A Forsaken Savior

Introduction

William Bernbach once said that, “In communications, familiarity breeds apathy.” This statement rings true for more than communications.

Many in America today are at least somewhat familiar with the story of Jesus crucifixion. And, you’d be hard pressed to find many people in the church today who were unfamiliar with what Jesus endured in His arrest and crucifixion.

Yet, as Bernbach pointed out, this familiarity can breed apathy. “We know that story; we hear it every year around this time; yeah, it was terrible, but He didn’t stay dead, right?”

The danger comes when we forget that this is not only the most unjust event in human history, but Jesus endured it all in order to save people who would likely become so focused on their own stuff that they would become apathetic to it eventually. Unworthy of the price that was paid, yet amazingly forgetful of the enormity of the sacrifice made for the salvation of our souls.

One way we can avoid becoming apathetic to the story of Jesus death is by considering what our salvation cost. Throughout this series we’ve look at that through the message titles. We saw that Jesus is:

An Abandoned Savior;

A Submitted Savior;

A Betrayed Savior;

A Condemned Savior;

A Rejected Savior.

This morning we will see that Jesus was also a Forsaken Savior.

Forsaken in a strong term that means to leave entirely; desert; to give up or to renounce.

Jesus wasn’t only forsaken by most of His disciples, but he was also forsaken by His people, and the Jewish religious establishment.

But, worst of all, Jesus was even forsaken by God the Father.

Why? That’s what we will consider this morning.

There’s a lot in this passage we will read this morning, way to much to cover in 45 minutes...

We will read the entire passage, but focus in on four key verses that specifically relate to Jesus being forsaken.

Read verses 15-32

These verses are some of the most horrific in all of the Bible.

Scourged

Mocked by the Romans

Humiliated

Crucified

Used as a tool by Pilate against the Jewish religious leaders

Treated like a terrorist

Mocked by His own people

Mocked by the Jewish religious leaders

Verse 31 - “He saved others; he cannot save himself.”

The religious leaders were actually right here. Jesus did save others, but He could not save Himself. It’s just not in the way they think.

When Jesus was in Gethsemane and prayed, “Yet not what I will, but what you will”, He gave over His will entirely to God’s purposes, and therefore He could not save Himself because it was God’s will that His sacrifice would be the perfect and therefore final atonement for the sins of all those who put their faith in Him.

Timeless Truth: Because Jesus was forsaken, we can be forgiven.

Read verses 33-34

Unnatural darkness from noon to 3 PM...

Jesus cries out...

Verse 34 - “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus quotes the first part of Psalm 22 here. It’s fitting, because Jesus has become sin for his people. God cannot look upon sin, thus He had to forsake Jesus.

Thus, Jesus has now been abandoned by all, even God as he became sin for us.

However, when we look at Psalm 22 in its entirety we can see that the Psalmist ends up having confidence that God would deliver him out of his oppression. It’s hard not to see that Jesus is saying this too!

See, Jesus knows that God was at work, justifying the ungodly to Himself through Jesus sacrificial, atoning death.

As Henri Nouwen writes: “Where God’s absence was most loudly expressed, God’s presence was most profoundly revealed.”

So, during the ninth hour, which was the Jewish hour of prayer, and in his utter despair Jesus goes to God with a prayer of lament, but also of supreme confidence in God’s protection.

Timeless Truth: Because Jesus was forsaken, our sin-debt was paid in full.

Read verses 35-38

Jesus breathes His last breath, and dies...

Verse 38 - “And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”

Consider the role of the curtain:

Separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place...

Holy of Holies is where the Ark of the Covenant was, but, more importantly, where it was believed by the Jewish people that God dwelt with His people...

Entered only once a year by the High Priest...

Why is the curtain ripping so significant?

Ripped from top to bottom, which could not be a natural occurrence...

Symbolically opened man’s access to God like never before...

Hebrews 10:19–23 ESV

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Timeless Truth: Because Jesus was forsaken, believers have access to God.

Read verse 39

Verse 39 - “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Who was this man?

A godless Gentile...

One of the centurions who mistreated Jesus...

And yet, someone who couldn’t deny that there was something special about this man...

While it is unclear whether or not he came to genuine saving faith, he makes a profession that all should make when considering who Jesus is.

No one who lived as He lived, taught as He taught, did what He did, or died like He died could be an insignificant terrorist.

Timeless Truth: Because Jesus was forsaken, we can all put our faith in Him, no matter what we’ve done.

Could this centurion come to genuine saving faith in Jesus? Absolutely. Why? Because, regardless of who we are, what our ethnic background is, what our family of origin is like, or what we’ve done, Jesus was indeed forsaken so we could be forgiven, our sin-debt paid in full, and have eternal access to God through Jesus.

That was true for this man, whether he truly believed or not. But, what’s important to you this morning is that it is true for you as well. You’ll never know this side of glory what happened to this centurion, but you can know what will happen to you at the end of this life when you put your faith in the forsaken Lord, Jesus.