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Was Jesus Abandoned by the Father?

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”           Matthew 27:46

I have heard it said that when Jesus cried out these words “My God, My  God, why have you forsaken me,” He most certainly was just quoting the Psalms to fulfill scripture and Jesus never really felt that God the Father had deserted him. And if He did feel that way, it was just His human feeling. God could never desert Jesus. How could He? Jesus was God so how could God desert himself?

Yes, Jesus was and is God, but at that moment, I believe He was completely deserted by God the Father. Far more than we ever had during our most desperate moments. Let’s take a closer look at this subject.

When Jesus Christ was sentenced to death on the cross, He wasn’t guilty of any crime. He hadn’t broken any law in the eyes of the government or in the eyes of God. He did not deserve to die.

But what happened to Jesus that night was more than any of us has ever or will ever endure. I’m not just talking about what he went through physically, but that too is more than we will probably ever go through. He was stripped naked and whipped almost to the point of death. A sharp crown of thorns was pressed deep into the flesh of his head. He was humiliated and laughed at; all this before the real torture even started.

Think about it. He was sinless. He was pure, holy… completely clean. Then, every sin that had ever been committed, every wrong that had ever been done, was piled on Him. He allowed all our sins to be transferred to Him. He became sin.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

What could be worst than that?

But wait! There’s more!

He was forsaken by God the Father; abandoned, deserted, rejected. Martin Luther said of this saying, “God forsaken of God, Who can understand it?” How could this happen?

“The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23

God can’t look upon or be in the presence of sin.  Jesus, when He died on the cross, took the penalty of sin upon Himself. This penalty involves not only physical death but also spiritual… complete separation from God. Jesus took the penalty we should have had on Himself so we don’t have to.

But wait! There’s more!

I am now free from sin. Not free of sin, but free from sin: Big difference. Jesus took my sin. If Jesus took my sin I no longer have it! The power of that sin to keep me from God has been broken. Because He took my sin, I can freely go into the presence of God without fear or rejection. I will still sin, but that sin has no hold on me!

But wait! There’s more!

He didn’t stay dead. He rose from the grave! If the story had stopped at the grave, then it would just be a nice story. We have that power inside of us, so we can live for Him.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.                  Ephesians 1:18-21

 

There is no more… Jesus has given all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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