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Forsaken of God The Suffering Savior, Part 6 When Jesus was born the angel of the Lord lit up the sky and said, Fear not, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Here we see in His death the darkness of desertion descends upon the Mount Calvary. There are seven statements that Jesus made from the cross. The order of these statements is: 1. Father Forgive them, for they know not what they do, Luke 23:34 2. Today Thou shalt be with me in paradise, Luke 23:43 3. Woman, behold thy Son, behold thy mother, John 19:26 4. My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matt.27:45,46 (Mark 15:33-36) 5. I thirst, John 19:28 6. It is finished, John 19:30 7. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit, Luke 23:46 * Observations, The first, middle and last sayings are prayers. The first and last prayers he uses the personal name of FATHER. The middle statement he says MY GOD, MY GOD. Three sayings are before the darkness, and three are clearly after the darkness. One statement is associated with the darkness, the middle statement. Luke and John each record three sayings of out Lord. The only statement that is recorded in more than one Gospel is the middle one, the most amazing statement, the most mysterious statement. The cry from out of the darkness. What a cry as the fountain of unbroken fellowship is severed and the weight of sin falls upon Jesus! What darkness He endures, and what a cry he makes. 1. The Darkness of Desertion What a darkness this is! Jesus Christ, the LIGHT of the WORLD, takes on the darkness that speaks of the judgment and wrath of God. Deserted of His Father, this was the darkness of desertion. The darkness does not obscure the truth that it was JESUS who really and truly did die. A. It was a PAINFUL DARKNESS. Darkness in the Scripture relates to judgment. In Exodus 10:21-23, “There was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt. Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:” It was a darkness that could be felt. Darkness can be a very frightening experience, especially when you are alone. The pain of this darkness along with the physical torment He is enduring is a weight beyond anything we have ever experienced. There is another darkness that can be felt: the darkness of hell and eternal damnation. Jesus was bearing the condemnation for our sins on the cross. 2 Peter 2:4 tells us of angels that are “delivered into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” Jesus Himself spoke of a place where those who are lost in sin will find themselves: Matthew 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Jude 13 tells us that those who are lost are like “wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.” Hell is a place of outer darkness. Men who loved darkness rather than light will have plenty of time to spend there. Jesus is hanging in the darkness, bearing the sins of the world. He is in the darkness and in the shadow of death, bearing the sins of those who have rebelled against the words of God and have condemned. B. It was a SUPERNATURAL DARKNESS, not a natural eclipse. The Passover was in the middle of the month and the month always began with the new moon, so that the moon was now full, so the sun and moon were far away from each other. In other words, it was not a natural eclipse. This was a supernatural sign, just as there will be signs in the sun and moon when Jesus returns. This was a miraculous darkness, an unexplainable darkness, a midday darkness. C. It was a SILENT DARKNESS. Where are the mockers in the midst of the darkness? All is silent, and the three hours pass without even a word, it seems. The dense darkness shut the mouth of those lions who roared at the Lion of the tribe of Judah. D. It was a WIDESPREAD DARKNESS. Matthew tells us the darkness was over all the land and Luke over the face of the earth. This darkness covered the face of the whole earth, and I personally believe that it was. I can see mothers all around Jerusalem and beyond light their candles in the middle of the afternoon so they can see what they are doing. If you are not born of God, you have this very darkness in your soul. Prov.4:19, The way of the wicked is as darkness… Luke 11:34, The light of the body is the eye; therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. How many have darkness throughout their soul this morning! If you eye is evil, that is, if you eye wicked things, if the direction of your life is searching for sinful treasures, your eye is evil, and your soul is full of darkness. Ephesians 5:8, For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Ephesians 5:11 The unfruitful works of darkness… Ephesians 6:12, Satan himself is the leader of the rulers of the darkness of this world… The Lord alone can be your light if you are in the darkness. He died to take the darkness out of your heart! Micah 7:8, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. Are you in darkness today? The Lord suffered the desertion of this divine darkness that you might have the LIGHT of LIFE. Cast off the works of darkness, and trust Jesus who has power to call you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)! He has power to deliver you from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear son! (Colossians 1:13) He who was born amid the splendor of a sky ablaze with light has born the darkness of death, the darkness of wrath and the darkness of sin. Who here today “walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” (Isaiah 50:10) Are you sitting in the darkness? Are you walking in the darkness? Are you engaged in the works of darkness? Have you put light for darkness (Is.5:20)? Jesus has come for those in the prison house of darkness to deliver you! 2. The Cry of Desertion! A. What a STRONG cry! The word, “Cried” is anaboao. It is an intensive word for cry. Jesus cried with a loud voice…With a MEGA voice. His voice was great even at the point of death. Oh, what strength there is even in His weakness! B. What a LONELY cry this is! The death of Jesus was a SUBSTITUTIONARY SACRIFICIAL Death, and He