The Word of Anguish
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, there was a moment when He felt God was no longer with Him.
Watch this sermon to find out what that meant for Christ and what it means for you today.
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The Word of Anguish - Sermon Summary
Fourth saying of Christ from the cross: "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"John 1:1-3
- Christ has been with Father from eternity
- Object of Father's love
- Christ's joy - be in Father's presence
- Not a moment passed w/o consciousness of Father's presence John 5:19
- 33 years enjoyed unbroken communion with Father (John 14:10)
"My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
- Words mark climax of Christ's sufferings
- Most painful of all His sufferings
- God never forsaken His people in past
- Ps 37:25 David's proclamation
- Most solemn words ever spoken
- Aw-inspiring display of God's inflexible justice
Here we see character of sin
Because of sin:
- Adam brought death to himself & his race
- Cain murdered his brother
- At cross - men crucified their own God
- Isa 59:2
- Gen 4:14 - sin separated Cain from God
- On cross sin separated Christ from father (Isa 53:4-6)
- 2Thes 1:9 - sin separates eternally - Christ could not see beyond tomb
Here we see:
- Absolute holiness
- Inflexible justice of God
- Exhibited His holiness
- Satisfied His justice by pouring out His wrath on one "made sin for us"
- Answered by God - Ps 22:1-3
- "But thou art holy"
- Causes Him to hate sin
- Opposite: Man's sinfulness causes him to like sin
- Because of the sins of my people that are placed on me.
- On cross God's holiness = hatred of sin clearly seen
Here we see the destiny of all who do not choose Christ
- Words - foretell final condition of every lost soul
- Forsaken of God!
Here we see explanation of Gethsemane
- Matt 26:38 said "exceeding sorrowful"
- Greek - "I am overwhelmed with sorrow
- "I am plunged into sea of sorrow in anticipation of God's wrath"
- Place where life blood of olive pressed out drop by drop
- On cross - Christ drained the cup presented to Him in Gethsemane
Here we see Savior's unswerving fidelity to God
Rev 13:8 everlasting covenant
- God promised to provide salvation
- At cross Christ revealed God will not and cannot lie
- Num 23:19
- Ps 15:4 - we to be like God
Here we see basis of salvation
On cross Christ received curse of sin for us
- Gal 3:13 - Christ made a curse for us
- Removed to place outside camp
- Why? God's presence in camp
- Removed away from God's presence
- Heb 13:12 - Jesus crucified outside camp
- Away from God's presence
- Our sins dealt with in Christ
- God's claim against us fully met
- Christ forsaken by God & separated from God's presence for a season
- That we might dwell in His presence for ever.
Here we see supreme evidence of Christ's love for us John 15:13 - greater love hath no man... Christ's love for us revealed in fact:
- Sinless, pure, holy one - allowed sin to engulf Him
- One who dwelt eternally in God's presence - allowed himself to be cursed and forsaken by God
Conclusion
"My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"When we recall these words of Christ let us remember:
- He entered the awful darkness that we might walk in light
- He drank the cup of woe that we might drink the cup of joy
- He was separated and forsaken by God that we might be forgiven and dwell in God's presence forever.
Sermon Excerpt
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