Easter According to Jesus - “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Which is more painful: the body broken or the spirit broken?

Context:

* His brothers did not believe him and had forsaken him - but His Father was still there.

* Nation had forsaken him and turned him over to the Gentiles - but His Father was still there.

* Judas Betrayed - but His Father was still there.

* Peter Denied - but His Father was still there.

* All had forsaken Him - but His Father was still there.

It’s now 12 Noon - Midday - Darkness fell upon the land. Some try and say it was a natural eclipse. Hardly! No eclipse lasts three hours.

This darkness was so thick, because the Light of the world was being snuffed out!

The darkness of sin…sin entered the Sinless. The Perfect Man was made a Sinner. God allowed no one to share in this sight, He turned out the lights.

A theologian once wrote: 

"If you could pierce that Darkness and gaze at the Saviour's face, I believe that what you would see would drive you stark raving mad."

After 3 hours of silent Darkness what no man saw was expressed in words as  Jesus shattered that silence with a scream:

Matthew 27:46 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?”

The Ultimate price: No longer Father - Abba - Daddy - Intimacy was broken - Fellowship was changed.

Theologically I can not figure this one out: Jesus never ceased being God. Yet there was a separation of some kind. Truth is Truth whether we can comprehend it or not.  

Some, in an attempt to explain everything, have really gone off. They teach Jesus died – went to hell and had to be born again! Tragic!

Jesus was resurrected – not regenerated! The body needs resurrection – our nature and spirit needed to be regenerated, NO Where in Scripture is it taught that Jesus needed to be regenerated. Only accountable sinners need that.

Jesus was the sacrifice – not accountable but charged with my sin and He paid the price. A unregenerated man can only pay for his own sin, not the sin of the world.

Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the                                                firstborn among many brethren;

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Colossians 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

First Born of the Ressurection – yes because Jesus’s body did die but he did not need to be regenerated. He became sin, yes as the sacrifice – but not because He was a sinner.

Now how do I get together the fact that Jesus and the Father were separated in some way, yet Jesus never ceased being God.

If I try and figure that one out, you will find me under the bed quoting the greek alphabet to myself and catching make believe butterflies.

What’s important is that I understand the Bible teaches that it happened.

What I can get, what I can try and understand is what  a tremendous sacrifice this was and what horrible anguish Christ went through for me - Heart can explode because of mental stress

Psalm 22:1 For the director of music. To the tune of "The Doe of the Morning." A psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

Psalm 22:6-8 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. [7] All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: [8] "He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."

Psalm 22:14-18 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.  15] My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. [16] Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me,  they have pierced my hands and my feet. [17] I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. [18] They divide my garments among them  and cast lots for my clothing.

Two realities hit me

(1) My sin cost Him that terrible price, so is that “little” sin really so little?

Next time we get ready to sin – perhaps we should  think – “MY GOD!”

Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

(2) Never think God has forsaken you. God will forsake no one. They will choose through unbelief to forsake Him. If you become part of the family of God, He will never forsake you.

Psalm 27:10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up.

Isaiah 49:15  “Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.

Easter has come and gone…but let’s spend some time pondering - The Sacrifice of Christ!