Word for the Day March 21 Good Friday
By:
Evang. Cascille Hammack
"From the sixth hour until
the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi,
lama sabachthani?- which means, 'My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?" Matthew 27:45,46
These words spoken by Christ in Aramaic translated, "Why have You forsaken Me?" were spoken by Him in the
final stage of His suffering for lost sinners. Here His sorrow, grief and pain were at the worst, for it was not just
the physical pain He endured so our sins could be forgiven, but the pain of separation from God. He dies forsaken, that
we might never be forsaken. In uttering Psalm 22:1 Jesus claims Psalm 22 a description of Himself. The depth
of the pain of feeling separated from God is without descriptive words. When the Lord's protective presence was
withdrawn Jesus cried out. (See Is. 53:10-12, 2 Cor. 5:21; Mt. 27:46) This is the depth of God's love for us.
How could anyone turn their backs on Him? He did this for us before we knew or loved Him.
He
was pierced for our transgressions (I. 53:5), He gave Himself as a ransom for many (Mt. 20:28, 1 Ti. 2:6), He was made to
be sin for us, He who had no sin (2 Cor. 5:21) and He died forsaken that we would never be forsaken (Ps. 22).
Hebrews 2:2,3 warns, "For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received
just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced
by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him." And Hebrews 6:4-7 goes even further to warn against turning
away from Jesus. Hebrews 6:4-7 says, "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted
the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of God and the powers of the coming age,
if they fall away to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over
again and subjecting Him to public disgrace." Crucifying Him all over again is a thought that should strike deep
into the heart of every believer to never fall away. He paid too great of a price for you. He paid the price for
your sin completely. He delivers no one from sin in parts. No it is not a process as some who wish to follow man's
philosophy rather than His Spirit believe. He paid the penalty for all sin completely with His own life
and body and in full that you may obtain full deliverance from sin and be given the free gift of true freedom and the
only true life that is found in Him.
