SEVEN STATEMENTS FROM THE CROSS
MATT. 27:46 / MARK 15:34
FACT OR FEELING?
In the newspaper business there is a standard formula that a writer will follow when telling a story. Whether it is an account of a bank robbery or a chronicle of little Johnny’s birthday bash, there are five questions that should be answered in the story.
***WHO-WHAT-WHEN-WHERE-AND WHY? ***
The readers want to know who little Johnny is, what happened to him, when it happened, where the event took place and why it occurred. The next time you read a newspaper article notice to see if the writer included all of these points in his piece of writing.
In most stories the first four questions are fairly easy to answer. It simply requires a little research. But the fifth question takes either a lot of honesty on the part of the character or a lot of speculation on the part of the writer.
The story of the crucifixion is much the same. Let’s look at it.
To Jesus the question regarding “who” would have to die was clear. Before the Garden of Eden was created, Jesus Christ knew He would have to die for the sins of mankind. Before there was a tree big enough to be a cross, Jesus knew He would have to hang on one and suffer for you and I. Before there were hills and mountains which contained iron ore to form spikes, Jesus knew He would feel the burning pain in His feet and hands. Before there were men and women for whose sins He would have to die, Jesus knew it was His life that would be the sacrifice. He was the “who”.
The “what” was also evident. Death was God’s judgment for sin. A spotless, sinless, innocent life must be offered for the atonement of sin. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that “...Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin”. God is, if anything, a Just God, a consistent God and His rules will not change. Death of The Lamb was imminent. Jesus’ death was the “what”.
The “when” had been foretold for many years. There were prophesies that had foretold of the events and happenings that were to take place. There were “hoops” to jump through and things that had to happen. In John 19:28 we are told that Jesus knew these point that had to be met. He knew the “I’s” that must be dotted and the “t’s” that had to be crossed. It says that “Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled”. Jesus knew the “when”.
The “where” was a common place. Calvary was not a special place that was chosen just for Jesus. They didn’t look over Jerusalem and find a unique spot for His crucifixion. Many men had died there. Many more would no doubt loose their life there following Jesus’ death. The place of the skull, Golgotha, Calvary was a common killing ground. It was ground that had soaked up the blood of many men. This place no doubt was well known to the Jews, the Romans and to Jesus.
Can you imagine how many times Jesus and His disciples had walked down this road leading into Jerusalem from the North? Don’t you think that many times they passed as crucifixions were being carried out? It was a common thing for criminals to be executed here. Can you imagine the thoughts that tortured His mind as He passed by this place? No doubt, Jesus certainly knew the “where” of Calvary.
But the “why”, the final question was the one that tortured Jesus the most. In our scripture Jesus cries out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”. You see He knew the answer to all the other questions but the “why” escaped Him at that moment.
Do you realize that Jesus was not the first to utter these words? In Psalms 22: 1 David was filling the role of a prophet when he wrote, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Look at all the direct references to the events of Jesus’ death on the cross in Psalms 22. Let’s read this portion of scripture together.
David could not have known about the cross. You see the cross had not been invented during David’s life time. David lived between the years of 1040-970 BC. The cross as a form of execution was invented by the Persians between 300 and 400 BC. David could not have even imagined what death on a cross was all about. But by God’s grace and wisdom he picked up his prophetic telescope and peered down through the 1100 years or so and saw Jesus hanging on the cross and wrote down the words that He would say and the things that He would experience.
"Why have you forsaken me"? Let’s look at the word forsaken a bit. In Hebrew, the language that David spoke, the word is “Azab”. It means to loosen, “cut loose”, relinquish or to leave destitute. In Greek, the language of the New Testament, the word is much longer and I can’t spell it or pronounce it. But its meaning is “to leave behind”.
The “why” was torturing Jesus more than the nails. He felt “cut loose” from the grace and fellowship of His Father. I’ve heard many explanations for this scripture as I’m sure you have. I have listen to teachers and preachers explain this scripture to mean that God could not stand to look upon sin, especially sin carried by His own Son. So God turned His back on Jesus as He hung there causing Jesus to feel “left alone”.
I’m not sure I can buy that.
I clearly remember when I walked away from God. I distinctly remember actually telling God, "Go away and leave me alone". I lost my wife, my family, my job, my church and it seems every thing else I had. But you know what? My father and mother never once turned their back on me. Isn't that amazing? I was wrong. I was hurting people. I was rebelling against God and every form of authority that I knew but my earthly Father and Mother refused to turn away from me.
