My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me? (Pt. 1 of 2)
Once I stood in the night with my head bowed low,
in the darkness as black as could be;
and my heart felt alone, and I cried “Oh Lord,
don’t hide your face from me.”Like a king I may live in a palace so tall,
with great riches to call my own;
But I don’t know a thing in this whole wide world
that’s worse than being alone.“Hold my hand all the way, ev’ry hour, ev’ry day
from here to the great unknown;
Take my hand, let me stand where no one stands alone.”(Where No One Stands Alone, Mosie Lister, copyright 1955 by Lillenas Publishing Company)
The song above has provided many a faithful Christian with comfort and hope, realizing that God will not allow His children to stand alone. It is always possible that our dearest friends and family members, the loved ones who are so near and dear to our hearts may forsake us in the time of our greatest need (take Job, for example, or the apostle Paul— 2 Timothy 4:16). At times like these, when we feel that we are alone in this world, we always have the assurance that God is standing with us so long as we are standing with Him (Hebrews 13:5). Jehovah will not forsake His people (1 Samuel 12:22). Understand that this is not some adage which is true most of the time, but may not be true all of the time. God has promised His watch, care, and protection will be upon those who live for Him.
Have you ever stopped to think why God could, and would, guarantee never to forsake His children? Such a promise is contingent upon the death of Christ on the cross. Without the sacrifice of the sinless Savior, and, consequently, by virtue of our remaining in our sins, God would be forced to avert His eyes and close His ears (1 Peter 3:12) while we live out our existence on the earth, and, ultimately, we would be forever banished from His presence in the fires of hell (Revelation 21:8). We would have no hope of reconciliation with God—which reconciliation is necessary because of the estrangement caused by our own sins (Isaiah 59:1,2)— apart from the price paid for our sins by Calvary’s Lamb.
As Christ hung on Golgotha’s tree, suspended between heaven and earth, the piercing cry came from his parched lips, ―My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me‖ (Matthew 27:46)? This utterance fulfilled a prophecy made centuries before the coming of the Messiah (Psalm 22:1). However, Christ Jesus did not utter these words from the cross merely to fulfill prophecy. These words are a reflection of the humanity of our Lord and Savior. Here was the Lamb of God, without blemish and without spot (John 1:29), being condemned to die a horrible death of which he was undeserving (1 Peter 2:21-25). As the Christ prepared himself in the Garden of Gethsemane for the suffering to come, his closest companions unwittingly failed to lend their support and strength (Matthew 26:40-46). With the Suffering Servant facing the greatest trial of his brief life, his own disciples forsook him and fled (Matthew 26:56). When Jesus needed his disciples the most, he could not count on them. He faced the prospect of death upon the cross with no one on this earth to share his burden.
-Patrick Morrison
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