Notes of Faith March 28, 2024
During His intense struggle on the Cross, our Lord spoke seven times as He hung suspended between heaven and earth. The strangest of these cries was,
My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? — Matthew 27:46
He knew well what it was to be forsaken. In Galilee, He was forsaken by His family. They distanced themselves from Him, and we read that He had no honor “in His own house” (Matthew 13:57). In Gethsemane, He was forsaken by His friends when they ran away after He was taken by the mob (Mark 14:50). And at the end of the journey, at Golgotha, while bearing our sins, He was forsaken for a time by His Father so that we might never be forsaken.
Perhaps there is no more haunting word in our entire English language than the word forsaken. Many today know this reality. There are those who one day stood at a wedding altar, hearing the love of their life promise to “never leave or forsake” them. But they lied and left the gnawing pain of being forsaken. Countless children, abandoned by their fathers and/or mothers, also know the meaning of this cruel word.
Don’t give up. Reach up.
Jesus truly knew its meaning. But He didn’t give up. He reached up! This is a help and a hope for any of us who have been forsaken. He understands.
Don’t give up. Reach up.
So many times, when difficulties or heartbreak come knocking on our doors, we look at the swirling circumstances around us, or worse, focus all our attention on them. But look up. Be reminded that Jesus sees even the smallest sparrow that falls to the ground — and He cares so much more for you.
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me. — Psalm 27:10
Lord, I am so grateful that there is no fear of You ever forsaking me. I stand on Your promise that You will never leave or forsake me… never. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Excerpted from The Passion Code by O. S. Hawkins, copyright Dr. O. S. Hawkins.
Hab 1:13
13 Your eyes are too pure to look on (sin);
The forsaking of Jesus by the Father is something too difficult for my finite mind to understand. But a holy God and the unholiness of sin caused that separation when Jesus became sin (took upon Himself all sin of all mankind from Adam to the last of man) on the cross. This was the greatest suffering that Jesus experienced on earth. Yet He endured this suffering knowing the glory that was coming, not just in His resurrection, but in those that would believe in Him, His work of saving grace on the cross, and the redeeming of the remnant that would believe in Him!
Jesus has promised us that He will never leave us nor forsake us!
Pastor Dale