Tuesday Thought -- February 12, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ - which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’  When some of those standing near heard this, they said, ‘Listen, he’s calling Elijah.’  One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.  ‘Now leave him alone.  Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,’ he said.  With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.  The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:33-39)

That God the Father forsook Jesus must have been one of the most difficult aspects of the cross.  Jesus had been with the Father from before the beginning of the beginning – into eternity past.  Jesus will be with the Father beyond the end of the end – into eternity future.  But here, on the cross, is the one time that the Father forsook Jesus.  Here is the one time their relationship was broken.  It was broken because Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us on the cross. (2 Corinthians 5:21)  God, who knows only righteousness, turned away from Jesus as He carried our sin.

That had to heart-breaking for Jesus – and heart-breaking for the Father, too.

Remember, however, that it was planned.  They both knew the full extent of the cost of the cross and still they willingly went forward to pay that cost.  David, in Psalm 22, writes prophetically about the cross.  David mentions that He would be scorned by men, despised by the people, and mocked by those who saw Him.  That Psalm mentions Jesus’ bones being out of joint and His heart melting like wax.  It mentions that His garments would be divided and they would cast lots for His clothing.  And David begins that Psalm by mentioning the words that Jesus would speak from the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1)  David mentioned all of that – things which Jesus and His disciples could not have orchestrated – to demonstrate that God knew what was going to happen, down to the details of it.  He knew how painful it would be, how heart-breaking – and still, He went through with it.

There’s only one reason God the Father would be willing to forsake His only Son – because He knew what was being accomplished through Jesus’ death and He was willing to pay any cost – no matter how high – to accomplish it.  He did it for you and me.

There’s only one reason Jesus was willing to be forsaken by His Father – because He knew what He would accomplish through the cross and He willingly paid the high price that was required.  He did it for you and me.

His, by Grace,

Steve