Forsaken for Our Sake

 4th of the Seven Last Words of Jesus on the cross

When I was still teaching in high school, the elementary department have this program where each grade level would perform, usually a dance number for grades 1-3. While students perform, they only face one of two directions - towards the teacher who taught them the steps or towards where their parents are seated.

For students who just want to perform because they want their parents to see them dance, and neither the father nor the mother is there to watch them, it's a disaster. Once they step on the stage, their eyes would look for their mom and dad. If they are not there, they just start crying.

It is sad to not be seen by the one person whose attention you desire. Jesus Christ experienced such while hanging on the cross. When He was up there, something strange happened.

⁴⁵From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). Matthew 27:46 NIV

On the hours when the sun was supposed to be at its peak, there was darkness. Bible scholars agree that it was the time when God the Father turned His back on His only begotten Son.

It was also a direct quote from Psalm 22:1 when David wrote of a time of great suffering and abandonment.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? Psalm 22:1 NIV

How can this be?

Jesus asking, "Why have You forsaken me?" to the God who said, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5).

In addition, David once declared this truth:

"I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." Psalm 37:25 NIV

The question remains. Why was Jesus forsaken?

2 Corinthians 5:21 explains a lot.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

He was forsaken for our sake.

It had to happen so that the righteousness that God required might be imputed unto us through Jesus Christ.

CONCLUSION:

Jesus Christ was forsaken that we might be accepted. What a Savior we have!