You are never alone because of Jesus.
Matthew 27:46 (NIV)
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 21: The Atonement
We believe
that Jesus Christ is a high priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek—
made such by an oath—
and that he presented himself
in our name
before his Father,
to appease his wrath
with full satisfaction
by offering himself
on the tree of the cross
and pouring out his precious blood
for the cleansing of our sins,
as the prophets had predicted.
So he paid back
what he had not stolen,
and he suffered—
the “just for the unjust,”
in both his body and his soul—
in such a way that
when he senses the horrible punishment
required by our sins
his sweat became like “big drops of blood
falling on the ground.”
He cried, “My God, my God,
why have you abandoned me?”
Summary
These are the last words that Jesus speaks while on the cross in the gospel of Matthew. They are heartbreaking words: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? What must Jesus have been feeling at that moment? He endured so much suffering, and was hanging on the cross for hours. The pain, the torment, the loneliness.
Eventually, he speaks these words, and not long after, he gives up his spirit and dies. Jesus is directly quoting Psalm 22:1, which is a psalm of lament. Lament is crying out to God in grief while wrestling with his goodness.
Dig Deeper
The Belgic Confession speaks of Jesus’ suffering, not glossing over the anguish he felt. Again, think about what Jesus was feeling in his final moments: the weight of sin which was not his; paying a debt that he did not incur; the righteous being crucified for the unrighteous.
As he is hanging on that cross, enduring the physical pain of the nails and the beatings, there is the mental anguish as well. To the point that he cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We know that God never forsakes or abandons us. The cross is the perfect example of that truth. Through Jesus’ suffering and death, we see the perfect love that God has for his people.
Which is why it is important for us to remember that Jesus’ sacrifice involves so much more than just his death. He came to earth as a child, born of the virgin Mary. He lived a perfect life; he never sinned. He was then betrayed, arrested, abandoned by his disciples, beaten, mocked, and unjustly condemned. All of that happened before his crucifixion.
Jesus did it all with a purpose. He offered himself up as a sacrifice to save God’s people from their sins. Jesus’ sacrifice shows us God’s love. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).”
You are never alone because of Jesus. Even when you are in life’s darkest valleys, know that God is with you.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our ever-present God;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: May I trust in your presence, knowing that I am never on my own;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Colossians 2