died alone for the sins of the world. C. What a MYSTERIOUS cry! John MacArthur wrote in his commentary, ”It is the only time of which we have record that Jesus did not address God as Father. Because the Son had taken sin upon Himself, the Father turned His back. That mystery is so great and imponderable that it is not surprising that Martin Luther is said to have gone into seclusion for a long time trying to understand it and came away as confused as when he began. Spurgeon said Luther said, ‘God forsaking God! No man can understand that!’ and so he went his way.” In some way and by some means, in the secrets of divine sovereignty and omnipotence, the God-Man was separated from God for a brief time at Calvary, as the furious wrath of the Father was poured out on the sinless Son, who in matchless grace became sin for those who believe in Him. D. What a HUMAN cry! Jesus addresses His Father as His God, and so He was, for Jesus was a man. Jesus was fully God and fully man, and both natures are blended together in perfection so that He as man could bear our sin but as God he could please the Father. E. What a LOVING cry! MY God, MY God. Twice He calls out to His God. Even though the darkness is thick, Jesus still cries out to His God. Not once, but twice he cries. What a DOUBLE GRIP of mighty Love! What a double grip of endurance, as He despises the shame. This is a cry of love, for Jesus is bearing the absolute JUSTICE and WRATH of God. F. What a PERSONAL cry! Why hast thou forsaken ME? Jesus Himself was really and truly forsaken of His Father. The STREAM of fellowship is broken as the eternal pre-incarnate Logos, the eternal Son of God who enjoyed perfect fellowship with His Father from all eternity. He was the wonder of worship of all the angelic hosts, but now he is forsaken of His Father. For the first time in all of history He is experiencing the anguish of separation from His Father of lights. No wonder it is a very thick darkness upon the land. In His humanity, None has ever walked with God as Jesus walked. None has every prayed to God as Jesus prayed. None has ever pleased God as Jesus has pleased His Father. Jesus has lost the sense of God’s love and favor for Him. He is all alone in the darkness. Consider that the greatest grief throughout the suffering of Jesus was not the disciples sleeping on him while he prayed in GETHSEMANE. Nor was it the beating he received at the hands of the Sanhedrin. Nor was it the mocking and scourging he received at GABBATHA, the place of Pilate’s judgment. It was not the carrying of the cross, the nailing of his hands into the cross, or even the taunting of others. It was not the denial of Peter or the treachery of Judas that was the greatest grief to his soul. The greatest grief to the heart of Jesus was the forsakenness of fellowship with His Father. The DARKNESS of DESERTION was his greatest grief G. What a sorrowful cry! His heart is broken as He is abandoned by His Father whom He loves and always pleased. H. What a clear cry! The last cry of Jesus is a different word, “krazo.” That speaks more of an inarticulate cry from pain. This is a clear, yet strong cry. Anaboao is the intensive word for cry out. It is the same word used for those who cried out “crucify Him” (Mark 15:8). It demonstrates that great strength of our Savior even at the moment of separation and death. I. What a Scriptural cry! Jesus quotes from Psalm 22:1. Psalm 22 portrays in great detail His death on the cross. Even in the midst of His agony, His mind is so very clear and alert that he can quote a verse from Tenach that relates to His suffering. Jesus was not asking something He did not know. He was quoting the Scripture which He did know. Jesus was not doubting God at this point. I have had a Muslim and a liberal Presbyterian pastor in the church where I was raised tell me that this cry showed the weakness of Jesus! Can you imagine this blabbering, prattling, jabbering drivel? Jesus knew that he was going to die, and he knew why He did die. Here is the weight of sin fallen upon Jesus! J. What a Misunderstood cry! ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABBACHTHANI? A cry in Aramaic. Jesus does not say, why hast thou forsaken MAN, but ME. He does not say, MY FATHER, MY FATHER, but MY GOD, MY God. What a holy cry this is! This is the holy of holies of Jesus’ suffering. This is the very supreme moment of Jesus’ death, where he is suffering for us separation from God. Some of the soldiers misunderstood his cry and though perhaps he was calling out for Elijah to come. His clear word is so misunderstood! The soldiers misunderstood His cry and misunderstood His death, and they missed Him. Why this cry of WHY from out of the darkness? That He might bear the penalty of our sin. He CRIED WHY hast thou FORSAKEN me that we might CLAIM we are the ACCEPTED in the beloved, I am saved by His grace, I am redeemed by His blood. HE cried WHY so that we may know that we may know that he will “never leave us nor forsake us,” Heb.13:5 He cried WHY so that at the moment of our death we can cry I KNOW whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able, to keep that which I have committed, unto Him against that day. He cried WHY in the darkness of desertion that we might walk in the light and enjoy the light of eternal glory. HE cried WHY and became sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. HE cried Why… in order to bring us to God. Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God, 1 Peter 3:18 He cried WHY in order to TASTE death for every man. He cried WHY that we might LEARN to abhor and hate sin, for look what my sin did to our Savior. What if you had a dear friend who was killed by being stabbed by a knife. Would you treasure the knife or would you become friends with the murderer? My sins led Christ to die and be abandoned by God. Jesus asked WHY, let me ask WHAT. WHAT will you do with Jesus? Will you believe in Him and repent of your sin? Will you LEAN on Jesus and trust Him as Savior? Beloved, the darkness is past and the true light now shineth. Believe on Christ today so that you can walk in His light! |