Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?

On a skull-shaped hill just outside Jerusalem, hang Jesus on a cross. While on this cross, paying for mankind's sins, He asked forgiveness for those crucifying Him, He granted forgiveness for one crucified alongside Him, and when the moment He had been preparing for since He first spoke the world into existence came, He looked down at His mother, and placing her into the care of His most beloved disciple, He did the hardest thing He'd ever done, He sent her away.

I believe He, as a loving son, did not want His mother to witness what was about to take place.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Look with me at the most horrific moment in the history of the entire world, Matthew 27:45-46…

The Holocaust has an estimated death toll of over 6 million Jews were slaughtered, 1.5 million of which were children! Might I say, that while the holocaust was terrible, it was nothing compared with what took place on Calvary, 2000 years ago, where only one man died, but when He died, He not only took the punishment for mankind, but He literally BECAME the sins of mankind. He died for Hitler's sins, for Bin Laden's sins, for the sins of Charles Manson, for the sins of those that hate Him and everything He stands for, and He died for your sins, and my sins.

Proposition: Might I say to you today that we have no idea the agony that Jesus endured in these 3 hours.

Interrogative: What happened when Jesus became our sin?

TS: Let's examine what took place while Jesus suffered in darkness. First let's examine…

What we Don't Know v. 45

For 3 hours Christ suffered in darkness - we couldn't see

The Lord was crucified from 9 AM - 3 PM

From 9 AM to Noon, He hang in the light

From noon to 3 PM He hang in darkness

The Darkness came just as the sun was to shine its brightest

This was not some sandstorm or solar eclipse as some have suggested

IT could not have been a solar eclipse

Christ was crucified during the time of Passover

Passover takes place during a full moon

For there to be a full moon that means the moon is on the opposite side of the earth from the sun

This makes it impossible for the moon do pass between the earth and sun, thus producing an eclipse

The darkness lasted for 3 hours

It's interesting that preceding the Passover there were 3 days of tangible darkness in Egypt before the slaying of the lamb

Is it any wonder there were 3 hours of tangible darkness the day Jesus was crucified, the day He was offered as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world?

For 3 hours Christ suffered in silence - we couldn't hear

From 12 PM - 3 PM Jesus did not utter a single word (at least not one that is recorded)

IT wasn't until the darkness was lifted that the Savior speaks again, uttering His 4th cry…

What we Do Know v. 46

Jesus suffered spiritual death in our place

Spiritual death = broken communion

Christ was allowed, made, to suffer this separation from God because on the cross He became the sinner's substitute

John the Baptist said of Christ when he saw Him, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" - someone has translated it "the Lamb of God that taketh away the collective sin of a world of sinners"

The word "forsaken" means to be deserted, to be left behind, to be all alone

John Phillips explains it this way:

An Old Testament type gives us a vivid picture of Christ's despair. One of two goats taken on the day of atonement was known as the scapegoat. Over its head the high priest recited the sins of the children of Israel. When the long catalog was finished, the goat was handed over to "a fit man," who led it away into the desert, to "a land not inhabited" (Leviticus 16:21-22). There, far from human haunts, far from its kind, it was abandoned amid scenes of appalling desolation. There, with never a drop of water, never a blade of grass, in indescribable loneliness and isolation, it raised its plaintive cry—which was answered with total and awful silence. Thus, our Savior suffered. His orphan cry rang up to Heaven and the only answer in the darkness was impenetrable, imponderable, complete silence.

Jesus suffered God's complete judgment on sin

During mankind's darkest hour, Jesus suffered like no man ever before, ever since, or ever will

He literally BECAME SIN in our place Galatians 3:13 explains that, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

In Genesis 2 God told Adam that the penalty for sin would be death, when Adam sinned anyway God carried out that penalty,

but in Adam's place God chose an innocent animal without sin, to become Adam's sin. 2000 years ago, God chose His only begotten Son, innocent and holy, to become mankind's sin, paying its penalty once for all.

How could God turn His back on His Own Son?

"God is light and in Him is no darkness at all."

Conclusion: The agony and pain of Christ on the cross is beyond our human comprehension. We cannot possibly understand what He endured to purchase our forgiveness. We have no way of knowing the suffering and pain of loss Christ felt in those 3 hours of darkness.

Maybe you're here today and you're living in the darkness of sin? Why don't you turn to the One Who endured the darkness for you? He paid for you sin when He BECAME your sin on the cross. You do not have to bear that burden alone! Why don't you turn to Him in forgiveness of sin right now?

William Newell described the love of God, the suffering of Christ this way in the 4th verse of his hymn, At Calvary:

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!

Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!

Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

Mercy there was great and grace was free

Pardon there was multiplied to me

There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary!

Is your soul burdened this morning? Why don't you lay those burdens down today at Calvary?