Immanuel's Orphaned Cry

 Immanuel's Orphaned Cry

14th October 2023

Stushie Art

It is recorded in the Bible, that when our Lord Jesus was hanging on the cross, He uttered seven statements:

 1.  “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

2.    “Verily I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

3.    “Woman, behold your son!. . . Behold your mother!” (John 19:26~27)

4.     “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt 27:46)

5.     “I thirst!” (John 19:28)

6.     “It is finished!” (John 19:30)

7.      “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

Two weeks ago, as I was pondering on these statements, I realised that in three of those statements that  were addressed to God, in the 1^st and last statement, Jesus referred to God as “Father”, but in the 4^th and middle statement Jesus referred to God as “God” instead of Father. 

Why was that so, have you ever wondered?

In the Bible, Jesus referred to God as Father about 170 times.  He even taught His disciples to address God as “our Father who art in heaven”, when praying.  Why would He suddenly address God as “God” and not as “Father”?  Why would He cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

I could think of a thousand reasons why God would forsake me, even though I know He has promised that He will never leave me or forsake me.  But why would a loving God forsake our Lord Jesus, the only good man who ever lived?

David said in Psalm 37:25, 

“….. never have I seen the righteous forsaken….”  

But yet our Lord Jesus was forsaken.

The Father declared during the baptism and transfiguration of our Lord Jesus, 

“In Him I am well pleased.”  

Yet God forsook our Lord Jesus when he hung on the cross.

There must be something else in this forsaking…

Psalm 22 is considered a messanic psalm as it describes in detail our Lord's suffering on the cross.

In Psalm 22:1, the psalmist cried out,

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

    Why are you so far from saving me,

    so far from my cries of anguish?"

The answer is given in Psalm 22:3,

"But you are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel"

 

You see, when Jesus was hanging upon the cross, the relationship that existed between Him and God was no longer simply between a son and a father.  It was now a judicial relationship between a man and a holy and righteous God.  Our Lord Jesus was dying as a judicial substitute under the judgement of a holy God.  He was dying as a substitute for others.  He was not dying for his own sin, but for others. God forsook Him not on account of anything in Himself, but on account of others.  Jesus died as a substitute and sacrifice for your sins and my sins.

 

When our Lord cried out, “Why?  Why have you forsaken me?”, he was not asking out of ignorance.  No, it was an announcement.  It was the human cry of intense suffering.  It was an agonizing cry of an innocent and holy life, as He alone bore the sins of the world upon himself.

 

The Bible tells us from 12 noon to 3 pm the sky went dark in divine displeasure as the light of God’s countenance was turned away. 

Here our Lord Jesus was forsaken of God but for no sin of his own. 

Here God would lay on him the iniquity of us all. 

Here he who knew no sin, would become sin. 

Here one dies, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. 

Here God gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

Hebrews 2:9 tells us, 

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”.  

He became a man to reveal God, yes, that is true, but most of all, He became a man to die on the cross as our Substitute.  He died as a man and He died for man.  He bore in His body on the cross all of God’s judgement against sin, so that those who believe in Him will never have to bear it.  

Thank you, Jesus!