Have you ever wondered if there was another reason that God had to forsake Jesus during His final hours? I’ve wondered lately if He simply couldn’t bear to watch what was happening to His Son. If it had been my son, I couldn’t have watched.
I wondered at what point God had to ‘forsake’ Him; at what point He could no longer bear to watch. Was it while Jesus was being beaten? Was it while He was carrying His cross? While He fell beneath the weight of it? Was it when they laid Him out on it? Did He make it all the way to the nails?
I’ve heard preachers over the years say the reason God had to ‘forsake’ Jesus, was that He could not look on the sin that Jesus had taken on Himself. Maybe that was part of it, but I also believe God might have had to ‘forsake’ Him for the same reason I would have; He just simply could not bear to watch.
Sin effects people in varying degrees; some slip now and then while others are consumed, driven and destroyed by it. Jesus could have stopped everything after a few lashes of the whip. That would have been good enough for those who slip up now and then, but He went all the way to the nails. He made sure He covered those who were destroyed by it.
Jesus knows how destructive sin can be – how it can beat on you till you can’t take it any more. He knows what it’s like to be laid out by it . . . just laying there waiting on the nails to finish you off. God didn’t bring Jesus back to life after a few lashes of the whip; He brought Him back from the worst. By going all the way to the nails, He proved that no matter how far down sin has beat you, He can bring you back to life.
There was a point when Jesus was hanging on the cross that He said, “Enough! It is finished.” I think part of what He was saying was that the price has been paid, but I also think He was saying, “I have covered the worst”.
You have to reach the point where you say ‘enough’. Whether you have just felt the sting of sin’s whip, or it has beat you down, or laid you out. Maybe you’ve even seen the nails coming to finish you off and you’re just laying there waiting. At any point you can say, ‘Enough! It is finished. That is all I will let sin do to me’. Say it and He will forgive you. Mean it and He will bring you back to life.
Hunger and Thirst 
Amen! Nice post!
“…I think part of what He was saying was that the price has been paid, but I also think He was saying, “I have covered the worst”…”
Thank God, Jesus covered the worst because I was in that group.
It is good that we all know only in part the extent to which that is true for many of us. I wish I didn’t know as much about myself as I do.
Wow, Mike. . .this one spoke boldly of Him. Of what kind of a God we have, of what kind of a Savior who would go all the way to take the worse possible, for us.” Say it and He will forgive you. Mean it and He will bring you back to life. ”
I loved that statement at the end. Forgiveness is truly wonderful, but I want brought back to life, the abundant kind. God bless you and sending you a “hi” from Aubrey! She’s been swinging, swimming, riding horses and little trains and kissing toads. 🙂
Do you think the toads realize how fortunate they are? Hi back to her.
They kind of panic a bit! haha! But it doesn’t stop her . . .thanks for the hi back!
I really liked this message, Mike! I am going through a bad trial and it is hard but I am keeping my eyes on Christ until he has finished his work in me. Sometimes the pain makes you think that God is not with you; that you are alone. But the truth is that never is God closer than when one of his saints is broken! Thanks for the great reminder of God’s faithfulness. I needed that today.
There are times when I set out to write something that I pretty well know what I want to say and it is just a matter of choosing the right words to say it. Other times, as it was in this case, it started with an initial thought and I really had no idea where it was going to take me. But I know He did. And though I might write with my guys in mind, I know at the same time, if the message is really true, it will be helpful to us all. It wouldn’t be at all unlike God ‘to have had you in mind’ when He initiated the thought.