Forsaken

  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?”

Matthew 27:46 records this plaintive cry from Jesus on the cross. People often ask if God really forsook or turned His back on Jesus. If that is the case, then will God forsake me as well? That is a legitimate question.

As usual, the Bible answers this question. Turn to (or click on) Isaiah 59:2
...but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.

God has not turned, nor hidden His face. He has not stopped hearing. He never will. But our sins are responsible for the alienation and separation. Our sins are like a thick cloud or barrier that has “separated” and “hidden” His face. Our actions speak so loudly that He cannot or will not hear. Notice that our verse starts with an ellipsis. Look at the previous verse: (1)
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

The blockage, again, is not God’s. He is ready to save and waiting to hear. Sin is the barrier that separates us. Our sin. And at the point of our discussion today, Jesus was bearing the entirety of the sins of the world. It is no wonder that His cries seemed to be ignored. In fact, they were blocked by the burden of sin provided by you and me.

Isn’t that astounding and shocking? This is one more aspect of the crucifixion where our sins exacerbated the suffering that Jesus endured for us on the cross. He went through everything for us, including the illusion of being separated from God. His was only momentary “separated,” as the instant He died, that load was forever banished into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19)

But this momentary separation, for an infinite God, was an infinity. Jesus did, indeed, suffer everything that was due to sinning man, including eternal separation from God. Sinning you and sinning me. He bore the entire judgment and punishment for us. How can I help but love Him?

We will never have to say, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We will never be forsaken. He will never fail to hear us. It is finished–paid in full. Glory!