God-forsaken

The fourth word: "Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, Sabachthani? That is, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mt.27:46) Oswald Sanders records that Martin Luther "once set himself to a study of this profound saying of Jesus. For a long time he continued without food, in deepest meditation and in one position on his chair. When at length he rose from his thoughts, he was heard to exclaim with amazement, 'God forsaken of God! Who can understand that?'"

Indeed, we can never begin to comprehend this mystery, nor the infinite pain that it engendered in the heart of Jesus. He had never for one moment of time and eternity been separated in fellowship from His Father. No sin, no misunderstanding, no differing priorities, no busyness or distraction--absolutely nothing in all of eternity had ever separated the intimacy of the Son and the Father.

Until now. Until Jesus bore the unfathomable weight of the sin of all of humanity for all time, past, present, and future. Who could begin to imagine such a burden...and a burden on One who had never ever known sin in any way whatsoever? A perfect holy God can have no fellowship with sin, and thus, the Father must turn His face from the horrific sin born by Jesus' battered body on the cross. Such perfect holiness must turn away from sinfulness.

And knowing all this, knowing the unimaginable price He must pay, Jesus willingly drank the full cup of God's wrath toward sin in order to secure our salvation. Sanders put it this way: "He was being forsaken that we might be forgiven." He goes on to relate the following: "While the gospel story was being told to a South African tribe, the chief listened with intense interest. He called for a repetition of the story of the cross. While the speaker was again preaching the cross, the chief rushed forward crying, 'Hold on! Hold on! Take Jesus down from the cross--I belong on that cross.'"

Amen and amen. I deserved to be on that cross, forsaken by the God whom I have so often sinned against. And yet, as the old hymn declares, "Jesus, paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin hath left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow." He was forsaken of God that I need never know what it is to be forsaken and alone and desperate. He drank the full cup of God's wrath that I might drink the living water of forgiveness and eternal life.

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani! What words are these!

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani! Grief's mysteries.

O Christ, forsaken in Thy time of need,

Thy deepest hour of agony we plead.

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani! Deep-echoed woe.

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani! O, who can know,

Or who the depth of anguish can divine,

That broken heart, that thrilling cry of Thine!

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani! O bleeding Lamb,

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani! Redeemed I am;

Thy wounded soul from light and joy shut in,

Is bearing there the bitter curse of sin.

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani! My soul is free.

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani! Love's victory.

Forsaken Thou, that I might never cry

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani.

Albert Midlane