This is a moment where the man Christ Jesus is using scripture to express the cry of His heart to God.
Psalms 22-24 form the Messianic Trilogy that every Jew knew by heart. Jesus was fulfilling them right before their eyes.
There are two other defining statements leading up to His cry.
1) Lk 23:34 “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
Forgive those who have tried Him, an innocent man. Convicted Him unjustly. Beat Him, placed a crown of thorns on His head, scourged Him, mocked Him, tortured Him, and then led Him out to be nailed to the Cross.
Forgive His disciples who have both denied and deserted Him?
Forgive the fickle crowd who praised Him one day and called for His crucifixion the next?
Forgive those whose decision to free Barabbas, a convicted criminal over Jesus, an innocent man?
Forgive the injustices He experienced in His life as God’s Son and Savior.
You may have experienced some yourself. How did you respond?
The gospel is not fair - but it is free to those who accept it!
His message was and is always about forgiveness no matter the circumstance.
Even as He is dying, He forgives one of the criminals being crucified beside Him.
Lk 23:43 “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
Remember me - is a cry of repentance.
Jesus forgives and demonstrates the generosity of the gospel to a man simply being asked to be remembered.
The gospel is not fair - it is free to those who accept it!
Psalm 22:1-2
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”
At the ninth hour, Jesus cries out with these words of feeling abandoned/rejected.
This is the time usually associated with Passover Lambs being slain at 3pm in time for the evening sacrifice. Hint.
The pain-filled heart of the man Jesus is feeling deserted by all those who love Him.
His Father’s presence is absent.
Our hearts often say “Why is He indifferent to My cry? Does He not care?”
The Holy Spirit’s presence is absent. Where is the Comforter?
The disciples and apostles He had served were absent.
Even His loved ones were ‘looking from afar’ shows the separation He is feeling.
When Jason was little, we were shopping at Leon’s when one of the salesmen, without our knowledge, offered him a balloon. Off he went following the man. For a moment he was ‘lost’ to us.
What if he had cried out, “Why have you forsaken me?”
Everyone who heard him would think we were negligent parents. We’d get the look, the sneers.
Was he ‘forsaken’ by us?
No!
Often we struggle understanding the differences between being alone and being lonely.
Jesus was not forsaken as we understand being forsaken today. He was alone for an eternal purpose.
There is a difference...
Between feeling lonely to actually being alone.
It is not about marital status, friends in your life, or crowds you move in. You can have all that and still be lonely.
Family and friends can help when we feel lonely but not when it comes to being alone.
We will also have challenges that we will have to face alone.
I am going to the Cancer Clinic on April 6th and for surgery on April 15th.
Joyce will only be allowed to go so far...then I am alone to go through it.
Will I feel lonely at some point during the recovery period - sure, will I be alone through all this - no.
It is my decision. I can decline but I know the consequences if I do.
So too in life. When you hear who Jesus is, what He has done and why, to reject Him and His message has consequences.
Yet the decision is yours alone. No excuses.
No one can make you the person that you don’t wish to be - that is something you alone must decide.
Jesus chose to live the full human experience from birth to death.
As He faced the reality of the Cross, He finds comfort in the familiar words of Psalm 22.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
It is Israel’s cry and the cry of all innocent people who suffer rejection from those who despise them but especially from those who they thought loved them.
This is Jesus’ most alone moment.
More than the scourging or crucifixion. Now He is all alone in the epic battle for the souls of men and women against the wages of sin and the source of all evil.
While being betrayed by Judas, the Chief Priests, Officers of the Temple and Elders, Jesus admits that the power of darkness will triumph for a moment “This is your hour.” Lk 22:53
The Father’s absence as Jesus bears the burden of sin for all humanity is too much to bear. This is what it feels to be forsaken by God.
The sweetness of their intimacy as Father and Son has become bitter indeed.
Yet, it is in the darkest day of Jesus’ life that the light of the gospel shines brightest for all humanity.
Psalm 22:24-26
For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever!
The Main Event - Max Lucado
History has only one main event,
Mankind’s timeline is dotted with important moments,
The first spark from the first flint,
the rolling of the first wheel, the treating of the first wound, who dares minimize these events?
But who dares compare them with the cross?
History has only one main event!
Scripture has only one main event!
Others matter, but only one is essential.
The story of Jericho might stir you,
but falling walls can’t redeem you.
Moses will give you direction for the wilderness,
but no solution for your sin.
Davids’ defeat of Goliath might reduce your timidity,
But only the cross prepares you for eternity,
Scripture has only one main event.
Even in the life of Jesus, there is only one main event,
For if there is no cross of Christ,
then there is no truth to Christ,
And when it comes to your life, the same is true,
To remove the cross, is to remove the hinge pin
from the door of hope, the door of your hope,
for if there is no cross, then there is no sacrifice for sin.
If there is no sacrifice for sin,
how will you face a sinless God?
Will you cleanse your own sin?
And if there is no cross of Christ,
then there is no resurrection of Christ.
And if there is no resurrection, how will you live again?
Will you push back your own grave?
Forgiveness of sin, deliverance from death,
These are the claims of the cross,
Let there be no mistake,
The cross is not an event in history,
it is THE event of history!
Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have your forsaken me?” so that we would never have to be forsaken.(Hebrews 13:5; Romans 8:31-39)
Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
In Jesus, we will still experience loneliness.
However, in Jesus, and because of Jesus, no matter who or what is going on in your life - you are never alone.
He is our present help in times of trouble.
Ps. 22 comforted Him in the midst of His suffering and pain. Where will you go in your day of trouble?
According to scripture there are two very important ‘alone’ moments each of us will need to face.
First, what you alone will decide about the person and the message of Jesus Christ.
His genetic perfection - God’s choice via His virgin birth.
His sinless life - Complete obedience to God.
His perfect sacrifice - The Lamb of God.
His righteousness - Paid for the sin of all humanity.
His salvation - Given to those who believe in Him.
Second, what you will face all alone as you meet Him after death has claimed you.
Believers are often overheard praying “Thy will be done” when facing challenges. They want His will in their life.
God will say the same thing to you if you choose your will over His.
We say to God, “Thy will be done” or He will say to us “Thy will be done.” C S Lewis
I cannot fathom the aloneness of being forsaken by God. If Jesus felt the horrors of separation, imagine what those who forsake Him will experience eternally?
Hebrews 12:2 “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
