Palm Sunday Bulletin Insert: "God-Forsaken" (Sunday, March 28th, AD 2021)

 

GOD-FORSAKEN

TEXT: Matt. 27:27-46; Ps. 22:1-3.

(Pastor Terry L. Reese; Valley GBC, Armagh, PA; Palm Sunday 3/28/21)

 

Intro. The 4^th of Seven Words from the Cross: a word of Anguish.

Matt. 27:46: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

 

A. The occasion of these words: a Great Darkness (Matt. 27:45).

1. The Chronology of Calvary (the Synoptics reckon time in the Jewish manner; John employs a Roman system.

a. “the (Roman) 6th hour” = 6 AM: Jesus condemned by Pilate (Jn19:14).

b. “the (Jewish) 3^rd hour” = 9 AM: The crucifixion begins (Mark 15:25).

c. “the (Jewish) sixth hour” = Noon: The Darkness begins (Matt. 27:45).

d. “the (Jewish) ninth hour” = 3:00 PM Jesus dies (Matt. 27:50).

 

Thus, Jesus’ trial ended about 6 AM. The crucifixion began about three hours later, lasting for about six hours.

 

2. For three hours (9 AM-Noon), He hung publicly on the Tree (Rom. 3:25) in daylight. All could see it was Jesus on the cross (not a fraud); His physical suffering are emphasized.

 

3. And then at Noon, a change… the Sun no longer shone!

A supernatural event; not a solar eclipse (Passover; full moon).

 

4. Darkness: emblematic of Divine Judgment & Doom (Ex10:21-23; Amos 5:18, 20, 8:9; Joel 2:1-2, 31; Matt. 24:29, 25:30; Rev 8:12, 16:10).

 

Judgment would eventually envelop the entire Hebrew nation (Zech.13:8; Jer. 30:7; Luke 23:28-31)—but ultimately, this Darkness speaks as to judgment falling upon Jesus for our sins.

 

B. Utter God-forsakenness (Matt. 27:46); Penal Substitution.

Jesus quotes Ps. 22:1; God’s holiness requires that the Savior be utterly forsaken, if men are to be saved (Ps. 22:3)

 

A break in fellowship with the Father—the most profound of all Love-relationships (Jn17:24)! Jesus’ spiritual anguish emphasized.

 

The Father pours out His full judicial wrath—the judicial equivalent of Hell—upon the substitutionary Sin-bearer (Isa. 53).

 

God-forsakenness: to be deprived of all good & perfect gifts that come from above, from the Father of lights (James 1:17).

Jesus was stripped of all good—of all graces—of all physical well-being & material benefits, comforts, emotional well-being & joy, psychological well-being, companionship, etc.

C. WHY did He endure this?

1. He was forsaken so that we never shall be!

Heb. 13:5: "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU"

 

2. He was separated from the love of God so that we never will be!

Rom 8:38-39: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

3. He experienced condemnation so that we never shall be!

Rom 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.