Forsaken, Yet Finished

N.T.#310 "Forsaken, Yet Finished"

May 22, 2024 

Matthew 27-Part 13

LET IT GLOW 

Have you ever felt forsaken by your friends and family? When we left our home and family to serve God and go to college, it was as if we were alone (except for Jesus). Our families could not understand why we would do such a thing, not realizing a calling of God required if for us. Oh, there were colleges in our area, but God wanted us to learn to live by faith and how faithful He is. We could not have experienced it fully had we compromised and gone to school here. It pleases God when we obey Him completely. How did Jesus obey His Father completely?

The crucifixion began at 9am. So Jesus hung on the cross until 3pm. It was dark from noon until 3pm, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all who lived that day and all around the world. Not an eclipse day which only last a few minutes. It would have been a quiet time. I think everyone would have been in shock and afraid of the new experience. Did commerce stop, travel stop, birds hush, dogs bark, people look up into the heavens in wonder?

My God, why have you forshaken Me? Jesus cried with a loud voice. (verse 46) 

Why did God The Father and Creator of everything forsake His Beloved Son? Because He bore our sins upon Him, the Sacrificial Lamb for us sinners who took our place for the wrath of God, judgment, and condemnation. 

Psalm 22 prophesied about the Messiah and His suffering experience. They Jewish leaders should have recognized Jesus' crucifixion and mockery was God's plan for redemption. It describes Jesus as:

• growing up as a young plant, like a root out of dry ground;
• not having an impressive form nor a majestic look, not attractive;
• despised and of no value;
• bore our sicknesses and carried our pains;
• being regarded as stricken and struck down by God and afflicted.
• But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.(verse 5)

Jesus had only known unbroken divine fellowship from all eternity. Now He experienced the horrible abandonment of His Father as God poured out His wrath on His Son as He bore the sins of the world. (Tony Evans)

The Messiah suffered for our sakes, bearing our sins to make us acceptable to God. What can we say to such love? How will we respond to Him? Have you asked His forgiveness?

LET IT GROW 

When the people heard Jesus cry out to His Father, they thought Jesus called for Elijah to come rescue Him. (verse 47) A person ran to get Jesus relief by trying to give Him a sponge filled with vinegar, on a reed, as a drink for relief of the pain after Jesus had said He thirst.. 

Sometime before this, Jesus gave His mother Mary to John to take care of her as John's mother. (John 19:26-27)

At the right time, Jesus said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost. (verse 30)

Jesus yielded His Spirit, His life in death as a result of His voluntary surrender of His life for the sake of His own. 

Dear one, death is real. Have you come to Jesus by faith, trusting Him as your Savior and King? Tomorrow we will discuss what happened after Jesus died.

LET IT GO

What mercy, grace, and love!

Help us let go of our sins and surrender to Your will, Father.