If I accept the fact that a Holy and righteous God could not and would not look on Jesus as He “put on” our sins and carried them to the cross, if I believe that God turned His back on His own Son, then I must accept the fact that when I am in my sin, and you are in your sin, God will not look on us either. I will have to believe that my cries for help and the screams from my “cross” will, at least temporally go unheeded as well. I don’t know if I am theologically correct in my belief or not, but I just can’t believe that is true.
Thus far in our study, we have seen Jesus speak four times.
· Luke 23:34 -“Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. Were these the words of Jesus the Son of God or Jesus the man? I think clearly that this was The Son of God asking His Father for mercy for the sinners.
· Luke 23:43 – “Today you will be with me in paradise”. This was God’s Son making a “lovers promise” to a sinner saved by grace.
· John 19: 25-27 – “Mother behold they son. (Son)Behold they mother”. These are words from the man Jesus showing love and compassion for His Mother and His friend.
· John 19:28 – “I thirst”. Again we see Jesus in the physical, the man, thirsting for water.
His statements thus far have shown us that it is both the God and the man who hangs there not one or the other.
If you accept the fact that in our scripture tonight it is Jesus, the Son of God speaking then you have to accept that God actually turned away from Him, a sinful man (even though that man was taking on the sin of others). But if you embrace the thought that the man that uttered these words was Jesus the human, the physical, Galilean, then you can understand that He cried out because He “felt”, “cut loose”, and “left behind”.
I believe that this sentence, screamed from the parched lips of Jesus, forced from the burning lungs of that 33 year old man simply prove what the scripture says in Hebrews 4: 15. We are told that He was “…in all points tempted like as we are…” .
You’ve felt that haven’t you?
- As a Christian teen, others in your group were doing this or that, having fun, living wild and free and yet you choose not to do that, so you were left out and left behind.
- As a loving husband or wife whose spouse found “someone new” you felt “cut loose”.
- Perhaps as an older person your health, technology, events and even your family leave you because you can’t keep up and you feel desolate.
If you’ve felt it, if I’ve felt it, if we have had to go through it and JESUS DID NOT FEEL IT then the scripture we have just read IS NOT TRUE. Jesus had to feel that burning pain of alone-ness in order to be in all ways tempted like we are.
Jesus “felt” just like you and I have felt. But the question that stuck in my mind is; “Was it a fact that God actually turned His back on Him”?
As a human, as a Christian, there will be times when you will feel deserted. You will feel that “gut wrenching” left behind pain. But do you expect God to turn His back on you? NEVER!
Let’s look at the illustration Isaiah gave to the Hebrews in chapter 49. The Hebrews at that time felt like God had deserted them. In verse 14 it says “Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me” But Isaiah responds in verse 15, (NIV)"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! “
That would be hard to imagine, that a mother could forget her baby. Even in our day and time when we hear of mothers leaving their children on the church or hospital steps, it still seems awful to us. But Isaiah says, if that is possible, if that actually can happen, God tells us “I will not forget you”.
So here is my take on this statement. I understand as I write this that some, perhaps many will not agree with me. That's ok too. You can take it as warped theology or misguided redneck psudo-intellect but I think that the man Jesus was "feeling" forsaken that day. Among all the other "feelings" and temptations and torments that He faced, He had to face this feeling as well. Why? Because you and I would face it someday too.
Was it a fact that God had forsaken Him? In my humble opinion, I don't think so. I don't think my God will ever turn His face away from me. If God and I are separated, it is I who will walk away, not God. It is I who will turn my back, it is I who will drive a wedge between us, not God. God hates sin but since the beginning, the creation of man, God has unquestionably loved him. And that love is eternal. Will He punish sin. Absolutely. Will He allow us to make our own choices? Certainly. But I don't think He will ever turn His back on us. I don't think He will ever forsake us.
So here is my take on this statement. I understand as I write this that some, perhaps many will not agree with me. That's ok too. You can take it as warped theology or misguided redneck psudo-intellect but I think that the man Jesus was "feeling" forsaken that day. Among all the other "feelings" and temptations and torments that He faced, He had to face this feeling as well. Why? Because you and I would face it someday too.
Was it a fact that God had forsaken Him? In my humble opinion, I don't think so. I don't think my God will ever turn His face away from me. If God and I are separated, it is I who will walk away, not God. It is I who will turn my back, it is I who will drive a wedge between us, not God. God hates sin but since the beginning, the creation of man, God has unquestionably loved him. And that love is eternal. Will He punish sin. Absolutely. Will He allow us to make our own choices? Certainly. But I don't think He will ever turn His back on us. I don't think He will ever forsake us.
I know Jesus felt that He had been forsaken. I know that in the past, I have felt forsaken. I feel sure that you will someday feel forsaken as well. But I believe that is a feeling, not a fact.
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